Female entrepreneurs secure less angel funding than their male counterparts, but that may be partly because they are less likely to ask for investments from private investors than men. According to the latest findings from the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire, only 8.9% of proposals fielded by angel groups are from women. However, when women do seek angel funding, they are almost as likely to receive it as men; women-owned businesses receive angel financing 13.33% of the time while male-owned businesses receive such financing 14.79% of the time.

The low percentage of proposals from women may be because female entrepreneurs look to other women for funding — but have trouble finding them. Some angel groups are striving to fill that gap. Golden Seeds LLC, for example, invests exclusively in women-led businesses, such as eJamming Inc., which synchronizes musicians for online jam sessions and is led by music industry pro CEO Gail Kantor. —Stacey Higginbotham

See press release from UNH