Women in startup businesses growing, but not at parity yet

There's a growing proportion of startup business founders who are women, a recent survey suggests.

The number of women who founded startup businesses in 2014 was 24 per cent - a big increase from 2011. Source: AAP

The percentage of startup businesses founded by women is growing, survey results published today suggest.

The Startup Muster 2015 Report suggests the number of startups founded each year is growing, but the numbers of startups founded by women is growing even faster.

Yet, the proportion of women founding startup businesses in 2014 – 24 per cent of valid respondents to the survey – is still far below gender parity.

Chief executive of Startup Muster, Monica Wulff, said women with great ideas and no tech talent could become startup owners.

“The idea is the first step,” Ms Wulff said, herself a startup co-founder.

She said the growing proportion of startups founded by women was positive.

“It’s on the up, but it’s nowhere near where it needs to be,” Ms Wulff said.

Part of the reason was the growing emphasis on women in startups and business, although there would be many other reasons, she said.

There currently is no accurate estimate of the size of Australia’s startup ecosystem, Ms Wulff said, but she was sure the survey's sample size was representative of the startup ecosystem in Australia.