So let’s get this straight... women-founded startups secured only 4% of the $3.5 billion funding in 2023 (Aus Startup Report). And now... the government is raising the asset testing hurdle from $2.5m to $4.5m, which will only deepen the ingrained funding gap. This disproportionately impacts the # of women angel investors able to qualify. So… not only does this reduce access to capital, but there’s a huge misrepresentation in innovative sectors and seizing market opportunities, impeding women founders and investors from entering the global stage. We need to better advocate for women founders and funding equity. If this resonates with you, a few things you can do: ✍️ Sign & share the petition created by Will Richards to change the sophisticated investor test 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvHXxq9p 🚀 Engage with startup hubs & support women founders - attend events, leverage your network & pay it forward in your own way. Keep your eyes on Startmate & HEX - Kelly Spoerk Phoebe Pincus Jeanette Cheah 💁🏻♀️ 👀 Stay in the know & hear people’s stories - a few places that do a fantastic job of this; Overnight Success, Calling Operator, Grapevine If anyone is doing work in this space, hit me up! I’d love a chat and to support where I can.

Five years ago, my partner Nisha Dua and I left corporate life and formed BBG Ventures, convinced that a rising generation of founders from diverse communities and backgrounds were poised to build transformative companies in a rapidly changing America. Today we’re announcing a new $60M early-stage fund to continue that work, and releasing the research that informed our investment thesis: The Mind of Polycultural America: A Look at Identity, Priorities and Behaviors (https://lnkd.in/eGzP3f2r) We’ve always looked around corners to identify shifts in behavior and attitudes. But several years ago, Nisha began describing the changing face of the country as the American Polyculture; and last year we set out to better understand it. That research – a survey of 2000+ people, large enough to be statistically relevant across race, gender, age, income, political party, and geography – reveals a number of surprising insights. Americans today define their identities based on a unique perception of their place in the world, which will demand more nuance and personalization in the platforms and products we bring to market; but we have surprisingly common priorities, needs and concerns across nearly every age group, race and gender. The research also confirmed our belief that a diverse cross-section of founders who understand first-hand the challenges and opportunities in our polycultural future will have a competitive advantage in arenas that still need transformation: health, education, financial security, workforce support and climate safety. Thrilled to be on this journey with my partner of more than decade, Nisha Dua, plus the stellar BBGV team: Claire Biernacki, Carol Magalhães Isaacs, Drew Silverman Fennessy, Addison B. Marsh, Jr. If you know a founder transforming the way we live in one of these categories, send them our way. Thanks Leena Rao for the coverage on Business Insider! https://lnkd.in/eRb5Vv3R

Apparently, startups founded by Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs have an 11x higher probability of reaching ‘unicorn’ status (compared to the median) [1]. In 2013, First Round Capital published a report showing that their female founders consistently outperform their male counterparts. First Round did this to show their progressive bonafides but then Paul Graham (of Y Combinator) wrote a rebuttal proving statistically that, by definition, if a certain group of founders consistently outperforms another, it can only mean that you discriminate against that group. In other words, First Round’s female founders did better because First Round discriminates against women–by setting an impossibly high bar. It makes sense. If these founders only get funding after they’ve toiled alone to attain perfect product-market fit, got lots of paying customers, and eliminated nearly all the risk, their companies will have better outcomes (vs. companies that raise based on a Powerpoint and bluster 😀 ) [1] Source is the well researched prospectus of private $200 million fund that I saw. If you'd like to invest, let me know! Todd Bishop Leslie Feinzaig #startups #venturecaptial #productmanagement #diversity #vc

