Business

NatWest has surpassed its headline commitment to lend £2 billion to women-led businesses by the end of 2025, announcing that it has already delivered £2.84 billion in funding across more than 55,900 loans.

The achievement comes a full year ahead of schedule and reinforces the bank’s role as one of the UK’s largest backers of female entrepreneurship.

The average loan size stood at around £50,700, with high demand seen across a wide variety of sectors. Health-related enterprises received the most support, followed by leisure, commercial real estate, retail and professional services. Regionally, London led the way in total lending, closely trailed by the South East, North West, Scotland and the South West — signalling the breadth of economic activity driven by women-run companies nationwide.

Robert Begbie, CEO of NatWest Commercial & Institutional, described the milestone as proof of the scale and ambition of female-led firms: “Surpassing our £2bn investment target ahead of schedule shows the strength and ambition of female-led companies. Our commitment is long-standing, with over 1,000 Women in Business specialists, more than half of our accelerator founders being women, and the launch of the first ever €500 million social bond for female-led businesses.”

NatWest’s work to support women in business stretches back more than a decade. Since launching its Women in Business programme in 2012, the bank has invested heavily in specialist support, mentoring, networks and access to finance. Early partnerships with Everywoman and schemes such as Inspiring Women into Enterprise created the foundation for what has become a national support ecosystem.

By 2023, over half of the entrepreneurs supported by NatWest accelerators were women — a significant shift in a sector where female founders typically receive only a fraction of available funding. The bank’s regional outreach, strategic partnerships and policy-based initiatives such as the Rose Review and the Economic Blueprint for Women have helped bring visibility and momentum to the UK’s gender funding gap.

During the pandemic, NatWest tailored its support with resilience workshops, repayment holidays and virtual training to help female founders navigate volatility. As a founding member of the Investing in Women Code, it has also played a pivotal role in driving transparency and accountability around lending practices.

More recently, collaborations with Meta, Buy Women Built and Getty Images’ Female Focus Campaign have equipped female-led businesses with digital marketing capabilities, greater visibility and improved representation in business imagery. New ring-fenced finance for female entrepreneurs and early-stage programmes such as the Begin initiative are helping women establish and scale ventures in high-growth sectors.

As NatWest reflects on exceeding its flagship pledge, the bank says it remains committed to expanding both funding and opportunity for women-led businesses, working with industry and government partners to close the UK’s gender entrepreneurship gap and support long-term economic growth.

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NatWest surpasses £2bn pledge, lending £2.84bn to more than 55,000 women-led businesses

The Trump administration is preparing to impose one of the most stringent travel-screening requirements in modern US history, with foreign tourists set to be required to hand over five years of their social media history before they are allowed to enter the country.

The proposal, filed quietly this week in the Federal Register by US Customs and Border Protection, would apply to all foreign nationals, including travellers from visa-waiver countries such as the UK and Germany. It marks the latest escalation in the administration’s efforts to tighten border vetting, coming just days after a sweeping freeze on immigration applications from 19 countries and the cancellation of citizenship ceremonies across the US.

Under the plan, visitors would be compelled to disclose their social media accounts stretching back half a decade, along with associated email addresses, phone numbers and information about close family members. Officials say the US public has 60 days to comment on the proposal before it begins moving through the formal approval process.

The move follows a State Department rule introduced in June requiring would-be immigrants and visa applicants to make their social media accounts publicly accessible to US authorities. Monday’s proposed expansion takes the requirement even further, sweeping up short-term business travellers, tourists and those entering through the world’s busiest airports ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The White House and Department of Homeland Security have not yet issued a public statement, although Travelling for Business has contacted both for comment.

The administration argues that enhanced scrutiny is necessary to identify potential extremists and applicants exhibiting what it calls “anti-Americanism.” In August, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said officers would begin examining visa and green-card applicants’ social media posts to determine whether they had “endorsed, promoted, supported or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.

