Women have been making slow but steady progress in obtaining college degrees, increasing their presence in the workforce, and climbing the ranks to executive positions in Fortune 500 companies. However, this progress is now facing resistance, with 2025 marking a shift towards a more "masculine energy" trend. The male leaders of some of the world's wealthiest and most influential companies are scaling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and advocating for a more aggressive approach in business. They are discontinuing flexible work policies and mandating a return to the office, which can disproportionately burden women who still bear the majority of domestic responsibilities. This could push more women to venture out on their own and seek funding.

This phenomenon is surpassing the trends in venture capital. Although mixed-gender teams accounted for nearly 19% of all venture capital deals in 2024, the proportion of funding going to women-founded or mixed-gender teams decreased, as reported by PitchBook. Deloitte's survey revealed that in 2022, women only comprised 19% of investment partners at venture capital firms. Furthermore, female founders often receive smaller investment amounts than their male counterparts, despite research showing that startups led by women yield higher returns on investment than those led by men, according to Boston Consulting Group.

There is a rising group of female entrepreneurs securing funding from angel investors. In 2023, approximately 47% of angel investors were women, a substantial increase from 40% in 2022 and 34% in 2021, based on data from the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire. Similarly, women-owned businesses represented around 46% of companies seeking angel capital, up from 37% in 2022 and 29% in 2021. The success rate for women seeking angel investment stood at nearly 29% in 2023, surpassing the overall success rate of 24%.

Companies led exclusively by women receive as little as 2% of venture funding, as per PitchBook data, with just 6.5% of deals in 2024 going to all-female teams. Despite facing challenges when seeking investments, female entrepreneurs like Kathryn Schifferle have persevered. Schifferle, the founder of Work Truck Solutions, faced obstacles securing funding from venture capitalists but was successful after turning to angel investors. This move resulted in a Series A round funding of $2.1 million, partially facilitated by Golden Seeds, an angel network supporting investments in female-led ventures.

As more women engage in angel investing and entrepreneurship, there remains a gap in representation for entrepreneurs of color. Companies headed by Black, Asian, or Latino CEOs received only 12% of angel investments in 2023, down from 16% in 2020, according to the Angel Capital Association. Increasing diversity among investors is crucial not only to support underrepresented founders but also to seize missed business prospects by understanding the needs and preferences of diverse communities better than traditional investor panels.

The impending significant transfer of wealth from older generations to women, estimated at $84 trillion over the next two decades, presents an opportunity for women to assume unprecedented financial control. As more funds become available, young generations are expected to drive wealth creation for women and women-owned enterprises. Meanwhile, angel investors should prepare for potential challenges posed by changing economic conditions, such as interest rate hikes and tariff increases, which may impact their investment decisions.

Overall, the trend in angel investing underscores a positive correlation between female investors and female recipients of funding. This grassroots movement could serve as a vital strategy for women to navigate the male-dominated investment landscape and gain access to capital.