"The disparity in funding between ventures led by males and females continues, but there are several areas of note in which women-led companies are performing better than others" announced study author Corey Lavinsky, CEO of Growthink Research, a leading venture capital research firm. "Leading the pack are women-led biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies which collectively raised $289 million. Further, women-led companies in the fields of HR software, e-mail/messaging software, and imaging technologies all raised more than 10% of the total dollars invested in their particular fields."

• Women headed 4.5% of all funded firms and received less than their fair share of capital (4.2%). This amounts to 84 women-led companies that raised
  $783.8 million.



• Over 200 investors provided venture capital to privately-held women-led companies in 2003, led by eight that funded three or more ventures.


• Women-led companies in the healthcare sector dominated all women-led firms receiving funding, receiving nearly 55% of funds.


• Women-led firms raised more than 10% of the total dollars invested in the following subsectors: agricultural Biotechnology (17.5%), HR software (14.2%), imaging technologies (14.1%), and e-mail/messaging software (11.5%).


• More than one-third of the funding went to companies in the Bay Area.