“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said at the time. “Immigration benefits remain a privilege, not a right.”

Critics warn the latest measures open the door to broad interpretation and bias, with officers required to make subjective calls about what constitutes anti-American sentiment. Scholars and immigration experts say the lack of definition risks inconsistent decisions that could unlawfully target political speech.

Jane Lilly López, a sociology professor at Brigham Young University, said the proposals could “allow stereotypes and prejudice and implicit bias to take the wheel,” with potentially life-altering consequences for applicants.

The social-media vetting expansion lands amid a raft of new restrictions, including a temporary ban affecting more than 1.5 million people with pending asylum applications and tens of thousands previously approved under the Biden administration. Trump has also signalled that a wider travel ban, covering more than 30 countries, may follow.

A DHS memo obtained by The Washington Post outlines a sweeping re-screening process in which all migrants from the restricted list would face fresh interviews and new assessments of “national security and public safety threats.”

President Trump has defended the measures, saying the Biden administration allowed “unvetted migrants” to enter the country and pointing to the recent attack near the White House involving a suspect from Afghanistan. He has vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” and to pursue “reverse migration” as a remedy.

Secretary of State Kristi Noem endorsed the policy direction this week, pledging support for a “full travel ban” on countries she claims are sending “killers, leeches and entitlement junkies.”

If enacted, the social-media disclosure requirement would become one of the most intrusive travel-screening rules globally, one likely to complicate business travel, tourism and major event planning ahead of the World Cup in North America. Millions of international visitors are expected to transit US airports in the next three years, with airport authorities already bracing for increased processing times and higher documentation demands.

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Trump to require all foreign tourists to hand over five years of social media data under sweeping new vetting plan

SpaceX is gearing up for what could become one of the largest stock market debuts in history, with Elon Musk reportedly preparing to take the rocket maker public as early as next year at a valuation of around $1.5 trillion.

If the flotation proceeds as planned, it would sit just below Saudi Aramco’s record-setting $1.7 trillion IPO in 2019.

According to reporting from Bloomberg, SpaceX executives and advisers are advancing plans for the listing, which would seek to raise well over $30 billion and cement the company’s position at the centre of the rapidly expanding commercial space industry.

Musk, 54, founded SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of revolutionising space travel by slashing launch costs and making human missions to Mars viable. Over the past two decades, the company has reshaped the global launch market, fielding its reusable Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and becoming the partner of choice for governments, satellite operators and private clients.

The company has also built a substantial second revenue engine with Starlink, its global broadband satellite network. Musk said in June that SpaceX expects to generate $15.5 billion in revenue this year, driven heavily by the growth of Starlink subscribers worldwide. By next year, he predicts the company’s commercial space revenues will surpass NASA’s launch and spaceflight budget, which stands at around $1.1 billion.

Starship — the 400-ft launch system Musk has pitched as essential for transporting cargo and ultimately humans to the Moon and Mars — remains a central pillar of SpaceX’s ambitions. Although still in development and testing, Starship is expected to underpin NASA’s Artemis programme and future deep-space missions.

SpaceX’s operational cadence has reached unprecedented levels. In 2024, the company completed a record 134 Falcon launches, becoming the most prolific launch provider in the world. This year, it is tracking toward 170 launches, fuelled by demand for satellite deployment, commercial contracts and military work.

Its aggressive expansion has made SpaceX a frontrunner for major defence programmes, including President Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence shield, which would rely on advanced satellites to detect aircraft and missile threats.

A $1.5 trillion IPO would not only dwarf most previous technology listings but would also underscore the shift in global aerospace leadership, with SpaceX moving far beyond its early role as a scrappy NASA contractor to become the dominant force in commercial launch, satellite broadband and next-generation space infrastructure.

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SpaceX planning $1.5 trillion IPO in 2026 as Elon Musk readies record listing

Small manufacturers across the capital are set for a major digital upgrade after London awarded more than £300,000 in grants through the first round of the Made Smarter London programme.

