W2W is a first for Scotland which uniquely brings together existing women investors and entrepreneurs on an ‘investment journey’ with emerging female-led companies from across the country.

The initiative, which kicks off next month, will be led by experienced female founders who have previously raised multiple investment rounds, and investors from IWA and other angel syndicates.

Amongst the women leading the sessions will be international partner, Gwen Edwards, joint Managing Director of the Silicon Valley chapter of USA investment group, Golden Seeds. As an acclaimed expert in increasing investment into female-founded companies and an active angel investor, Gwen has built close links with IWA and its sister company AccelerateHER. Together they have supported a number of high-growth, female-founded Scottish companies including life sciences innovators Carcinotech and Cytochroma.

Gwen and the team will ‘demystify’ angel investment across the initiative’s month-long series of events. Further support will be provided by W2W legal partner Burness Paull along with entrepreneurship ecosystem partners.

This formidable group will work alongside women from female-led start-ups, including spin-out companies from both Strathclyde University and University of Edinburgh, sharing their knowledge and practical real-life experiences to promote greater awareness and understanding of the equity investment process. This will include a strong focus on international investment strategy, due diligence, pitching, and investor communications.

W2W is being delivered as a direct response to the 2023 Pathways Report authored by businesswoman Ana Stewart and Scotland’s former Chief Entrepreneur, Mark Logan. The report highlighted the massive equity gap in Scotland, where start-ups founded by women receive only 2% of overall investment capital despite one in five businesses here being female-led.

With women currently accounting for less than 15% of Scotland’s current business angel investors, W2W will follow a similar model developed by the Springboard Programme set up in Washington, DC. It contributed to what became known as a the ‘echo effect’ delivering a near 40% increase in the number of women angel investors and a corresponding rise in the level of investment going into US female-led businesses.

The W2W programme will commence from 12th December 2024 and run through to mid-January 2025 with ongoing follow-up support for all its participant companies.

Jackie Waring, founder of IWA, said: “We’re very excited to be rolling out the W2W programme across Scotland, which is fully focused on further promoting entrepreneurship amongst women and helping female founders scale their businesses on a global level.”

Gwen Edwards, Managing Director of US-based investment group Golden Seeds and W2W international partner, said: “I’m very energised about the W2W programme and delighted to be part of its team. Increasing the numbers of women angel investors has been an incredibly effective strategy in the US, which has created an echo effect significantly benefitting female-founded companies. Through this programme, we can replicate the US model in Scotland where there is a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and so many inspiring and innovative female-led businesses.” 

Peter Lawson, Chair of Burness Paull said: “We are proud to be partnering with the W2W programme which aligns with our firm’s wider commitment towards supporting more female founders and helping them raise growth investment. By increasing the numbers of women angels in the marketplace, this programme has huge potential to drive female entrepreneurship through a long term, strategic approach.”