Ana Stewart, a distinguished investor and advocate for inclusive entrepreneurship, has been appointed as the Scottish Government’s new Chief Entrepreneur. Her tenure, lasting until July 2026, places her at the forefront of Scotland’s efforts to nurture and scale its start-up economy, with a special focus on implementing transformative strategies to support women entrepreneurs and invigorate the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Ms Stewart’s appointment underscores the Scottish Government’s commitment to fostering a dynamic start-up and scale-up environment. Her remit is comprehensive: she will act as the chief advisor to the government on entrepreneurship, guiding policies to grow Scotland’s start-up economy, optimise existing support programs, and expand the risk capital market. A key priority is the implementation of the landmark “Pathways” report, which she co-authored in 2023, aimed at dramatically increasing women’s participation in entrepreneurship — a sector where women currently represent only one in five entrepreneurs and receive a mere 2% of investment capital.
Her role also involves strengthening collaboration between universities and businesses to increase the number of spinout companies that successfully scale, ensuring entrepreneurship is embedded in education and skills systems, and maintaining close engagement with entrepreneurs and investors. This approach ensures government policies reflect the real needs and experiences of Scotland’s business community.
To mark Ms Stewart’s appointment, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes joined her in visiting Inspirent, a social enterprise based in Hamilton, which will serve as the delivery partner for the 2025-26 round of the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund. This fund, now in its third year, has allocated £2.6 million to 75 innovative projects since its inception in 2021-22 and will provide £700,000 this year to support organisations and programmes that help start-ups to start and grow.
A significant innovation this year is the full digitisation of the application process through a dedicated online portal. This modernisation aims to speed up funding decisions and broaden access, particularly benefiting grassroots initiatives and community-led projects across Scotland. The Ecosystem Fund is designed to strengthen Scotland’s start-up community by supporting skills development, fostering collaboration, increasing access to expert guidance and capital, and enhancing visibility for entrepreneurs.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes highlighted the critical role of entrepreneurship in Scotland’s economic resilience, emphasising the need to support businesses at their earliest stages. She praised Ana Stewart’s extensive experience in starting, scaling, and investing in Scottish companies and expressed confidence that Stewart’s leadership would help deliver a comprehensive support network for current and future business founders.
Ana Stewart herself emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship as the engine of economic growth. Drawing on her own lived experience, she aims to create more pathways, increase access, and accelerate funding for entrepreneurs while aligning private and public sector efforts. Her unpaid role reflects a dedication to reinvesting resources directly into the Scottish start-up economy, demonstrating a commitment beyond personal gain.
The Pathways report, commissioned by the Scottish Government and co-authored by Ana Stewart, revealed persistent gender disparities in entrepreneurship. Despite women making up over half of Scotland’s population, only 20% of entrepreneurs are women, and they receive just 2% of investment capital. The report’s recommendations focus on increasing participation rates and addressing systemic barriers to unlock a vast, untapped pool of talent.
Pathways Forward, a non-profit organisation chaired by Stewart, was established to drive the private sector’s role in implementing these recommendations. It has successfully built a coalition of over 20 organisations committed to actionable pledges that foster gender equity in entrepreneurship. These pledges include improving recruitment data transparency, showcasing female role models, and amplifying female leadership in business.
The Scottish Government’s Economic Development Directorate has awarded Pathways Forward a £50,000 grant to sustain its work during Stewart’s tenure as Chief Entrepreneur, ensuring continuity in advancing gender equity initiatives.
The Scottish Government is significantly increasing its investment in entrepreneurship, innovation, and social enterprise, committing £34.7 million for 2025-26 — a 50% increase from the previous year. This funding includes targeted support for women entrepreneurs, with at least £4 million allocated to tailored early-stage business creation support. The investment also backs flagship programmes such as Techscaler, which supports tech start-ups, and new funds aimed at developing sector clusters in life sciences, digital, and advanced manufacturing.
Bruce Walker, founder of the Ecosystem Builders Network and a previous recipient of the Ecosystem Fund, praised the initiative as a vital catalyst for Scotland’s entrepreneurial community. He highlighted how the fund enables grassroots organisations to provide targeted support, helping entrepreneurs build resilient businesses and connect with global networks. Walker emphasised that the fund not only supports individual ventures but also strengthens the broader ecosystem, fostering inclusive and sustainable growth across sectors.
Ana Stewart’s appointment and the relaunch of the Ecosystem Fund signal a renewed strategic focus on creating an environment where Scottish entrepreneurs can thrive. With a digitised funding process, increased investment, and a strong emphasis on inclusion and scaling, Scotland is positioning itself to harness its entrepreneurial talent fully.
Applications for the 2025-26 Ecosystem Fund are open until Monday, 20 May 2025, inviting organisations across Scotland to contribute to this vibrant ecosystem. As Stewart takes the helm, her blend of experience, passion, and strategic vision is expected to accelerate the growth of Scotland’s start-up economy, ensuring it continues to flourish in the years ahead.
This concerted effort by the Scottish Government, under Ana Stewart’s leadership, aims to transform Scotland’s entrepreneurial landscape by supporting businesses to start, scale, and flourish — creating a more resilient, inclusive, and innovative economy.