Delivered by London & Partners, the fund is designed to help locally based makers adopt new technologies, improve productivity and strengthen their resilience amid rising demand and global competition.

Twenty small manufacturers have secured grants ranging from £4,500 to £20,000, enabling investment in artificial intelligence tools, robotics, software systems and digital sales platforms. The programme aims to lift the technological firepower of London’s manufacturing community, 99.6 per cent of which are SMEs — almost nine in ten employing fewer than ten people.

For many of these businesses, limited budgets and a lack of digital expertise have historically slowed down investment in new tools and processes. The new funding will help unlock efficiency gains, open access to new markets and support the creation of highly skilled jobs across London’s creative, industrial and food sectors.

The rollout marks the capital’s first year participating in the Made Smarter initiative, which has already supported more than 3,000 manufacturers in other UK regions, generating thousands of jobs and more than £300 million in projected economic value.

Vanesa Pérez-Sánchez, Director of Small Businesses at London & Partners, said the appetite for innovation among the city’s manufacturers was strong: “Manufacturers play a big part in supporting the London economy; from creative makers that fuel the West End to food and drink suppliers across our high streets. This funding is encouraging businesses to adopt digital technologies that allow them to work more efficiently and be future ready.”

Among the first wave of recipients is Signorelli Bakery in Newham. Founder Rebeca Rosmini secured a £20,000 grant to invest in staff training and digital tools.

“This grant allows us to invest in our team and our future at a time when that’s difficult to do,” she said. “With smarter equipment and a new digital training academy, we can grow, support and upskill our neurodiverse and multilingual staff while keeping our handmade quality.”

In Croydon, Dancesport International, which produces outfits for West End and cinema productions, has received £12,000 to install digital pattern-cutting software. Founder Gerald Schwanzer expects the technology to cut costs, reduce waste and increase productivity by up to 40%.

Meanwhile, Bromley-based Laundre will use a £12,700 grant to overhaul systems with AI, CRM tools and digital data libraries. Founder Salli Deighton said the funding allows her team to complete long-planned upgrades they never had the time or specialist knowledge to deliver.

Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth Howard Dawber said the initiative is essential to helping London’s makers modernise and compete: “This funding will hugely support small manufacturers across the capital, helping them invest in new technologies and become more efficient. By helping them thrive, we can continue to build a better, more prosperous London for all.”

More funding rounds will open in early 2026, offering manufacturers additional opportunities to scale, digitise and strengthen their operations.

Manufacturers seeking support can find details on the Made Smarter website.

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London backs small manufacturers with £300,000 tech fund to boost productivity

In the bustling tech hubs of London, Manchester and Edinburgh, a handful of visionary founders launched what seemed like modest bets on live streaming innovation back in 2020.

With initial seed rounds totalling around £10 million, these companies focused on creating real-time interactive experiences that blended television polish with social media immediacy. Fast forward to late 2025, and those early investments have ballooned into a collective valuation exceeding £2 billion, according to recent filings with Companies House and market analysts like PwC. This remarkable trajectory underscores Britain’s role as a global leader in entertainment tech, where startups have harnessed 5G rollout and AI-driven production to redefine how audiences connect with content.

A key driver in this surge has been the integration of diverse live formats, including those offered by non GamStop casinos, which have pioneered seamless, host-led sessions attracting millions of users seeking uninterrupted social engagement. These ventures, often starting in converted warehouses or home offices, have scaled rapidly by prioritising mobile-first designs and partnerships with telecom giants like BT and Vodafone.

The Spark: Seed Funding in a Post-Pandemic Boom

The seeds of this growth were sown amid the 2020 lockdowns, when demand for virtual gatherings skyrocketed. Ofcom data shows UK live streaming viewership jumped 40% that year, prompting investors to back nimble teams with prototypes for interactive broadcasts. One early standout, a Manchester-based outfit founded by ex-BBC engineers, secured £2.5 million from local VCs like Northstar Ventures. Their focus: building low-latency streams for game-show-style events, complete with real-time polls and avatar reactions.

