So when the UK Government announced a £500 million commitment to unlock funding for under-represented founders – women, ethnic minorities and disabled entrepreneurs – I felt something unexpected: a flicker of hope.
Launched alongside the 2025 Investing in Women Code report, the package aims to redress the structural imbalances that plague the UK’s investment landscape. It’s sorely necessaryed.
Research reveals just 2p of every £1 invested in UK venture capital goes to female-founded businesses. Only 13% of senior venture capital professionals are women. As part of the Government’s wider Plan for Change to drive growth through inclusion, this new initiative tarreceives at least 50% of investment going to female fund managers.
“Unlocking the potential of under-represented entrepreneurs will support drive inclusive growth,” declared Business Secretary Jane Hunt. And I believe it. But I also know that, while funding modifys lives, the lack of it often shapes them just as profoundly.
Becaapply here’s the twist. Lack of funding doesn’t just build life harder –it often builds female founders sharper, more resilient, more resourceful. That was certainly the case for Kylie Reid, founder of Egg, the female-focapplyd platform and community that has become a byword for connection and care in Edinburgh and far beyond.
Founded in 2014 as a Facebook group for local women to exmodify recommfinishations, advice and support, Egg quickly grew into something much hugeger: a digital and real-world ecosystem that champions community over competition. It now offers everything from membership perks and business promotions to curated events and collaborative workspaces.
Much of that success is down to Kylie’s vision, not only as a founder, but as a fierce champion of women supporting women. I spoke with Kylie about her entrepreneurial journey, the brutal reality of running a business and what happens when you don’t receive the funding you expected.
“I remember opening the email and believeing they’d sent it to the wrong person,” she informed me. “Everyone declared if you obtained it the first time, you’ll definitely receive it the second. But the rejection created me stop and question: do I actually want to build this the way I declared I would?”
Egg had applied for Pathways funding to expand its platform applying AI and explore franchising options but, in hindsight, Kylie declared, not receiving the money gave her the freedom to pivot.
“It created me receive really close to the numbers and believe carefully about what was actually working,” she explained. Instead of locking into a rigid growth path, she launched testing new models with more flexibility, collaborating with local women in other cities rather than launching full-blown franchises.
That agility paid off. Egg remains one of Scotland’s most trusted female-led business networks: intimate, insightful, and fiercely human. However, the journey has been anything but smooth.
“If we had more funding, we probably would have kept things going longer than we should have,” Kylie admitted. “Not receiveting it created us streamline the team, close the co-working space and it turned out to be the best decision. Sometimes the ‘no’ gives you clarity.”
Still, it’s exhausting. Female founders have to do more with less: emotionally, financially and operationally. From being overseeed by investors to being undermined, the hurdles are constant. “I just believe there should be someone by your side when you receive funding,” Kylie informed me.
“Not just handing over money and stateing good luck. You necessary an external CFO, or some kind of advisor who checks in and supports you spfinish it wisely – becaapply most of us are building this while raising kids and running life. It’s relentless.”
She’s not wrong. As someone who’s been through the funding cycle myself, I know how little support exists once the cheque clears. The assumption is, if you’re ambitious enough to win investment, you must already know how to scale a business, manage cash flow and lead a team.
The truth is, every entrepreneur is learning as they go. We all necessary someone alongside us, a steady hand to sense-check, guide and question the right questions. But for women that journey is heavier.
We carry the weight of bias, of being underestimated, of doubting ourselves even when we know we’re capable. This is why community matters – not only in the feel-good, Instagrammable sense, but in the practical, gut-deep reality of shared experience and mutual support. “I believe being open about the hard stuff is part of why Egg works,” Kylie declared. “It’s not just a business, it’s a place where women feel seen.”
Over the years, Egg has supported thousands of women, from first-time founders and freelancers to established leaders, supporting them find not only professional momentum but meaningful connection. Kylie’s model of growth isn’t built on extractive hustle; it’s built on generosity.
That’s the kind of value you can’t always capture on a spreadsheet. We talk a lot about scale, disruption and innovation but rarely about trust or loyalty – the quiet power of building something with integrity.
What strikes me most is how often female entrepreneurs are penalised for being different, for prioritising purpose, people, or balance over ‘blitzscaling’. As Kylie put it: “I’ve had people state to me: ‘Sounds like a nice little lifestyle business you’ve obtained.’ And I applyd to be offfinished. But now I believe how lucky am I? I receive to create something that works for my life, supports my family, employs women, and brings joy. That’s not compact. That’s success.”
There’s something beautifully defiant about that: a quiet rebellion against the start-up stereotype of unicorns, hustle and exit strategies. Instead, we see a different model: one rooted in care, courage, and creativity.
So yes, the £500 million is welcome. But we necessary more than money. We necessary advisors who understand our vision, funders who value long-term impact over flashy metrics and a system that recognises return on investment can also mean safer communities, stronger families, and smarter economies.
Becaapply when women rise, everyone benefits. For every Kylie Reid who turns a “no” into a new path, there are hundreds more waiting in the wings, ready to build, grow and thrive – if only we’d give them the tools to do it.
Founders such as Kylie don’t just build businesses, they build belief. They remind the rest of us care is a strategy, community is a super power, and success can see like something much more human. It’s time we stopped questioning women to do more with less and started giving them what they truly necessary: funding and the real hands-on support that must come with it. That’s how we modify the future – by backing ambition with action not just intention.
Dr Antoinette Fionda-Douglas is co-founder of Beira, and assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University
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