Rise in female IT business owners does not end growing gender gap
Number of starting male business owners is still growing faster
- 6 March 2026
- 1 min
- Press articles
The gender gap among entrepreneurs in the IT sector continues to grow. Even though the number of female IT entrepreneurs has increased by 1,105 over the past 13 years, the number of male entrepreneurs is rising even faster. This is evident from figures from the Business Register of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK.
Between 2013* and 2026, the number of female business owners in the IT sector rose from 2,451 to 3,556. That represents an increase of 45%. Among men, the figure rose from 22,804 to 33,948 over the same period, an increase of 48.9%.
“It is essential for the Netherlands’ economic growth and for women’s participation in technology that more women get involved in the technological developments that will shape our future. Unfortunately, our figures show that their share of IT entrepreneurship is declining rather than increasing. This concerns me. That is why I would like to encourage women who are hesitant about taking a step towards IT to go ahead and take that step, with all my heart. The sector desperately needs their talent, and with more female entrepreneurs, we can really make a difference together,” says Petra Jansen op de Haar, board member at KVK.
Difference in absolute numbers and percentage
In 2013, the difference between male and female entrepreneurs in IT was 20,353, and in 2026 this figure stands at 30,392. That represents an increase in the gender gap of 10,039. In percentage terms, the proportion of women within the total group of IT entrepreneurs has fallen from 9.68% in 2013 to 9.48% in 2026.
Promoting equal opportunities
KVK is actively committed to increasing opportunities for female entrepreneurs, not only within the IT sector but across all sectors. KVK is a member of Code-V, the leading network in the Netherlands dedicated to promoting equal business opportunities for women. Research by KVK shows that, in several areas, women experience less support, knowledge, and confidence within the financing process. This article goes into this more in-depth.
* KVK can access historical data for these figures dating back to 2013. The figures for 2013–2026, broken down by quarter and year, can be requested via pers@kvk.nl.
Graph showing number of IT business owners in the Netherlands
The line chart shows two lines:
- a blue line, which shows the number of men who are IT entrepreneurs in the first quarter. Since 2014, there has been an upward trend from 22,804 men to 33,948 in 2026.
- a purple line, which shows the number of women who are IT entrepreneurs in the first quarter. Since 2014, there has been a slight upward trend from 2,451 women to 3,556 in 2026.