By 2021, as restrictions eased, these startups pivoted to hybrid models, blending online access with pop-up live events. Funding rounds accelerated, with the UK government’s £500 million Future Fund injecting capital into 15 such firms. According to a 2025 PwC report on the entertainment and media sector, this period saw a 25% compound annual growth rate in live streaming revenues, far outpacing traditional TV at 8%. Founders like Sarah Khalid, who bootstrapped her Edinburgh studio with £800,000, credit the era’s urgency for forcing quick iterations on user feedback loops.

Scaling Studios: From Lofts to Global Broadcast Hubs

Manchester’s MediaCityUK became ground zero for expansion by 2022. Startups here invested in custom-built 4K studios, employing AI for automated camera switches and subtitle generation. One firm, starting with a £1.2 million grant from Innovate UK, now operates three facilities streaming to 50 million monthly users. Their wheel-of-fortune inspired formats, drawing from classic ITV hits, have logged over 100 million hours of engagement this year alone.

In London, Shoreditch lofts birthed ventures like a duo of ex-Google devs who raised £3 million to launch multiplayer quiz rooms. By mid-2023, they’d partnered with Sky for co-branded series, boosting valuations to £150 million. Grand View Research notes the UK live streaming market hit £15 billion in 2024, with platforms accounting for 64% of that slice. These companies avoided heavy hardware costs by leveraging cloud services from AWS, keeping burn rates low while scaling to international audiences in Europe and Asia.

Tech Innovations Driving the Valuation Leap

At the core of this £10m-to-£2bn story lies cutting-edge tech adoption. Startups integrated machine learning for personalised host recommendations, ensuring viewers matched with sessions suiting their mood – from high-energy dice challenges to relaxed chat-led spins. A 2025 Streams Charts analysis highlights how UK firms led in adopting Dolby Vision for mobile streams, reducing drop-off rates by 30%.

Edinburgh’s scene flourished with a £4 million round for a startup specialising in augmented reality overlays, turning standard tables into immersive ocean-themed spectacles. By 2024, acquisitions began: a London player snapped up a Scottish rival for £80 million, consolidating tech stacks. IMARC Group forecasts the broader UK media market reaching £220 billion by 2033, with live elements growing at 8.16% annually. Founders emphasise talent pipelines from universities like UCL and Glasgow, where grads bring skills in edge computing to handle peak loads without glitches.

Partnerships and Market Penetration

Strategic alliances propelled the next phase. In 2023, one Manchester startup inked deals with Premier League clubs for fan-engagement streams, layering interactive elements over matches. This not only diversified revenue – from ads to virtual merchandise – but also drew £200 million in Series B funding from US firms like Sequoia. Across the sector, PwC reports internet advertising in entertainment hit £30 billion last year, with live formats capturing 20% through targeted in-stream promotions.

Belfast emerged as a sleeper hit, with a £1.5 million-backed team focusing on Northern Irish talent for multicultural hosts. Their multicultural game-show series went viral on TikTok, amassing 500 million views and a £300 million valuation by 2025. EU-Startups magazine detailed how such cross-border ties, including with Irish broadcasters, opened EU markets post-Brexit, adding 15% to annual growth.

The Numbers Behind the Boom

Financials paint a vivid picture. Collective revenues for these 12 core startups climbed from £5 million in 2021 to £450 million in 2025, per Deloitte audits. Exit multiples averaged 20x, with one IPO on the LSE valuing a host-led entertainment specialist at £750 million. Futuresource Consulting projects the UK video market steadying at £11.4 billion this year, but live niches surging 6% via SVoD hybrids. Investor returns? Early backers saw 200x uplift, turning £10 million into £2 billion in enterprise value.

