Gender in venture capital funding and finance

Abstract

This thesis explores biases in the finance industry, the impact of gender on venture capital investment, and finance student and faculty representation across Canadian universities. Venture capital investment and finance are areas where women have traditionally been underrepresented. In this study, I conducted a systematic review of the literature on gender and venture capital investment to understand why female founders receive so little investment. I also conducted an environmental scan of the gender distribution of finance students and faculty, to see if there are fewer women entering the field of finance, and determine if this may influence gender biases within the field of finance as a whole. The findings revealed gender biases within the venture capital industry, with fewer women receiving funding, and that while the proportion of male and female students in finance is almost equal, the percentage of women holding higher positions within universities is very low.