The gap between male- and female-founded companies in venture capital is structural. Female-founded companies receive roughly 2% of all venture capital deployed, despite founders being nearly half the population. This disparity is not driven by performance.
This analysis draws on quarterly fund disclosures, LP reports, and founder survey data spanning the past five years. The gaps we identify aren't anomalies — they're features of how capital flows through networks and pattern-matching.
"At seed, female-founded companies receive ~20% of capital. By Series A that drops to 13%. By growth stage, below 7%."
The widening gap is not due to traction or performance divergence. It is access. Investors fund the founders they already know. Rise Over Run exists to surface that data so allocators can see the gap — and choose to close it.
For allocators looking to outperform, understanding these patterns is an informational edge. For founders, knowing where capital is moving is essential context for fundraising strategy.