Challenges persist – talent shortages and content licensing hikes – but solutions like apprenticeships with ScreenSkills have onboarded 5,000 young technicians since 2023.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining the Momentum

As 2025 closes, these startups eye further horizons. Plans include Web3 integrations for fan-owned content and VR expansions, as flagged in BDO’s H1 media M&A review, which noted £3.2 billion in UK deals. With 5G subscriptions topping 15 million per Ofcom, scalability seems assured.

For a deeper dive into how public broadcasters are fuelling this ecosystem through indie support schemes, the BBC’s latest announcement on backing 50 production companies nationwide offers key insights: BBC supports 50 independent companies across the UK.

This five-year sprint from £10 million to £2 billion cements UK entertainment startups as export powerhouses, blending creativity with commerce in ways that captivate global audiences.

Read more:
The UK Entertainment Startups That Turned £10m Into £2bn in Just Five Years

Some people learn about a city. Others live it. John Gerges does both. As one of Toronto’s most recognised walking tour guides, he has built a career by transforming ordinary streets into moving stories. His tours feel less like scheduled events and more like guided adventures through the city’s energy, art and hidden corners.

“Toronto never sits still, so my tours can’t either,” he likes to say. His approach has helped him stand out in a crowded tourism market, especially in neighbourhoods like Queen West, Kensington Market and Graffiti Alley, where culture moves fast and the art changes overnight.

Early Curiosity That Shaped a Career

John grew up in midtown Toronto where he spent hours exploring murals, sketching buildings and learning the stories behind neighbourhood landmarks. He was the kind of teenager who noticed new posters on lampposts before anyone else. His early love for urban culture eventually guided him toward studying Communications and City Studies at the University of Toronto.

He often reflects on this time. “I realised early on that cities tell stories, and someone has to help people hear them,” he says. While studying, he worked part-time at a small Queen West art studio. This job exposed him to local artists and the tight-knit creative scene that would later shape his tours.

After graduating, John completed a Tourism and Hospitality Management certificate at George Brown College, where professors joked that he knew downtown Toronto better than they did.

How He Built a Unique Career in Toronto Tourism

John Gerges did not set out to become a tour guide. He worked in event coordination and later at a media company creating short videos about city culture. Friends encouraged him to share his deep knowledge of Toronto in a bigger way. In 2016, he finally listened and launched his own walking tour brand.

What made his tours different? They weren’t scripted. They were personal.

Instead of covering only well-known attractions, he led people through laneway murals, community gardens, vintage shops, and pop-up art installations. He showed people the parts of Toronto that rarely make travel brochures.

“My goal is to take people somewhere they wouldn’t find on their own,” he explains.

Word spread fast. Tourists appreciated the authenticity. Locals appreciated seeing their neighbourhood through fresh eyes. Many reviews say the same thing: John Gerges makes you feel like a friend is showing you around.

His Graffiti Alley tour quickly became his signature offering. He highlights famous murals but also points out pieces that may appear and disappear within days. “The tour changes every week. That’s what makes it fun,” he says.

A Style Built on Spontaneity and Connection

John’s tours have a unique rhythm. He remembers names. He stops to chat with business owners. He reroutes the tour if he sees live music, a new mural or a food stall worth visiting. He treats Toronto as an open studio, and his guests follow along as co-creators.

His family often becomes part of the narrative. He jokes about how his brother once got lost in Kensington Market despite growing up next to it. These small stories add warmth and make every tour feel personal.

People know him for making strangers feel at home. “If someone joins a tour alone, my job is to make sure they don’t feel alone for long,” he says.

Life Beyond the Tours

When John is not working, he stays deeply involved in Toronto’s cultural scene. He lives in a loft near Ossington, surrounded by photography books, film cameras and Toronto memorabilia.

He starts many mornings doing street photography before the city wakes up. He also spends weekends exploring new restaurants and hidden food spots. “Half my tour stops come from wandering and eating,” he laughs.

