Hello there,
It’s been an amazing week with The Rise Report = over 1000 people have downloaded the report and you can also explore the data here.
We’ve been in The Times, City AM, Tech Eu and more to come (please let us know if you can help with any press) - thanks to Joanna Jensen for the brilliant Times Article and mega PR support from the wonderful Sophie Brown.
Thank you for sharing what you want more of in 2026 on my poll last week.
I’m kicking this off with a female founders breakfast that I’m co-hosting with my friend Mae.
A small, intimate meet-up and a chance to workshop the topic of growth, which we’re keeping intentionally small > Join us here
To tie in with The Rise Report launch and IWD this weekend, with the theme of “Give To Gain’ we’d love you to share your social posts with
‘If you could give one piece of advice to a fellow founder what would it be?’
Give us a tag and we’ll do our best to collate a load and add some to The Rise Report site.
Have a great week
Emmie
FFR IN-PERSON EVENTS
1) [London] Mental Fitness Live x FFR > 10th March, 1:45 pm to 4 pm at Wild by Tart.
Super excited for this one. An immersive workout for the brain, hosted by Maya Raichoora,
Maya is the UK's leading mental fitness and visualisation expert.
>> Join us here
2) [Lisbon] - Your voice. Your story. Your brand. > 10th March, 7 pm to 9 pm open to all Lisbon founders.
Join FFR Lisbon with speakers Mónica Menezes and Carole Picou-Katmann to discover how storytelling can elevate your marketing, strengthen your brand, and build meaningful connections >> Join us here
FUNDRAISING ACCELERATOR: APPLICATIONS OPEN
Applications are now open for our fully funded, equity-free Fundraising Accelerator Cohort 8 here.
Ideal for founders actively raising or planning to, with existing SEIS/EIS approval.
Raise smarter, faster, and more confidently with support from Shoosmiths, FounderCatalyst, Barclays Eagle Labs, and SuperSeed VC.
FFR ONLINE MASTERCLASSES
1) [Online] Funding Your Business Without Giving Away Equity > 25th March at 12 pm, join Emmie and experts as we explore non-equity to fund your business >> Register here
2) [Online] Everything a Founder Needs to Know About SEIS and EIS > 8th March at 1 pm, join Sam Simpson, Founder of Founder Catalyst >> Register here
3) [Online] Future of Health, Beauty and Wellbeing > Mar 19, 2026 12 noon, join Ozlem Tuskan, award-winning brand and innovation strategist, futurist, self-mastery coach and business mentor for a session exploring the new frontiers of beauty, health, and well-being >> Register here
4) [Online] PR for Newbies: How to Squeeze the Most Out of PR > Mar 27, 2026 12 noon, join Riannon Palmer, Founder of Lem-uhn, the B Corp award-winning feel-good PR agency. A beginner’s guide to getting media coverage without a big budget >> Register here
5) [Online] Finding investors and Nailing your Valuation > 16th April at 12pm, join Sam Simpson, Founder of Founder Catalyst >> Register here
RESOURCES & EXTERNAL EVENTS
1/TED talk from a female founder, Geeta TED >Geeta uses data to invite us to rethink how organisations and societies safeguard women’s health. >>Watch here
2/Female Founder Breakfast (All Things Growth!) > Join Emmie Faust and Mae Yip for an intimate breakfast, bringing together a small group of female founders to talk all things growth on April 14th, 8:45 am to 10:45 am >>Join here
3/ The Rise Report of Female Entrepreneurship 2026 > One of the largest grassroots studies of female entrepreneurship ever conducted in the UK.
Based on responses from 2,225 founders collectively generating £1 billion in annual turnover.
>> Download the report directly here
Access the data, methodology and partners here
4/ Catch up with Female Founders Rise on YouTube shorts >>Watch here
5/ Sign up for the Friday AM Fundraising newsletter to learn about exclusive fundraising events and resources >> click here to join ( it will add you to the list when you click)
THE RISE REPORT LAUNCH
Ignoring female-led firms is commercial madness - that’s what Joanna Jensen wrote in the Sunday Times
And a great photo highlighting some of the women who have supported The Rise Report of Female Entrepreneurship
We need to see equal opportunities for all in entrepreneurship
AND critically The UK is leaving £310Bn on the table if we don't support women to set up and scale businesses at the same rate as men.
Key Themes from The Rise Report
1/ Female Founders are Unique, and we need to celebrate their stories.
We don't do this nearly enough. 80% of young people can't name a female founder
We’re going to be doing more of this, highlighting lots of female founders over the coming months plus hopefully getting our You Got What It Takes campaign up and running again.
2/ The Power of Human Connection:
78% of respondents cite connection as central to their journey.
Female founders value networks, mentorship, and peer support immensely, yet 1 in 7 report loneliness and isolation as their biggest challenge.
3/ Financial Barriers Dominate:
45% identify funding access as their primary barrier.
Experiences of finance and funding overwhelmingly negative, with:
• 78% negative sentiment on public funding (grants) described as opaque, bureaucratic, and time-consuming.
• 73% negative sentiment on private finance (VC, angels, business loans) citing ghosting, bias, and misalignment with caregiving realities.
4/ The Four S's of Success
There isn’t just one way of success… success means different things to us all.
• Stability and profitability (53%): sustainable revenue and financial security.
• Scale and exit (38%): growth ambitions and acquisition potential.
• Social impact (28%): positive societal contribution.
• Self (21%): work-life balance and wellbeing.
Read more here
Have a great week.
Love from us all at FFR 💜
P.S. Gorgeous bespoke Rise Report flowers from female-founded brand Feyi below.
P.P.S Please share The Rise Report with someone who needs to read it.
