A new report has revealed that the UK tech sector is considerably most diverse than the US, with those working at startups in Britain being five times more likely to be female than in America.
The study also claimed that entrepreneurs in London are three times more likely to be female than in Silicon Valley.
New York City was found to be the world’s top place for female entrepreneurs, with more than 24% of women claiming to be in leadership roles.
The startupDNA report also revealed that those employees at startups in the UK are two and a half times more likely to be under the age of 36 and 10 times morelikely to be from an ethnicity other than white and Asian.
Employees said diversity was key to their success, with 78.9% claiming it helped their business to compete in the market.
In addition, 75% said diversity had helped them overcome challenges and 71.5% agreed it helped them in identifying new markets.
Of the women surveyed in the UK, 29% identified themselves to be in a leadership role.
34% of the startup executives surveyed said they come from outside the UK, making Britain a global entrepreneur magnet, and 79% work in digital start-ups.
According to the report, startups are also 36% more likely to have female leaders than FTSE100 firms.
astar-fanshawe co-founder Simon Fanshawe said: "What this research tells us is that startups would get far more growth, innovation and entry into new markets if there was a more diverse combination of people involved.
"For too long, cultural differences and even languages were seen as putting the UK at some kind of disadvantage. But this research clearly demonstrates the impact the UK’s rich social make-up is having on the growth and performance of our fledgling businesses."
Wayra UK, a startup accelerator funded by Telefonica, surveyed 222 early-stage start-ups from across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