His other hobbies include:

Cycling the Waterfront Trail
Repairing vintage cameras
Playing rec hockey and summer softball
Hosting Sunday dinners with friends and family

These activities keep him grounded and help him connect with the communities he serves.

A Vision for the Future of Toronto Storytelling

John is currently working on a photo-driven book documenting Toronto’s laneways and the artists who shape them. The project mixes his love for street photography with his desire to preserve local culture.

He is also developing a night tour series featuring glowing murals, neon signs and the atmosphere of Toronto after dark. “The city feels completely different at night. It deserves its own story,” he says.

For John, guiding isn’t just a job. It is a way of honouring the city that shaped him. He views Toronto as a canvas that is constantly changing, and he sees his role as helping others understand what makes it special.

“Every neighbourhood has a heartbeat. You just need to slow down long enough to hear it,” he says.

Read more:
How John Gerges Turned Toronto Into His Storytelling Stage

When Maryam Simpson started creating homemade magazines as a kid on her family’s first computer, she didn’t know she was laying the foundation for a career in digital marketing.

But her love for design, storytelling, and tech never left. Today, she’s a seasoned Marketing Specialist based in Hoboken, New Jersey, helping brands grow with strategy, empathy, and data.

From launching rebrands to tripling client sales, Maryam’s work speaks for itself. But behind every campaign is a mindset focused on clarity and connection.

“Marketing is about empathy,” she says. “You have to understand people well enough to create something that moves them.”

Let’s take a look at how she got here—and how she’s changing the way marketing is done.

From Edison to Rutgers: Early Signs of a Storyteller

Maryam grew up in Edison, New Jersey, in a home that blended engineering logic and literary curiosity. Her dad was a civil engineer. Her mom, originally from Iran, was a high school English teacher. That mix sparked her interest in both structure and story.

At Edison High School, she joined the yearbook club, student council, and DECA. She won a regional marketing strategy competition in her senior year. But she was already experimenting with ideas before that—building digital collages, redesigning logos, and exploring how images and words connect.

That curiosity led her to Rutgers University – New Brunswick, where Maryam Simpson earned her B.S. in Marketing and Communications in 2014. During college, she interned at a boutique ad agency in Princeton and found her niche in digital.

“I liked how fast things moved,” she says. “And I loved how strategy and creativity could work together.”

First Jobs and Fast Growth

Maryam’s first professional role was as a Marketing Assistant at Garden State Financial Services. It was a mid-sized firm, but the experience was big. She created email campaigns, managed social media, and tracked analytics.

“It taught me how to balance daily work with long-term goals,” she says. “And how to communicate across teams.”

By 2017, she had moved on to BrightLeaf Media Group, a digital agency in Jersey City. There, she worked with clients in healthcare, retail, and tech. She didn’t just participate—she led.

One of her major wins was a rebrand for a regional hospital network. The project boosted online patient engagement by 43%. She also launched a social influencer campaign for a skincare brand, tripling monthly sales. Another standout was a content strategy overhaul that pushed SEO traffic up by 200%.

“Those were turning points,” she says. “I learned how to connect performance with purpose.”

Leading With Purpose at EverNova

In 2021, Maryam took on a hybrid role at EverNova, a sustainability-focused brand based in Hoboken. The job blends everything she’s passionate about: storytelling, analytics, product messaging, and values-driven marketing.

She works closely with product development teams to make sure what the company says matches what it does.

“People want authenticity,” she says. “If there’s a gap between what a brand promises and how it acts, they’ll see it. Fast.”

Her role is part strategy, part content, and part research. And it reflects her broader belief in marketing with meaning.

Skills That Make an Impact

Maryam’s toolbox is deep. She’s skilled in SEO, brand identity, social media strategy, content writing, and data analytics. She uses HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Ads, and design tools like Adobe Creative Suite and Canva Pro.

But what really sets her apart is how she uses those tools. It’s not just about driving clicks. It’s about building trust.

“It’s easy to make noise,” she says. “It’s harder to create something people actually care about.”

