IT’S common to hear in the startup world that women attract less capital from venture capital investors than men because they lack the same confidence to pitch their businesses. That is increasingly not the case in my experience in South-east Asia.

Across the region, I see a new generation of young, confident female entrepreneurs, especially among the founders of innovative businesses in sectors such as digital technology and advanced manufacturing.

In some Asian markets, there is evidence that startups led by female entrepreneurs outperform in terms of capital raising, which reflects value creation.