More women are starting businesses than at any point in recorded history. At the same time, the barriers have barely moved. This is the story of a global trend that is real, uneven, and far from finished. 

 

Over the past twenty years, the number of women entrepreneurs in the US has surged by 114%. Globally, women now account for 43% of all entrepreneurs. a figure that would have seemed impossible a generation ago. Women-owned businesses in the US grew 43.5% faster than men-owned businesses between 2019 and 2024, and employment in those businesses grew by 19.5%. 

 

Several forces are converging to drive women's entrepreneurship upward globally. Digital tools have lowered the cost of starting a business dramatically. No-code platforms and alternative funding models are helping female founders sustain and scale their startups in ways that were not possible five years ago. Remote work has given women more flexibility to build businesses alongside caregiving responsibilities. 

 

Policy is also moving slowly, but visibly. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's 2025/2026 report, nine economies have either achieved or are very close to gender parity in new business startups. Women's entrepreneurship in 2026 stands at a powerful inflection point, shaped by digital transformation, global connectivity, and a renewed emphasis on human-centred leadership. 

 

At the leadership level, the number of women running Fortune 500 companies hit a new high in 2025, with 55 women CEOs leading the nation's biggest firms by revenue. The pipeline is thickening. 

 

> ***"Women-owned businesses grew 43.5% faster than men-owned businesses from 2019 to 2024."***&#x20;

 

The rise is real. So is the resistance. Despite starting businesses faster than ever, women continue to face structural headwinds that compound over time.

Women entrepreneurs get 8% less in equity capital from investors than their male counterparts and charge 7% more on their credit cards for business funding. Only one in four applicants for business financing is a woman, and women ask for $35,000 less on average than men.

Only 2.4% of women-owned businesses qualify as middle-market firms meaning that while women are starting businesses at record rates, very few are scaling them to significant size. The top of the pyramid is still largely empty. If women-owned businesses matched men-owned businesses in revenue, it would add $10.2 trillion annually to the global economy. 

 

Female business owners who previously rated their business health as "somewhat or very good" dropped from 60% to 47%, while their male counterparts reported only a five-point drop. Women are starting more but keeping businesses alive under economic pressure remains harder. **Access to capital when it matters most is still the decisive variable.** 

 

**The opportunity hiding in plain sight**

In 78% of economies, women-led small businesses in high and middle-income countries are leading the shift toward sustainability, prioritising social and environmental impact over profit accumulation. This is not softness  it is a different definition of value creation, and one the market is increasingly rewarding.

Women entrepreneurs also hire more women, creating compounding effects through the broader economy. The rise in female-led enterprises means increased diversity of thought, better problem-solving, and more vibrant markets. The business case is not contested. The capital allocation still is. 

 

Challenges remain particularly limited venture capital access and operational inefficiencies that stall growth for women-led businesses. The infrastructure around women founders mentorship, networks, patient capital, financial literacy  is still being built. In most places, it barely exists. 

 

[Join Feminvest membership](https://www.feminvest.se/en/medlemskap/ "Feminvest Membershio")  

 

[Join the Fearless conference ](https://feminvest.confetti.events/fearless-stockholm-autumn26/)

 

[Apply to the fund](https://app.youform.com/forms/wx4np47d "Feminvest Ventures") 

 

[Join Feminvest Accelerator](https://www.feminvestaccelerator.se/ "Feminvest Accelerator")

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The rise and the resistance of women entrepreneurs worldwide.

For Camilla, investing has always been connected to independence, curiosity and long-term thinking. With a long career in large corporations, working mainly in B2B commercial and sales leadership roles in an international environment, she has spent much of her professional life close to business growth, strategy and people. 

 

Her interest in investing, however, started much earlier. 

 

*“I was fortunate to have a female role model,”* Camilla shares. Her grandmother used to keep her physical stock letters in a drawer, long before investing became digital. She saved for herself and for her grandchildren, both in bank accounts and in stocks, and often spoke about the importance of saving part of your earnings and making them grow.  

 

That early example stayed with Camilla. As a teenager, she started saving and investing in funds while working part-time after school. Over the years, her knowledge and investments have developed, with both good and less successful experiences along the way. 

