Ladies Who Lead raises $1 million in funding from Nikhil Kamath’s Rainmatter, others

Ladies Who Lead (LWL), a members-only platform, has raised $1 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Rainmatter, Nithin Kamath’s investment firm, with participation backing from the Family Office of Jayant Davar.

The startup plans to use the raised capital to empower women professionals by expanding its ecosystem across India, enabling better resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities.  

Additionally, it will focus on scaling its operations, which are currently active in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, to a national level.

Empowering women to break barriers

Founded in 2021 by Aabha Bakaya and Aditya Ghosh, Ladies Who Lead has grown into a vibrant hub for women entrepreneurs, veterans, and professionals. The startup’s online platform provides exclusive access to mentorship, curated workshops, upskilling initiatives, and networking opportunities.

By addressing systemic challenges like pay disparity, limited mentorship access, and work-life balance struggles, it aims to foster a supportive environment for women to excel in leadership roles.  

“I believe that women should own their destiny—empowered to choose, shape, and grow in a way that is fulfilling for them. We have meticulously designed our offerings to enable women to forge strong connections and build essential relationships that contribute to their personal and professional growth,” said CEO Aabha Bakaya.

“As our movement grows, more women in various fields will lead, and our collective influence will empower us to co-create the future. We see this funding from Rainmatter as a strong endorsement of our vision, and we are incredibly proud to have them as our partners on this journey,” she said.

Addressing gender gaps in leadership

Despite progress, women occupy only 1.6% of leadership roles in Fortune India 500 companies, according to a 2024 report by Fortune India. Furthermore, 30-40% of women exit the workforce before middle management, primarily due to family responsibilities.

LWL tackles these challenges through personalized engagement. Each member is assigned a community contact who curates a tailored experience to help them navigate professional hurdles.  

Additionally, the startup’s programs aim to increase women’s representation in management roles, which is essential for India’s goal of achieving a $30 trillion GDP by 2047.

With over 1,200 members spanning 5isn0 industries, the platform envisions building a collaborative ecosystem where women can thrive and lead.  

“It’s time we realise the power and need of community support systems, especially for women approaching mid-to-senior management positions, where the dropout rate is maximum. To meet India’s ambitious GDP target of $30 trillion by 2047, the ecosystem needs to create more jobs, and that cannot be done without the participation of women in upper management,” Aabha added..