This news comes as 365 Finance launches the latest edition of its #SheLeads campaign, which aims to raise awareness of equality in SME funding and is backed by data from the Beauhurst – JP Morgan ‘Women-Powered Businesses 2024’ report and the ‘Gender Index Report 2025’.

The autumn/winter campaign features interviews with five business leaders on their journeys and the challenges they have overcome.

The latest Gender Index Report highlighted that female-led businesses often face funding gaps, with only 14.2% securing debt finance in 2024, compared with 61.1% of male-led firms.

However, the data revealed that female-led companies achieved 24.6% turnover growth in 2024, outpacing male-led peers at 21.6%.

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Hannah Hunt, digital marketing manager at 365 Finance, said, “#SheLeads is one of the most meaningful things I work on each year because it gives a platform to women whose stories might otherwise go untold.

“With less than 2% of venture capital funding going to women, visibility and representation are more important than ever.

“These founders are reshaping industries, challenging expectations and showing what is possible when women are given the space and support to lead.

“We are proud, at 365 Finance, to be continually supporting and improving our outreach to female entrepreneurs, with the number of women-led businesses applying for our revenue-based finance having increased from 26% in May 2024 to just over 32% during the last 12 months.”