Introducing Obu: Bridging the Gender Investment Gap
A new online angel investing platform called Obu is launching in the UK with the primary goal of closing the gender investment gap. This platform seeks to increase the number of female investors and connect more female-founded businesses to capital. Currently, only 14 per cent of angel investors in the UK are women, but Obu aims to raise this to 30 per cent by 2030.
Creating a More Equal Startup Ecosystem
Obu will link eligible female-founded businesses with angels, both women and allies, who share in co-founders Sarah King and Claire Dunn’s vision for a more “equal, progressive, innovative” startup ecosystem. The platform is specifically designed with women angels in mind, disrupting and demystifying investment through its customer journeys, information presentation, language used, and guidance provided.
Education and Support for Aspiring Investors
King and Dunn are also striving to educate and support new angel investors through a collective, connecting them to female-founded businesses where they can offer both funding and expertise. The platform will focus on female-founded businesses in fintech, AI, edtech, femtech, food and drink, and the health and beauty sectors, seeking investments up to £250,000.
Addressing the Inequality in Investment for Women-Founded Businesses
As of 2022, less than 2p in every £1 went to all-female founding teams, who received only around 6 per cent of VC funding. The inequalities are particularly stark for Black female founders, who received merely 0.02 per cent of VC funding over the last decade. Obu aims to tackle these inequalities by opening pathways for eligible women from diverse backgrounds to invest within their means and create positive economic futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The platform is open to all eligible investors who share in Obu’s mission to close the gender investment gap, promoting a more inclusive and equal investment landscape in the UK.