She also mentors younger professionals online, answering questions in LinkedIn groups and offering advice on marketing careers.

Recognition and Giving Back

Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2020, she was named one of NJ AdWeek’s “Top 30 Under 30 Marketers to Watch.” In 2021, she won Best Social Media Campaign at the New Jersey Marketing Excellence Awards. In 2023, she was a featured speaker at the Women in Digital Marketing Summit in Newark.

Outside of work, Maryam volunteers with Girls Who Code NJ and Habitat for Humanity Hudson County. She teaches digital skills, helps with community events, and supports local causes.

She also runs a travel blog called The Urban Lens, where she mixes her love for photography, cities, and nature. It’s a space where she writes about everything from café culture in Lisbon to hiking trails in upstate New York.

The Mindset That Drives It All

Maryam is the kind of marketer who listens first. She blends data with emotion. She builds with purpose and isn’t afraid to challenge the standard playbook.

She’s not chasing trends—she’s building stories that last.

“Marketing isn’t about selling,” she says. “It’s about connecting. That’s what sticks.”

In an industry full of noise, Maryam Simpson stands out for one simple reason: she knows how to make things clear.

Read more:
Maryam Simpson’s Clear Path to Creative Leadership

The Invest in Women Taskforce has surpassed its fundraising ambitions in a major boost for female entrepreneurship, announcing that it has now convened £635 million in commitments, more than double its original £250 million target set at launch in 2024.

The milestone includes confirmation that Nationwide and the British Business Bank will join Barclays and M&G as anchor partners in the targeted £130 million first close of the groundbreaking Women backing Women Fund of Funds, subject to final terms and approvals.

The fund, managed by Bootstrap4F and believed to be the largest female-led fund of funds in the world, represents the first initiative of its kind in the UK dedicated to deploying capital directly into female-founded companies and gender-balanced VC teams.

The Taskforce’s first Annual Report, published today, reveals that more than £70 million was deployed in 2025 across 15 founders and funds, with a strong pipeline now emerging as momentum accelerates. The funding pool has become the largest coordinated effort globally to reshape the investment landscape for female entrepreneurs.

A sector still facing a deep investment gap

Despite the rapid progress, female founders continue to face stark funding disparities. Research by Beauhurst and the Taskforce shows that fully female-founded businesses receive just 2% of UK equity investment. At the current rate of change, the Taskforce estimates it will take at least a decade to reach funding parity between all-male teams and female or mixed teams.

The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee recently echoed this call for urgent action, urging the government and industry to invest more decisively in female entrepreneurship.

Government backing and economic case

Speaking ahead of a Downing Street reception to mark the launch of the Annual Report, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said supporting female entrepreneurs was central to the government’s economic agenda.

“Growth is this Government’s number one mission, and I am backing female-powered business not only because it’s critical for our economy but because it is the right thing to do,” she said.

“As the first female Chancellor, I am committed to improving economic outcomes for women, from lifting the two-child cap to breaking down barriers that stop women from starting, scaling and investing in British businesses.”

‘A commercial imperative, not just a moral one’

Hannah Bernard, Barclays executive and Taskforce co-chair, emphasised the economic potential of backing women-led businesses.

“Female-led businesses deliver 35% higher returns than male-led businesses,” she said. “This is not only the right thing to do,  it is a commercial imperative. We must urgently rebalance investment committees and capital deployment.”

Debbie Wosskow OBE, entrepreneur and co-chair of the Taskforce, said the fund’s progress should serve as a wake-up call to the wider VC industry.

“Reaching first close will be a huge milestone. We’ve worked tirelessly to build the world’s largest funding pool for women, but about 80% of UK venture capital still goes to all-male teams,” she said. “The evidence is clear: diverse teams deliver stronger returns. So what are we waiting for?”

The Taskforce continues to call on institutional investors, pension funds and corporates to join the initiative and help close the UK’s persistent gender funding gap.

