4 min. read
Investing in Diversity
Introducing 11 London-based Inclusive VC Funds & Communities
Cultivating a diverse portfolio isn’t just a trend, but a transformative force that drives profitability, sparks groundbreaking ideas, and propels the tech scene to new heights of success.
Meet London’s inclusive Venture Capitals (VCs) and communities. Discover how they are breaking barriers whilst fueling a new era of innovation in the world of diverse-led tech startups. From smashing glass ceilings to shattering stereotypes, we are proud to introduce these organisations shaking up how things are done.
Pact
Pact is an early-stage tech fund backing mission-driven founders with global ambition. They have over 40 years’ of experience building purpose-driven businesses in Asia, the Middle East and India, and a strong track record investing in them in the UK and Europe. Pact invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies under three themes which they call: ABCs – Access (democratising access to products and services), Betterment (solutions for personal and professional wellbeing) , and Climate (technology targeting sustainability and climate solutions).
Portfolio examples:
Pink Salt Ventures
Pink Salt Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that actively seeks out and invests in early-stage startups across diverse industries, providing crucial financial support and strategic guidance, especially in female-led technology. With a strong commitment to fostering inclusivity, they prioritise backing underrepresented founders and aim to build a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Portfolio examples:
– Alena
– Mpowder
– Mirza
Two Magnolias
Two Magnolias VC is a London-based venture capital firm that specializes in funding early-stage startup that are finding solutions in sustainability and human health.. With a keen eye for disruptive technologies and innovative business models, they provide financial backing, mentorship, and a strong network to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful ventures in today’s competitive market.
Portfolio examples:
– ape2o
Sie Ventures
Sie Ventures is a trusted capital platform for female (co-) founded businesses and investors in Europe. Their ultimate goal is to close the gender funding gap by providing female founders with better access to capital, network, experienced founders and community.
Portfolio examples:
–Opto
January Ventures
January Ventures is a VC fund focused on angel/pre-seed in the US & Europe. They invest early and open doors for the visionary founders of the future. They believe the founders of the next decade will look fundamentally different: more female, more diverse and more distributed. The firm is built on the principles of transparency and access, and they back founders based on their tenacity and ambition, not their pedigrees or who they know.
Portfolio examples:
Angel Academe
Angel Academe is a fast-growing and award-winning angel network. They invest in ambitious and highly scalable technology businesses with at least 1 woman on the founding team. Through collaboration with experienced angels as well as technology and sector specialists, they help members pool their money, expertise and resources to perform due diligence, build a portfolio of smart investments and support the businesses they invest in.
Portfolio examples:
Talis Capital
Talis VC is a London-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments in technology-driven companies. With a hands-on approach and deep industry expertise, they partner with ambitious founders, providing financial backing and strategic guidance to help accelerate growth and unlock the full potential of innovative startups.
Portfolio examples:
–Howl
Ada Ventures
Ada Ventures is an inclusive venture firm that finds and funds extraordinary talent-building breakthrough ideas for the hardest problems we face. They are investing out of their second fund and are investing £250,000 – £1m in UK technology companies across climate, economic empowerment and healthcare & ageing.
Portfolio examples:
–Yuty
WVC:E
WVC:E brings women together to promote inclusion, empowerment and integration of venture capital. The community-driven organisation includes content, research and events to identify ways to connect and explore opportunities to increase the representation of women in VC across the ecosystem.
Founding sponsors:
Anthemis, Silicon Valley Bank, Cooley and Deloitte.
Diversity VC
Diversity VC is a non-profit partnership, made up of interested individuals working in venture capital, who seek to increase the diversity of thought in the venture industry. They work with entrepreneurs, investors and universities in order to create an industry that is free from bias.
Partners:
Level 20, BVCA, Cooley LLP and OneTech.
European Women in VC
The European Women in VC initiative comprises a collective of approximately 600 experienced female professionals in VC across 28 European countries. Together, they manage funds with a combined value of around EUR 15 billion. Their primary objective is to establish a robust and engaged community of senior women VC professionals, including both VC founders and senior partners of VC funds.