🎥 Join Me in Championing Female Founders: I am honored to be co-hosting the premier screening of Show Her The Money in beautiful Newport, RI on July 22nd. As a female founder of Flourish Care, I've seen firsthand the incredible impact of investing in women-led startups. Let’s take a look at the hard-hitting facts: - Businesses founded by women generate DOUBLE the revenue per dollar invested than those founded by men. - Female founders receive ONLY 2% of venture capital. - Achieving funding equality for women entrepreneurs represents a massive opportunity with potential to boost the global GDP by UP TO $5 trillion. - Women comprise ONLY 11% of the senior positions in the venture capital workforce. This stark underrepresentation and underfunding highlight not just a gap in equity but also a vast, untapped market opportunity. By attending “Show Her the Money,” you’re part of a movement to close these gaps and make a real economic impact. I’m excited to moderate an engaging panel of cast members, phenomenal entrepreneurs and investors, including Allison Byers, La Keisha Landrum Pierre, Melissa Sherman, Ph.D., Shruti Shah, Catherine Gray and Tom Sperry. Their experiences emphasize the urgent need for and benefits of inclusive investment practices. Join us to spark a dialogue that leads to action. Don't miss this opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired to invest in the next big innovation led by women. See you in Newport for a powerful and purpose-filled evening! 🎟️ Grab your ticket now, tag your network below and be part of the change: https://lu.ma/7nkdj82s #leadership #womenfounder #startup #venturecapital #innovation #womeninleadership #inclusion #diversity A huge thanks to RIHub, New England Female Founders, Rogue Women's Fund, BankNewport for making this possible. Sydney Paige Thomas Caroline Lewis Julia McDowell Naseem Sayani (she/her) Sonia Millsom Bari Harlam Meredith Curren Delphine O'Rourke, JD Danielle Olivera Symphonic Capital Liz Powell Emmeline Ventures Slater Technology Fund Jessica J. Federer Hope Hopkins Alyssa Reisner

Understanding founder equity splits is crucial for investors looking to maximize their returns in startups. While equality may appear fair, it's vital to consider various factors such as founder contributions, future responsibilities, and potential risks. By grasping the nuances of founder equity splits, investors can make informed decisions that foster a collaborative environment and mitigate risks, ultimately leading to long-term success in their investment portfolios. Find out more about this topic in the article below: https://lnkd.in/d2fgnCPt

We’re thrilled to announce BBG Ventures’ new $60M early-stage fund backing overlooked founders building for the Polycultural Future of America. At BBG Ventures, we’ve always believed that identifying which Americans are underserved and which founders understand them best will drive outsized alpha. We’ve spent the last few years thinking about the passage of the country from a monoculture to one where identity and lived experience matter more than ever. We call this the Polyculture – a new status quo in which America is a mosaic of unique segments; where identity is multivariate and dynamic; and where new, more-nuanced solutions are needed across health, work, financial security, climate safety, and underserved consumers. To that end, we’ve officially expanded our mandate to embrace this evolution, backing underestimated founders – female or diverse – addressing the biggest pain points for our polycultural population. At a time when diversity has become a dirty word, we’re leaning in. The polyculture is about a diverse nation that includes everyone, to enable prosperity and advancement for all. You can read more about our new research on the Polycultural Future of America here: https://lnkd.in/eiefNfKb With our new fund, we’re doubling down on female or diverse founders who intuitively understand the needs of today’s Polycultural Americans in: health, education, work, financial security, climate safety, & the underserved. Know a founder transforming the way we live in one of these categories? Whether they’re building in B2B or B2C, send them our way. Nisha Dua Susan Lyne Addison B. Marsh, Claire Biernacki Carol Magalhães Isaacs, Drew Silverman Fennessy

