This event will bring together both aspiring angel investors and experienced angels to share experience and knowledge on the opportunities to angel invest in Scotland and with the opportunity to meet some of Scotland’s women led companies looking to raise capital. This Summit offers those who attend a packed agenda of exciting keynotes, fireside conversations, panel discussion and valuable networking opportunities.

The event will include a special keynote from Ana Stewart co-author of the important Pathways Report – A new approach to Women’s Entrepreneurship . Ana will speak about the next stages of implementing the Pathways strategy and what this will mean for women entrepreneurs in Scotland, alongside her own personal perspective on being an angel investor. Panel discussions and conversations will focus on the opportunities for women angels and how we can inspire and empower more women to become angels and invest in women founders.

Currently women represent just 14% of the UK’s business angels and many women are unaware of the routes to becoming an angel or the significant tax breaks. The Women Backing Women campaign’s mission is to increase this to 30% by 2030 through education, shared experiences, good practice and knowledge to help inform policy.

By collaborating and joining forces Mint Ventures, supported by the Scottish Government Ecosystem Fund, partnering with UKBAA, Women backing Women Campaign and RBS are providing this opportunity to support more women founders to increase their access to risk capital.

Attendees will hear from:

• Women Angel investors who are already leading the way through their own angel investment journey and how they have helped influence or start-up women focused angel investment syndicates to support more equitable focused investment ecosystems
• Women founders who were able to scale their businesses by accessing investment and the importance for them to have women angel investors
• Ecosystem funds and how these can make more of a difference to enabling more women founder to access co-investment

Date: 28 March 2024

Time: 11.00am – 3.30pm

Venue: Hosted by RBS at 36 St Andrews Square, Edinburgh

Please register your interest to attend to include your motivation, places will be limited.

Apply to attend

10.30 – 11.00am: Arrivals, registration and light refreshments

11.00 – 11.20am: Opening remarks and setting the scene

11.20 – 11.45am: Key Note Address: Ana Stewart, Pathways review of Women in Entrepreneurship in Scotland

11.45 – 12.30pm: Women Backing Women – How Women Angels are increasing and facilitating access to equity for women founders

12.30 – 1.30pm: Lunch and Founders Investment Showcase

1.30 – 2.15pm: Women Founders’ journey to investment in Scotland – two women entrepreneurs speak of the challenges in seeking investment and the impact of women investors on their business growth.

2.15 – 3.00pm: Scottish Co-investment Ecosystem Funds and how they can support all sectors

3.00 – 3.30pm: Q & A – What next for Women Backing Women in Scotland

3.30 – 3.40pm: Closing Remarks

Kerry Sharp - Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment Scottish Enterprise

Mary McKenna MBE - Angel Investor of the Year 2023

Gillian Fleming - CEO, MINT Ventures

Rhona Campbell - Chair, Investing Women Angels

Jenny Tooth OBE - Executive Chair, UKBAA

Yvonne Greeves - Director of Women in Business, NatWest Group

Alison Grieve - Founder, G-Hold

Lorna Kelly - Strategic Development Director at Maven Capital Partners

David Grahame - CEO, Angel Capital Scotland (formerly LINC Scotland)

Rachel Curtis - CEO, Inicio AI

Andrew Noble - Partner, Par Equity

Danae Shell - Co-founder and CEO, Valla

Mandy Bailey - Regional Eco-system Manager Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland

Judith Cruickshank - Managing Director, Commercial Mid Market, Royal Bank of Scotland

Ana Stewart - Partner, Eos Advisory

Professor Eleanor Shaw, OBE, PhD - Dean, University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School