2017年-普华永道全球_Women_unbound_Unleashing_female_entrepreneurial_potential__24页_2mb

Summary of "Women Unbound: Unleashing Female Entrepreneurial Potential"

Core Content

This report, produced by PwC and The Crowdfunding Center, analyzes two years of seed crowdfunding data (2015–2016) from nine major global platforms to explore the performance of female-led versus male-led campaigns. It highlights the growing role of crowdfunding as a transformative tool in finance, particularly for women entrepreneurs who are outperforming their male counterparts in achieving funding goals.

Main Findings

• Women outperform men in crowdfunding success:
  Globally, 22% of women-led campaigns reached their funding targets, compared to 17% of men-led campaigns. This trend holds across all sectors and regions, even in traditionally male-dominated areas like technology.

• Higher average pledge amounts from female-led campaigns:
  On average, each backer contributes $87 to women-led projects versus $83 to men-led ones. In the UK and US, the difference is even more pronounced, with women receiving nearly $10 more per pledge.

• Sector-specific performance:

  • Education: 12% (women) vs 6% (men)
  • Technology: 13% (women) vs 10% (men)
  • Entertainment and Media: 30% (women) vs 23% (men)
  • Hospitality and Leisure: 21% (women) vs 14% (men)
  • Retail and Consumer Goods: 22% (women) vs 18% (men)
  • Digital Technology: 16% (women) vs 9% (men)
  • Enterprise: 4% (women) vs 2% (men)
  • Other sectors (e.g., Life Sciences, Social Enterprise): 19% (women) vs 12% (men)

• Crowdfunding as a level playing field:
  Unlike traditional finance, where decisions are often influenced by male-dominated networks and perceived biases, crowdfunding allows the market to decide, which is more inclusive and less biased. This enables women to demonstrate their ideas and business models effectively.

• Female entrepreneurs face systemic barriers:
  In traditional funding channels, women are underrepresented, with only 7% of venture capital partners being female globally. These barriers include a lack of access to networks, perceived riskiness of women-led ventures, and biases in pitch preferences, with male entrepreneurs often being more attractive to investors.

• Crowdfunding as a solution:
  Crowdfunding platforms provide a way for women to bypass these traditional barriers, offering a more democratic and accessible route to capital. It also helps in validating market demand and building trust with potential customers and partners.

• Economic impact of supporting women-led businesses:
  Investing in women-led businesses can yield higher returns and boost economic growth. For example, the UK could gain £23 billion in gross value added if it matched the US level of female entrepreneurship.

• Success stories and opportunities for growth:
  Female-led campaigns have shown strong performance, with notable examples in the education and entertainment sectors. However, men still dominate in high-value campaigns, particularly in enterprise and retail.

Key Information

• Data Scope: Over 465,000 seed crowdfunding campaigns from 205 countries.
• Funding Gap: A $300 billion gap in financing for women-owned small businesses globally.
• Crowdfunding Trends: Seed crowdfunding is the largest sector, with 19 times more campaigns than equity crowdfunding.
• Language and Strategy: Female entrepreneurs use more emotional and inclusive language, which positively correlates with fundraising success.
• Call to Action: The report urges governments, funders, and businesses to address the systemic barriers preventing women from accessing finance and to leverage crowdfunding as a tool for inclusion and growth.

Conclusion

The report underscores that crowdfunding is a powerful mechanism for empowering women entrepreneurs, offering them a more equitable and effective means to secure funding. It challenges the traditional norms of finance and highlights the potential for significant economic and social benefits if these barriers are removed. The findings suggest that the future of entrepreneurship is more inclusive and that women can thrive in this new financial landscape if given the right support and opportunities.