Stay up-to-date on the amount of venture dollars going to underrepresented founders Venture superior funding has ne'er been robust for women oregon Black and brownish founders. Alongside Crunchbase, we’ve been tracking backing levels to pinpoint moments of advancement and regression for marginalized entrepreneurs. For example, Black founders saw grounds amounts of backing successful the bull twelvemonth that was 2021, but that magnitude dipped substantially arsenic the marketplace cooled and arsenic many DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) measures retreated. Women, connected the different hand, person seen accordant backing for the past fewer years — hovering astir 2%. Funding for mixed-gendered teams, however, has been connected the dependable increase, implying that women founders spot bigger checks if they bring a antheral co-founder on for the ride. Here are each the stories you request to cognize to enactment up to day connected the highs and lows of backing for marginalized communities. Read astir backing for Black founders Funding to Black founders has been connected a dependable diminution since 2021, implying that investors person either mislaid involvement oregon absorption connected backing Black founders. This is simply a large woody due to the fact that aft the execution of George Floyd, the task and startup ecosystem made promises to amended enactment Black founders. It seems, though, that galore of those commitments person fallen wayside. Last year, Crunchbase recovered that Black founders successful the U.S. raised 0.48% of each task dollars allocated past twelvemonth — that’s astir $661 cardinal retired of $136 billion. Q4/2023 Overall: Funding to Black founders was down successful 2023 for the 3rd twelvemonth successful a row Q3’23: Black founders received 0.13% of superior this Q3 Q2/H1’23: Commentary: The aged defender successful task reigns supreme Q1’23: At 0.69% successful Q1, the dip successful backing for Black founders ‘no longer evokes an affectional response Since 2022, TechCrunch has been speaking with experts to find retired what is needed to assistance boost backing to Black founders. The communicative has not changed successful implicit a decade, it turns out. For years, Black radical successful the ecosystem person been calling for much opportunities, much money, much trust, little bias, and little pattern-matching. None of this seems to beryllium happening arsenic of yet. In 2022, Black founders raised conscionable 1% of each task funding, which, judge it oregon not, was a dip from the 1.3% raised successful the record-breaking twelvemonth that was 2021. Q4/2022 Overall: Black founders inactive raised conscionable 1% of each VC funds successful 2022 Q3’22: Black startup founders raised conscionable $187 cardinal successful the 3rd quarter Q2/H1’2022: Black...

After joining BBG Ventures nearly five years ago, I’m excited for the next phase of growth as we announce our second institutional fund -- a $60M fund backing female and diverse founders building for the core needs of an increasingly diverse America -- we call this the Polycultural Future. Our thesis is informed by a survey of >2000 Americans across races, age, gender, income levels, political parties and geographies. Our survey yielded a number of exciting findings in each of our focus areas (check out the full report to learn more -- The Mind of Polycultural America: A Look at Identity, Priorities and Behaviors (https://lnkd.in/eGzP3f2r), but perhaps most surprising was that priorities and needs across races, age and genders are actually largely the same. Our research reinforced our thesis that diverse and overlooked founders who understand the challenges facing Americans today - across healthcare, work, education, financial security, climate safety and community -- are best positioned to build transformative businesses that drive venture returns. If you know a great female or diverse founder in building in one of these arenas, we would love to connect!

California has just rolled out a groundbreaking law that mandates VCs to disclose the demographic information of the founding members of their portfolio companies. 📈 This game-changing regulation is designed to foster diversity and inclusion, particularly in women-led and minority-led startups. 🌐 The impact is expected to reverberate not only in California but across the entire US VC landscape. This new law, with its far-reaching scope, covers a substantial percentage of VCs in the US, extending its influence far beyond California's borders. 🌍 Whether you're navigating the VC space or leading a startup, understanding the implications of this legislation is crucial. In our latest article, Angela Bernardi, LiLing Poh, and I break down everything you need to know about this transformative law. 🧐 Feel free to reach out with any questions or thoughts – let's keep the conversation going! 💬 #VCNews #DiversityInTech #Startups #CaliforniaLaw #InnovationInclusion

Venture.Community - The second in my series of Pillars of values, for our values-driven endeavour. 2st Pillar - Mutuality and Democracy 👍 4th July is nearly upon us, and whoever you're voting for, go and vote. 👍 Democracy and voting is a right hard fought for, and in society we have one person of voting age receiving one vote, there is no vote for funds, money or companies. Similarly, in a Venture Society and Equitable Accelerator, there is a 1 person - 1 vote rule. Our members, from first time founders to seasoned multi-exited fellows share in the ownership of their society and a democratic process. Our companies do not vote (they're our product!) and our money does not change the quantity of our votes. Being mutual, and equitable, everyone buys in and the society is co-owned under the rules of a registered cooperative society. * Our Fellows and Specialists invest cash (£20k) into their venture society, there are some tax reliefs available too. * When Fellows sponsor a #startup, a small amount of equity is shared (£20k's worth, capped at 2.7%) and a Founder is nominated for a membership discounted by the value of that equity. * We’re all sharing in a small part of each other’s success, we call this “The Rising Tide”, and it opens up collaboration into cooperation. Go Vote Turtles! #startups #yorkshire #founders #entrepreneurs