Notes to editors
Level 20 is the leading industry body for women in private equity. Our mission is to increase the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles, to transform the leadership landscape. Our initiatives support women’s careers and we work in partnership with the wider industry.
We do this through Europe-wide networking and mentoring initiatives, with 8,000+ members in 13 chapters across 20 countries. Our international research offer unique data, insight and benchmarking across a data set of over 20,000 investment professionals.
Our work is supported by sponsorship from over 120 GPs and LPs, and also supports firms to understand the landscape for women in private equity and how to be a part of the solutions that are driving change.
Public relations team
- Prosek Partners
- pro-level20@prosek.com
Communications team
- Jess Carter
- jess.carter@level20.org
Latest press releases
24 September 2026
Level 20 European Gender Diversity Report 2026: Female Representation Stronger in Offices with More Women in Senior Roles
Across private equity and venture capital, women account for 32% of investment professionals at European offices with at least one senior woman in an investment role – double the 16% representation at offices with all-male senior investment teams.
New research released today from Level 20, the pan-European leading industry organisation focused on increasing the number of women in senior investment roles in private equity and venture capital, finds a strong relationship between having women in senior investment roles and female representation across wider investment teams.
The findings come as female representation across European PE and VC remains broadly stable since Level 20’s 2024 research, demonstrating resilience in a challenging macroeconomic environment.
The Level 20 European Gender Diversity Report, the largest and most in-depth of its kind in Europe, analyses 13,872 investment professionals across 989 firms in 19 countries, including six markets covered in this report for the first time. Across private equity and venture capital combined, women account for 23% of investment professionals overall, including 13% of senior roles, 26% of mid-level roles and 35% of junior roles, reinforcing the importance of progressing women through the industry.
The findings point to a strong link between female representation at senior level and diversity across the wider talent pipeline, underscoring the importance of retaining and progressing women into leadership roles. Across private equity and venture capital combined, women account for 32% of investment professionals at European offices with at least one senior woman in an investment role – twice the 16% at offices with all-male senior investment teams. Importantly, the difference extends across the talent pipeline: female representation is higher at both mid-level (32% compared with 21%) and junior level (39% compared with 31%) at offices with at least one senior woman in an investment role.
27 February 2025
Level 20 & BVCA Diversity in UK Private Equity and Venture Capital
Diversity data report shows trend of increasing female representation within private equity and venture capital.
- In 2025, 27% of UK-based investment professionals are women, up from 24% in 2023.
- Women now hold 15% of senior investment roles, up from 12% in 2023.
- 18% of investment professionals in the UK are from an ethnic minority group, in line with UK national averages.
- The UK is behind only France and Sweden when looking at representation of women in investment teams across Europe.
- Across seniorities, venture capital records better female representation than private equity.
A new report has found that the proportion of women working in private equity and venture capital has significantly increased over recent years. Diversity in UK Private Equity and Venture Capital 2025 finds that 27% of UK-based investment professionals are women, up from 24% in 2023. The report, which is co-authored by Level 20 and the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA), also reveals an increase in the number of women in UK senior level roles (15%), compared to just 12% in 2023.
27 November 2024
European Gender Diversity Report 2024: Women in European PE & VC
The second edition of Level 20’s Report on gender diversity in European Private Equity and Venture Capital reveals nearly one in four investors are now women and an overall growth of women in senior roles across the industry.
Level 20’s European Gender Diversity Report 2024: Women working in European Private Equity & Venture Capital, reveals an optimistic picture across geographies, but progress is less linear when compared against seniority, AUM bands and strategies.
In a study of over 11,500 investment professionals in more than 700 firms across 13 countries, Level 20’s latest report on gender diversity has found that 24% of investment professionals are women, up from 20% in 2022. Senior investment roles held by women also increased, from 10% in 2022 to 14% in 2024. The number of local all-male investment teams has decreased significantly from 38% in 2022 to 26% in 2024.