 

*“I will not say I am even close to being an expert,”* she says, *“but I have increased my risk level over time, which sometimes pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. You simply have to be financially and mentally prepared for that.”* 

 

Camilla first came into contact with Feminvest four to five years ago, when she met Michaela Berglund at an event for female investors. The two started talking and have kept in touch since. 

 

During the last months, Camilla has become more involved in the Feminvest community and says she has been impressed by the mission and the activities being built around it. 

 

*“I would describe the community as the vehicle that brings entrepreneurs and investors closer together,”* she says. 

 

For Camilla, Feminvest is a space for knowledge sharing, competence building and exposure to new investment opportunities. It supports entrepreneurs in many different areas and gives them a platform to pitch and connect with potential investors. At the same time, investors gain access to companies and founders they may not otherwise have discovered. 

 

This is especially important in a market where female entrepreneurs still receive only a very small share of risk capital. Camilla points to the need for more networks, more visibility and more platforms that actively support female-founded businesses. 

 

*“Feminvest’s target is to increase risk capital to female entrepreneurs and support the growth of female-founded businesses,”* she says.

Professionally and personally, Feminvest has also expanded Camilla’s own understanding of the capital market. Before becoming more involved, she had limited exposure to unlisted stocks. Through Feminvest, she has discovered a space that combines an important mission with interesting investment opportunities, while also carrying a higher level of risk. 

 

One of the moments she remembers most clearly was attending one of her first pitch events. 

 

*“I was amazed by Feminvest’s work, the community in general, the competence of the pitching companies and the drive of all the entrepreneurs.”* 

 

For Camilla, the strength of Feminvest lies in its ability to bring together people who want to learn, invest and support entrepreneurs. The community creates a place where women can build knowledge, meet others, explore opportunities and become more active in ownership.

Her advice to women who want to start investing is simple and grounded: begin with something that interests you, look for a gap or unique selling point, start small and grow from there. 

 

And most importantly, do not be too cautious to take balanced risks. 

 

For Camilla, investing is not about knowing everything from the beginning. It is about learning over time, staying curious and building the confidence to take the next step. 

 

**Ready to scale your company?** 

 

Feminvest connects female entrepreneurs with investors, knowledge and a community built to support growth. Become a Feminvest member and get access to events, networking opportunities and a platform where founders and investors can meet. 

 

[JOIN FEMINVEST AS A MEMBER HERE](https://www.feminvest.se/en/medlemskap/)

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From Stock Letters to Startup Investments: Camilla on Feminvest, Community and Female Ownership

Swedish material innovation company Paebbl has welcomed real estate giant Prologis and JLL Foundation as new investors, marking another important step in the company’s journey toward industrial-scale production.

Paebbl has also revealed the first image of its planned factory. While the company is not yet ready to disclose the final location, the development signals growing momentum around its technology for transforming captured CO₂ into durable, carbon-negative materials.

“We are not ready to reveal the final location yet,” [Marta Sjögren tells *Impact Loop*.](https://impactloop.se/artikel/paebbl-ett-steg-narmare-ny-fabrik-har-kan-den-hamna) 

Our portfolio company has launched what is stated to be the world’s first carbon-negative construction material. The novel product, called Rebond 300, comes with an Environmental Product Declaration-verified carbon footprint of -149 kg CO2 per tonne. Furthermore the company shares that currently, its team is partnering with a number of leading companies, discussing collaborations such as CO2-storing data centres, public infrastructure projects, coastal protection and retail and residential building integrations.

 

For Feminvest Ventures, Paebbl’s progress is another exciting milestone as the company continues to scale its technology and build the infrastructure needed to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable materials.

Feminvest Ventures portfolio company Paebbl takes a step closer to its first factory

For Reena Chuhan, founder and CEO of Elegancify Scandinavia AB, building a company started with a personal turning point. After experiencing burnout, she decided to follow her lifelong passion for jewelry and turn it into something meaningful. Today, Elegancify is a fine jewelry brand focused on timeless pieces, high-quality materials and elegant design. 

