Indonesia is one of the largest markets in Asia with an economy growing at about 5% per year. Fifty percent of entrepreneurs in the country are women, but only 10-20% get access to funding.
Apart from driving positive change, studies have shown that investing in women SMEs can be a profitable activity. Statistically, investments in women-led start-ups are also 35% more capital-efficient and generate a better return on investment. Moreover, they generate 12% more revenue than male cohort start-ups.
“The ecosystem is becoming very strong in terms of supporting women entrepreneurs,” noted Marcel Neutel, Co-Found & Partner, Capital 4 Development Partners.
“The term ‘gender lens’, I think was still very, very new—and it’s still very new in Indonesia. But I think what it is predominantly is just the belief of women entrepreneurship and the belief that there is bias against us and that we have to be quite intentional in fixing the system,” added Adelle Odeila Tanuri, Head of Impact Investment at YCAB Ventures.
Watch this latest video from AVPN, which highlights the alpha in advancing women-led entrepreneurship in Indonesia.
Want to learn more about starting your gender lens investing journey? Check out our comprehensive How-To guide here.