FiveThirteen is a non-profit collaborative set up to drive more investment to women-founded cleantech companies in the UK. We are cleantech investors ourselves, and every day we hear well-meaning colleagues say things like "I'd love to invest in more women-run companies, but, well... I just don't see any!"

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In 2018, the London Sustainable Development Commission carried out a research study to better understand why woman-run businesses received disproportionately less funding. Their Women in Cleantech report, and others like it, identify many complex factors; including lack of women with science and engineering backgrounds, lack of confidence, lack of role models, sexist behaviour - and access to finance. We've chosen to tackle the last one. We think that by shining a light on some exciting woman-founded businesses, we can show that there are some out there (not enough, but not none), and take aim at some of the barriers to them getting finance - like network bias, mentoring, and encouragement.

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After the study and the report, LDSC set up a steering committee and multiple work packages to address the findings, and we are proud to serve on the finance group. We set up FiveThirteen with the blessing of LDSC WiCT to support women in all parts of the country.