 

*“Building Elegancify has allowed me to combine creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship,”* Reena shares. 

 

The brand has already reached an important milestone: being featured in Vogue Scandinavia. For Reena, it marked a moment of recognition for a company that started as an idea and has grown into a brand with a clear vision. 

 

**Finding community as a founder** 

 

Reena joined Feminvest during her second year as an entrepreneur. Like many founders, she wanted to be part of a space where she could meet others on a similar journey, exchange experiences and continue learning. 

 

*“I wanted to surround myself with inspiring women who are building, investing and creating their own paths,*” she says. 

 

For Reena, the value of Feminvest lies in the sense of community. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially in the early stages, and having access to a network of people who understand the highs and lows of building a business can make a real difference. 

 

Her favourite part of being a Feminvest member is the opportunity to connect with like-minded women, share experiences and support one another along the way. 

 

**Learning to trust the process** 

 

One of the biggest lessons Reena has learned as a founder is that everything cannot happen at once. 

 

As a founder, it can be tempting to move fast all the time. But building a meaningful brand takes patience, consistency and the ability to trust the process. 

 

That lesson has shaped how Reena thinks about growth. For early-stage founders, she believes one of the most important forms of support is access to the right network. 

 

Having people around you who understand the founder journey, share experience and offer encouragement through both the highs and lows can be invaluable. 

 

**The next chapter for Elegancify** 

 

Elegancify is now entering a new phase of growth. Over the coming months, the brand will expand its collection with more exclusive fine jewelry featuring natural gemstones, while continuing to focus on timeless design, craftsmanship and lasting quality. 

 

The company is also accelerating its international growth through new strategic partnerships and collaborations. 

 

Reena’s ambition is to establish Elegancify as a recognized international luxury jewelry brand, with several new milestones ahead. 

 

**Building with Feminvest** 

 

Reena has attended and exhibited at Feminvest’s Fearless events in both Oslo and Stockholm, describing them as inspiring experiences and valuable opportunities to meet entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders.  

 

She has also exhibited through Feminvest, giving Elegancify the opportunity to meet the community in person and share the brand with founders, investors and business leaders. For Reena, these moments are part of what makes the network valuable: visibility, connection and the chance to grow alongside other women building their own paths.

 

To women founders thinking about joining a network like Feminvest, her message is clear: do it. 

 

Building a business can feel lonely, and being part of a strong network can give founders access to knowledge, inspiration, meaningful connections and a community that wants to see them succeed. 

 

For Reena, the relationships and opportunities that come from being part of a network like Feminvest are valuable for both the company and the founder behind it. 

 

As Elegancify continues to grow, Reena’s journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is built through passion, patience and the right people around you. 

 

**Want to join a community like this?**


[JOIN FEMINVEST AS A MEMBER HERE](https://www.feminvest.se/en/medlemskap/)

From Passion to Fine Jewelry: Reena Chuhan’s Founder Journey

Fearless returns for its 13th edition, this time in a more intimate and curated setting at AtSix in the heart of Stockholm. 

 

Fearless brings together **women who invest, women who build companies and the partners helping them make smarter decisions, create stronger businesses and grow their ownership.** 

 

This is not a traditional conference! 

 

It is a meeting place designed around conversations that can actually lead somewhere: a new investment, a new client, a new partner, a new perspective or the introduction that changes what happens next.

 

#### How to join: 

 

## &#x20;Buy your ticket [HERE](https://feminvest.confetti.events/fearless-stockholm-autumn26) or  

 

Get your free ticket by logging into feminvest website below if you are a member in Feminvest ***Core or Investor Network**. If you are not a member,* *b*[*ecome a member HERE.*](https://www.feminvest.se/medlemskap/)

Feminvest Membership

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Our upcoming events

Autumn FEARLESS is back at ATSIX Stockholm, 12/11!

The Feminvest latest

The rise and the resistance of women entrepreneurs worldwide.

From Stock Letters to Startup Investments: Camilla on Feminvest, Community and Female Ownership

Feminvest Ventures portfolio company Paebbl takes a step closer to its first factory

From Passion to Fine Jewelry: Reena Chuhan’s Founder Journey