Portia Ltd

What Portia Ltd does

Portia Ltd is a London-based not-for-profit organisation founded in 2001 by women scientists at Imperial College London to advance understanding of gender issues in science — in participation, organisational practices, and science knowledge. It operates through collaborative partnerships with research funding bodies, research performing institutions, policy makers, civil society, and private enterprise, with a primary focus on evidence-based research and policy advocacy.

The organisation's flagship product is the Gender Summit® platform, a registered trademark and global dialogue platform created in 2011 on the recommendation of the genSET panel of science leaders. It has hosted 23 events across 7 regional platforms (Europe, Africa, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, Arab World, and India), generating a community of 7,000+ experts and practitioners. Supporting products and services include the A-Z Guide on gender in science, Creating Futures in Science career development workshops for early-career female researchers (funded by the Elsevier Foundation), Gender Equality Plan resources, training workshops on gender dimension in research, the GENERA Network, and contributions to European Commission She Figures reports.

Portia generates revenue through grants and project-based funding from EU framework programmes (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, FP7), the US National Science Foundation, and foundations including the Elsevier Foundation and Robert Bosch Foundation. It has a wholly owned German subsidiary, Portia gGmbH, established in 2018 in Regensburg, and operates with a small core team of 8 employees. The organisation uses no commercial pricing; its outputs are distributed through collaborative partnerships and the Gender Summit platform.

Name

Portia Ltd

Legal name

Portia

Website

https://portiaweb.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Portia Ltd is a London-based not-for-profit, founded in 2001, that advances gender equality in science through the Gender Summit® platform, policy research, and partnerships with research funders, universities, and the European Commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equality in Science

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Research advocacy
• Gender equality
• Science policy
• Gender summit
• Gender research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding and project-based funding: As a not-for-profit organisation, Portia generates revenue through grants and funding from research programmes (EU Horizon Europe, EU Horizon 2020, EU FP7, NSF) and partnerships with foundations (Elsevier Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation). Revenue supports project activities, research reports, and operational activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Portia Ltd is a London-based not-for-profit organization founded in 2001 by women scientists at Imperial College London. It focuses on gender issues in science and operates the Gender Summit platform, convening researchers, funders, and policymakers to advance evidence-based approaches to gender equality in science.

Product overview

Portia Ltd offers a portfolio of products and services focused on advancing gender equality in science. The core offering is the Gender Summit® platform, a global dialogue platform active across multiple regions. Supporting services include career development programs for early-stage researchers, training workshops on gender dimensions in research, and Gender Equality Plan development support. The organization produces publications including the A-Z Guide series, research reports on sustainable development, and collaborative reports from Gender Summit events. The portfolio also includes collaborative networks like the GENERA Network for European research institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gender Summit: A platform for dialogue where scientists, gender scholars and policy makers examine how biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences impact research results and quality. Trademark owned by Portia.

Products and services

• Gender Summit A convening platform that brings together researchers, funders, and policymakers to advance evidence-based approaches to gender equality in science.
• A-Z Guide A reference guide published by Portia Ltd as part of its gender-in-science resources, supporting researchers and institutions working on gender equality.
• Creating Futures in Science A programme associated with Portia Ltd focused on supporting future-oriented work in science with attention to gender equality.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 Gender Summit events conducted globally across 7 regional platforms
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INSPIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe funded project to create centre of excellence on inclusive gender equality in research and innovation. Portia participates as project partner.
• Elsevier FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership to develop a coalition to advance gender sensitive science knowledge and practice. Also funded Creating Futures in Science project.
• University of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner on Roadmap 2.0 for Action on Diversity and Excellence in Science, partly funded by NSF.
• George Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner on Roadmap 2.0 for Action on Diversity and Excellence in Science, partly funded by NSF.
• GENERA Network / GENERA ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct of GENERA project to support systemic and systematic GEPs (Gender Equality Plans) implementation in the European Research Area. Funded under EU Horizon 2020.
• Science Granting Councils Initiative – Gender Inclusivity ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecently completed project developing best practice for gender inclusivity in science funding councils.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on integrating gender dimension into implementations of Sustainable Development Goals. Produced Gender Analysis Toolkit and Guidance Note.
• gEneSys ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Horizon 2020 funded project aiming to achieve better understanding of gendered power relations and help reverse socio-economic and cultural inequalities affecting women.
• ACT ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Horizon 2020 funded project developing communities of practice for measures to advance gender equality in science.
• African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to connect Gender Summit – Africa with the Next Einstein Forum initiative.
• genSETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU FP7 funded project. Panel of 14 science leaders recommended creation of Gender Summit platform in 2011.
• GenPORTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU FP7 funded project providing online community portal for gender in science.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women: UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Direct collaborator with Portia on SDG gender integration toolkits and a much larger multilateral organisation working on overlapping policy and advocacy goals.
• European Commission DG Research and Innovation: Major funder and policy actor behind She Figures, Horizon gender requirements, and gender-in-science programmes. Closely aligned institutional counterpart that Portia has delivered funded projects for across multiple framework programmes.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): US federal agency funding research and diversity initiatives including NSF INCLUDES. Co-funder of Portia's Roadmap 2.0 project with the University of Ottawa and George Washington University, with overlapping focus on diversity in research.

Direct peers

• American Association of University Women (AAUW): Nonprofit advancing equity for women and girls through research, advocacy, and education, including STEM programmes. Comparable advocacy-and-research orientation focused on women in education and careers.
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS): US-based nonprofit advocating for women in STEM through advocacy, mentoring, and awards. Highly comparable in mission to advance women's participation and leadership in science.
• Athena Forum (formerly Athena SWAN): UK-based charter advancing gender equality in higher education and research, including through Gender Equality Plans. Directly comparable focus on GEPs and institutional change in research, and a partner ecosystem to Portia's GENERA Network.
• Women in Global Science and Technology (WISAT): International nonprofit focused on gender, science, technology and innovation policy. Highly comparable mission and advocacy profile, with overlapping multilateral and SDG-aligned work.
• Elsevier Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Elsevier focused on gender in science, research diversity, and early-career researchers. Core Portia partner funding the 'Creating Futures in Science' programme, with closely aligned missions.

Emerging players

• Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WiSTEM) — various national chapters: Network of national and European initiatives promoting women in STEM, often tied to Horizon-funded projects. Comparable in mission and structure, operating in overlapping regional geographies.

Others

• Robert Bosch Foundation: Major German philanthropic foundation that has funded Portia's research on female scientists' career patterns. Functions as a peer funder in the gender-in-science ecosystem, comparable in agenda-setting role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portia-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portia Ltd