Even though Swedish society has come a long way regarding gender equality, there is still along way to go. It has been found that several business sectors are not gender-equal. One ofthe more prominent sectors affected by this is the financing sector. Studies indicate thatfemale entrepreneurs are systematically discriminated against when they apply for funding inorder to start companies, which has led to an increase in the demand for alternative fundingoptions. Crowdfunding is a phenomenon where a company or project is funded through agroup of individuals, often via an internet-based platform. This form of fundraising enablesentrepreneurs to reach a broader investment circle, which could increase the opportunities forfemale entrepreneurs looking to start their own business. The aim of this study is toinvestigate whether the Swedish crowdfunding market can reduce the barriers faced by femaleentrepreneurs when it comes to raising startup capital. To investigate this, we used aquantitative approach in combination with regression models where relevant variables weretested against each other. The study has generated statistically significant results which showthat female entrepreneurs succeed to a greater extent than their male counterparts when usingthe crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
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