Growth Models for Women-Led Startups: A Structured Literature Review

This paper aims to analyze the literature on female-led startups and their growth paths. A Structured Literature Review (SLR) methodology underpins the research by analyzing 195 research sources. The main findings suggest that since 2012 there has been a considerable increase in the literature on female startups; nevertheless, there are still important gaps to fill in, namely the lack of specific growth models employed by these firms. The research focuses on four major themes: women's empowerment, obstacles to growth, growth archetypes, and SMEs development. Emphasis was placed on presenting growth models adapted to startups led by women. Finally, this research work offers material insights into handling contemporary startup challenges and learning from tactics used in the female sector.