A York-based website has been launched to offer online investment services specifically for women.

Elaine Duffy, 30-year-old York-born former graduate of Durham University will head up invest itpronto for women as well as invest itpronto.

Online services will include an ISA supermarket, stakeholder pensions and "Netplan" which enables customers to create financial plans from their own PC.

The venture will be part of itpronto.com Ltd of which Elaine will be co-director with Belfast-born Liz Arnott, 28.

The website, www.itpronto.com offers a range of services accessed either online, via local call and Freepost or face to face, including corporate web design solutions. Both women aim to turn over £1 million in the next five years. Elaine claimed that the investment industry had failed some people and had "largely ignored women".

She said: "There is more of an inclination for women to open up on their financial problems to other women.

''They feel inhibited or under pressure to buy from men a product they are not sure they might need. We want to concentrate more on advice than selling."