Up till now, Venture capital has remained largely male-dominated even as many more women join the entrepreneurial sector. Only nine percent of Venture Capital investors are women, the majority of whom are working to diversify the startup society and bring outstanding ideas to the lead.
However, the profiles of entrepreneurship are shifting. Recent reports hold that there were 114% more female-owned businesses in 2017 than two decades before with the number of black women-led startups doubling between 2016 and 2018.
Another research by Axios stated that women account for only nine percent of investors across the U.S. VC firms. And, although female entrepreneurship is advancing at a fast rate, women are still not receiving as much Venture Capital funding as their male counterparts.
Despite the obvious gender investment gap, female entrepreneurs are still thriving. A study by BCG discovered that while firms endowed by women received only about 1/2 the investment, relative to those founded by men, their firms still managed to produce double the amount of funds compared with their male equals.
Although this is the reality, the great news for female investors and entrepreneurs is that there are so many women out there fighting to get the funding that great female-founded businesses deserve. And it seems just appropriate to celebrate the bravery in the smart women producing waves in the Venture Capital firm. Below is a list of a few such courageous women.
1. Jesse Draper, Halogen Ventures
Jesse Draper is the founder of Halogen Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund centred on female-founded customer technologies.
Besides granting funding, mentorship and powerful networking as essential features of the Halogen action, the Venture Capital fund has an exciting portfolio. Halogen has also funded female’s luxury activewear terminus Carbon38, and Senreve, a handbag brand that makes functional, luxury bags for women, along with many other unique e-commerce and technology podiums.
2. Kara Weber and Lizzie Francis; Brilliant Ventures
Brilliant Ventures founders hold that diversity-be it gender, creeds or race is the fortitude of a thriving business.
This is the primary purpose for starting Brilliant Ventures, a Los Angelos based fund that invests capital (time, opinions and pearls of wisdom) into diverse founders ready to begin a business(es).
In the Brilliant Venture portfolio, popular direct to customer brands (for example parachute-which makes superior home-based essentials at cheap rates) and Taamara Mello (a brand that redefines luxury by giving high class, trendy footwear at direct to customer prices) are accessible.
3. Kirsten Green; Forerunner Ventures
Forerunner Ventures is a San Francisco-based VC firm founded by Kirsten Green and composed of a team predominantly made up of women.
You’ve presumably learned of many brands that early-stage VC firm Forerunner Ventures has funded. The fund is directed towards investing in business disruptors, including industries with business-to-business and business-to-customer contributions.
Forerunner Venture portfolio includes; men’s health and preventative care startup Hims, sustainable women’s fashion brand Reformation, and the modern travel favourite Away.
4. Pocket Sun and Elizabeth Galbut; SoGal Ventures
It is the first female-directed Millenial VC firm. The fund invests in seed-stage industries with diverse funding crews in the United States and Asia.
SoGal global community is succeeding with more than forty chapters across the world where local entrepreneurs and investors attach to toil with, motivate and learn from each other.
Their portfolio includes cruelty-free greasepaint and skincare brand, strict women wear brand, and personalized hair care startup
5. Sutian Dong and Anu Duggal – Female Founders Fund
Research has shown that women founders achieve greater than their male equals, but traditional Venture Capital does not reveal this fact; Anu Duggal founded Female Founders Funds to disrupt the sequence. The platform funds impactful female-led startups in e-commerce, web-enabled commodities and services as well as marketplaces. Their portfolio includes Billie, a direct to customer shave and skin brand for women, e-commerce brands that influence high-quality children apparel and Eloquii, an online design brand that serves big-size customers.
Are you aspiring to begin your own business as a female founder, entrepreneur or investor? Are you looking for investors to fund your startup? Perhaps you need counselling/advice, books or tips on how to go about achieving your goals in the entrepreneurial industry as a female. Visit our site at www.femaleinvestorsmagazine.com/ and find answers to all your queries.