The Pledge asks organisations to address women’s ‘extreme under-participation’ in Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, as uncovered by a 2023 Scottish Government report.

The ‘Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship’ report was written by Scotland’s current Chief Entrepreneur Ana Stewart and Mark Logan, who previously held the role.

They found that just 2 per cent of capital investment in Scotland goes to female-led companies, for a raft of reasons including society’s underlying sexism. 

The Pathways Forward programme was founded in response and now works to develop inclusive entrepreneur support in Scotland.

The University joins Connect Three, Geovation Scotland, BGF, Mint Ventures and Firstport in the fifth cohort of 32 organisations who have pledged so far.

In the Pathways Pledge, organisations choose and implement their own actions, using the Pathways Report as the ‘manifesto’ for change.

The University has committed to implementing a shared and reliable approach to data collection on women entrepreneurs, providing deeper insights into the landscape of women’s entrepreneurship at the institution. 

These insights will inform targeted interventions and help shape future innovation and entrepreneurial activities.

The University will also host two annual events focused on deepening understanding of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within the entrepreneurship landscape. 

These events will bring together staff, student societies, and key ecosystem partners who support entrepreneurs. Each session will blend informative content with structured networking opportunities, fostering collaboration, reflection, and the practical application of EDI principles.

Elsewhere, Pathways Forward has announced that the Female Founders Growth Summit 2025 will take place at the RBS Gogarburn conference centre in Edinburgh on 16 September, with Pathways partnering with Female Founders Rise, Buy Women Built, the ScaleUp Institute, and SuperScalers.