EL 17 % DE LOS EMPRENDEDORES EN SERIE EN ESPAÑA EN 2025 SON MUJERES, FRENTE AL 12% REGISTRADO EN 2024
51% of women do so because they identify a business opportunity, compared to 42.9% of men.
The percentage of women entrepreneurs in the ecosystem stands at 17.5% in Spain, despite recording higher profitability in their projects.
Projects led by women entrepreneurs attract less than 3% of global venture capital investment.
For the past 5 years, founding teams have remained stable. Startups founded exclusively by women represent 10% of the total. Mixed teams increase by one point to 32%, while all-male teams decrease by one point to 58%.
Madrid, March 5, 2026 - 17% of all serial entrepreneurs, that is, those who have started a business more than once, are women, compared to the 12% recorded in 2024, according to the Entrepreneurship Map, prepared by South Summit and IE University. This represents an increase of five points compared to the previous edition of the report, reflecting greater continuity, experience, and maturity in entrepreneurial journeys.
According to the Entrepreneurship Map, in Spain, more than half of women who start businesses (51%) do so because they identify a market opportunity, compared to 42.9% of men and compared to 42% of women who in 2024 said they launched their startup for this reason. In contrast, the percentage of those who state that their main motivation is the intrinsic desire to become an entrepreneur is higher among men (41.3%) than among women (37.8%). And when looking at the reason “a project I was passionate about,” the difference remains: 8.9% among women compared to 12.6% among men. Overall, the data points to a decision that is more market- and opportunity-driven in the case of women.
Greater equity participation
The data also shows that, globally, women founders retain a larger stake in the equity of their companies: an average of 61% equity, compared to 55% in the case of men. In Spain, although the percentages are lower in both cases, the distribution is more balanced: women retain 47% of the equity in their startups, while men retain 51%.
However, in the latest financial year it was also recorded that women represent 17.5% of the total number of entrepreneurs in Spain, compared to 20% the previous year. In 2025, the percentage fell by 2.5 points in the Spanish economy, although it still remains in line with the European level, where female participation stands at 22%. Meanwhile, globally, the international average stands at 25% of all entrepreneurs. By region, the following differences are recorded: Latin America (29%), Africa (37%), the United States and Canada (25%), Europe (22%), and APAC (19.5%).
As for funding, the data continues to contrast with participation rates. Startups founded exclusively by women receive less than 3% of total venture capital, according to data from the World Economic Forum. This figure helps to measure the relative weight of these projects within global venture capital investment. The figure becomes especially relevant when compared to the performance metrics observed in projects with women founders.
The percentage of startups founded with women’s participation is not due to return-related issues, since according to trends identified among investors, globally, these projects are obtaining higher profitability*. Several global studies suggest that for every euro invested in projects where there is at least one woman founder, the return is double compared to initiatives led exclusively by men. In other words, these are projects that convert capital into results more efficiently.
About South Summit
South Summit is the global platform that brings together all the players in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to foster the development of business opportunities among them all. Its main event is South Summit Madrid, co-organized by IE University, which over its previous fourteen editions has welcomed more than 42,500 startups, while the Startup Competition has produced more than 1,500 finalist startups, with an 85% survival rate and more than 20.5 billion dollars in funding raised. Startups interested in applying for the next edition of the Startup Competition for South Summit Madrid 2026 may submit their application until February 28, 2026.
After visiting Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, South Summit held its fourth edition in Brazil, also co-organized by IE University, in April 2025. This latest edition brought together more than 23,000 attendees from 62 different countries, including more than 3,000 startups, 800 speakers, and 900 investors with an investment portfolio valued at 215 billion. South Summit Brazil is already preparing its fifth edition, which will take place from March 25 to 27, 2026, in Porto Alegre.