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Invest in Women Taskforce hits £635m as Nationwide and British Business Bank join first close of landmark ‘Women backing Women’ fund

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has acquired Swindon’s Designer Outlet, one of the UK’s busiest retail destinations, marking the latest move in the company’s fast-growing property portfolio.

The popular shopping centre — housed within the Grade II-listed former Great Western Railway Works — attracts more than three million visitors a year and has been sold by LaSalle Investment Management, which only purchased the site in 2022.

Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, said the deal underscores the company’s commitment to investing in physical retail as a core part of its “elevation strategy”.

“Physical retail is central to our elevation strategy and investing in Swindon — one of the UK’s top five outlets by footfall — strengthens our position as both retailer and landlord,” Murray said. “This acquisition reinforces our property strategy and unlocks new opportunities for our brands and our partners.”

The outlet, which opened in 1997, was previously operated by McArthurGlen before changing hands to LaSalle. Its acquisition marks another major shopping centre addition for Frasers Group, following last month’s purchase of the Braehead Shopping Centre in Scotland.

The FTSE-listed business, controlled by founder and majority shareholder Mike Ashley, now owns a growing portfolio of retail centres across the UK alongside its chain of Frasers department stores and brands including Sports Direct, Game, Jack Wills and Evans Cycles.

Industry analysts said the move highlights Frasers Group’s continued strategy of combining retail ownership with property investment — a model that gives it significant influence over rents, tenants and prime retail locations during a turbulent period for the high street.

Read more:
Frasers Group snaps up Swindon Designer Outlet in latest retail property expansion

The government has announced a £725 million overhaul of the apprenticeship system, setting out plans to create 50,000 new placements over the next three years in an effort to address rising youth unemployment and strengthen the UK’s long-term economic prospects.

The reforms include a £140 million mayoral pilot programme giving regional leaders new powers to connect young people — particularly those not in education, employment or training (NEET) — with apprenticeship opportunities at local employers. Ministers say the changes will open thousands of new routes into skilled work across the country, with a sharper focus on aligning training with local labour market demand.

A central pillar of the reforms is a commitment to cover the full cost of apprenticeships for eligible under-25s at small and medium-sized businesses — a move aimed at removing the financial barriers that have discouraged thousands of SMEs from hiring apprentices.

The government will also launch new foundation apprenticeships in industries such as hospitality and retail, intended to help young people enter the workforce more quickly. Expansion plans for growth sectors — including digital, engineering, health and advanced manufacturing — are expected to create clearer pathways into roles experiencing chronic skills shortages.

Sheila Flavell CBE, COO of FDM Group, called the investment a “crucial step” in preparing young people for a job market undergoing rapid transformation.

“As AI adoption accelerates across every sector, the demand for digital and technical skills is rising sharply,” she said. “Our research shows that more than half of organisations now expect AI capabilities in all early-career roles, yet only 6% feel their teams are equipped with these skills.”

Flavell said embedding practical AI and digital literacy into early-career training was essential to ensuring the UK workforce remained competitive.

Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director for Zoho UK, said the reforms were a “significant step towards modernising the UK’s skills infrastructure,” particularly in regions historically underserved by training and investment.

“By building a more evenly distributed skills base, the UK can attract greater investment from the tech industry into hiring and upskilling local talent,” he said. “Flexible short courses, foundation apprenticeships and new pathways in AI and digital engineering mark an important shift toward modular, competency-based training.”

From April 2026, the reforms will introduce a suite of short, flexible training courses in critical skills areas as well as a new Level 4 apprenticeship in artificial intelligence, designed to meet employer demand for future-focused capabilities.

The package represents the most significant restructuring of the apprenticeship system in a decade and is aimed at reversing a sharp decline in participation — apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen by almost 40% since 2015/16.

Ministers say the new measures will simplify pathways, expand access and ensure training reflects the needs of modern industries and regional economies.

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Government unveils £725m package to create 50,000 apprenticeships and tackle rising youth unemployment