Women entrepreneurs are game changers, determined to move the world forward and driving a shift that is not obvious to everybody yet, but is clearly confirmed by the numbers.

At WeWill, we spend a lot of time looking beyond today's reality to understand where women's world is moving next. And when we look at entrepreneurship, investing, wealth, and influence together, a clear picture emerges: women are becoming one of the most powerful economic forces of our time.

The challenge is that while the numbers are moving fast, many businesses, investors, and institutions are still looking in the rear-view mirror.

• Globally, women now represent roughly 44% of early-stage entrepreneurs (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor)

• Female-founded companies generated 78 cents revenue per dollar invested versus 31 cents for male-founded companies (BCG)

• Women-controlled wealth moved from an estimated ~$34T globally around 2010 to roughly $80T–90T today, projected to reach $140T by 2030 and $160T by 2040 at parity with men (BCG, McKinsey)

• Women represented approximately 47% of angel investors in 2023, up from 20% in 2005 (All Raise)

• Women represented around 20% of VC decision-makers in 2023, up from 6% in 2012 (All Raise)

• Women are projected to control $30–34T in US financial assets by 2030, up from approximately $10T in 2020 (McKinsey)

• Women investors in the US stock market increased from approximately 60% participation in 2018 to 71% in 2023 (Fidelity)

The conversation around women-founded businesses still seems stuck on one staggering statistic: women receive only 2%–4% of VC funding.

But this data, in isolation, only shows today’s inertia. It completely misses the bigger picture: where the market is heading despite that inertia.

99% of women entrepreneurs build without VC. The key word here is BUILD. 

Women move forward. They find alternative financing: bootstrapping, bank financing, family/friends, revenue-funded growth, angel investors, grants.

And there is another important factor: Women in business are unintentionally yet continuously trained to become exceptional entrepreneurs. Women are often overqualified, used to working harder for every step forward, and conditioned to progress despite barriers constantly placed in front of them.

Today there is a lot of discussion about getting VC funding for women-led startups - because this is still today’s reality. But if we look at the numbers and interpret beyond the obvious, the future is clearly different: women are moving forward and building successful businesses with or without VC funding.

The discussion will eventually shift from:
“How can women get VC funding?”
to:
“How can VC funds get on women-led businesses?”

Because capital ultimately follows opportunity. And the opportunity is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

And this is precisely one of the drivers behind WeWill Co - understanding where women’s world is moving, beyond today’s inertia, and helping businesses design for that future.

Because the biggest growth opportunities rarely come from today's reality. They come from the shifts that most people haven't noticed yet.

And one of the biggest shifts of our time is already underway. 

The big question is not if WeWill get there, but who will make it into the future.