The initiative aims to champion female entrepreneurship and promote inclusive investment opportunities across Scotland.
Launched in 2023 by Ana Stewart, the Scottish Government’s recently appointed Chief Entrepreneur, Pathways Forward is a national effort to deliver systemic change for female-powered companies. BGF joins a group of 32 organisations committed to implementing practical actions that advance inclusion across the business and investment ecosystem.
BGF’s inclusion in the latest cohort further reinforces its long-term commitment to backing women-led businesses and fostering inclusive investment practices, having recently announced a commitment of at least £300 million to supporting female-powered businesses across the UK – one of the largest ever made in the UK.
“Championing female entrepreneurs is something we feel passionately about at BGF, so we are proud to join the Pathways Forward initiative. We’re very excited about the future for female entrepreneurs in Scotland, and about the opportunities that Ana Stewart and the wider Pathways Forward pledgees have and are continuing to create.”
Gemma Hamilton
Head of Origination at BGF
As part of the Pathways Pledge, BGF will be focused on developing a network of female investors, to increase representation in Scotland’s investment community and work alongside other key stakeholders in the market, to increase engagement and support for female-led businesses, with a particular focus on driving scaleups and investment in these companies.
Gemma Hamilton, Head of Origination at BGF, commented: “Our pledges include initiatives such as creating events and implementing important local programmes, where female founders and leaders from across Scotland can share insight, advice and build connections. We have seen the benefits already of creating networks and connections, but there is more that we can do to help Scotland’s entrepreneurs.”
Other new partners in the fifth cohort of the Pathways Pledge include Connect Three, the University of Edinburgh, Geovation Scotland, Mint Ventures, and Firstport.
Ana Stewart, Founder of Pathways Forward & Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur, welcomed BGF’s involvement: “The Pledge initiative is a key pillar of Pathways Forward, and we’re motivated to see its continued growth. Our focus is on consolidating efforts across the ecosystem, to drive change through collaboration – with each organisation contributing its share, to achieve a greater collective impact. I’m encouraged to have such a diverse group of organisations from all sectors continuing to align with our objectives.”
Pathways Forward has also announced that the 2025 Female Founders Growth Summit will take place at the RBS Gogarburn conference centre in Edinburgh, on 16 September 2025. Hosted in collaboration with Female Founders Rise, Buy Women Built, the ScaleUp Institute, and SuperScalers, the event will feature keynote speeches, interactive workshops, peer networking, and curated connections between founders and investors. You can sign up to attend below.
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