Proving the potential of
disabled founders
Access2Funding started an economic movement. One led by Disabled and neurodiverse founders who haven’t just overcome barriers—they’ve succeeded in spaces that were never built for them.
From every interview, insight and data point generated for this pioneering economic report, one truth stands out: there’s no shortage of ambition or talent. What’s missing is access. Fair, consistent, and equitable access to the opportunities others benefit from as standard.
​
To change that, we need systems built with us, not just around us. Systems that stop treating Disabled founders as edge cases and start seeing us as essential contributors to the UK’s economic future."
Joseph Williams
Co-Founder of Clu &
Co-Author of Access2Funding
Changing the narrative
Disabled entrepreneurs are an essential part of the UK economy, accounting for 25 per cent of all UK SMEs and is already contributing 8% of GDP to the UK economy – the same as the manufacturing sector.
​​​
Despite so much entrepreneurial activity in the community, the gap in enablement and opportunities available to develop and grow disabled-owned businesses is seismic.
​
The Access2Funding report demonstrably proves the economic case for investing in disabled and neurodiverse founders. It provides early-stage investors with the tools to improve the representation, experience and outcomes of disabled founders.
​
Read the report here
Access2Funding’s economic research exposed the structural barriers preventing Disabled entrepreneurs from accessing finance, support, and growth opportunities, framing the issue as both an economic loss and a moral imperative.
This evidence directly spurred the UK government to launch The Lilac Review — a national initiative to address these challenges and unlock the untapped potential of Disabled founders.
​
Over two years, The Lilac Review engaged stakeholders, created best-practice toolkits, rallied action across sectors, and has ultimately led to the creation of The Lilac Centre — Europe’s first hub dedicated to the elevation and empowerment of Disabled founders.
