The Funding Gap Isn’t a Confidence Problem - It’s a System Problem

In 2024, female startups in New Zealand received just 2.9% of venture capital funding.
That means 97.1% went to male-only or male-led teams.

Let that sit for a moment.

According to University of Auckland Gender Investment Gap research (2024), only 1 in 10 female startups received any funding at all, with just $4.59M going to female-only teams.

And this isn’t just a New Zealand issue.

Globally, it’s estimated that over 90% of venture capital decision-makers are men, meaning the vast majority of capital is being allocated through a very narrow lens.

It’s Not About Capability

Because here’s what makes this even harder to ignore:

Female-led businesses consistently deliver higher returns per dollar invested.

So we have a system where:

• Women receive less funding

• Fewer women get funded at all

• And yet, when they do, they often outperform

This isn’t a pipeline issue.
It’s not a performance issue.
And it’s definitely not a potential issue.

It’s an access issue.

So What’s Actually Going On?

When most capital is controlled by one dominant group, pattern recognition becomes bias.

Investors back what looks familiar.
Familiar often looks like what has been funded before.
And what has been funded before has largely been… men.

So women are not just pitching a business, they’re often pitching against a system they don’t fit. That’s a structural barrier, not a personal shortcoming.

The Quiet Cost of Playing Small

Over time, this shows up in ways that are harder to measure:

• Women asking for less

• Undervaluing their businesses

• Building slower, not because they lack ambition, but because they lack access

And eventually, the narrative becomes:
“Women don’t scale as fast.”

When in reality, they’re scaling with fewer resources.

This Is Where the Shift Happens

At re:ampd, this is the work.

Not just teaching strategy or building capability.

But helping women:

• Put themselves forward

• Own their value

• Ask for what they actually need

• And stop shrinking to fit into systems that weren’t designed for them

Because the value, business and capabilities is already there.

Bridging the Gap

Closing the funding gap isn’t just about more women entering the system.
It’s about changing how the system responds to them.

And while that takes time at a structural level, there is work we can do right now:

• Build stronger commercial clarity

• Communicate value with confidence

• Make decisions from ownership, not hesitation

Because when women are properly resourced, the impact extends far beyond the business.

It flows into:

• Families

• Communities

• Teams

• And the broader economy

Final Thought

This isn’t about asking for permission.

It’s about recognising that the value already exists and acting accordingly.

Because when women back themselves properly, everything changes.