Thanks for joining me in 2023

Welcome to the tenth edition of Female Founder Fridays.

Welcome to the final edition of Female Founder Friday’s for 2023 and all I can say is thank you for joining me on this journey over the past few months launching this project. I appreciate you. 

To say that 2023 was a challenging year might be a bit of an understatement. Notably, the year was marked by a continuation of tech layoffs, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, EU regulatory battles over AI and far less capital flowing to both VC funds and new startups. 

According to a recent report by Atomico, the total capital invested into European tech startups was projected to fall to $45 billion this year, down 55% from 2021. With less overall investment for the startup sector, this of course means even less funding for female founders who only secure roughly 2%. In fact, female founders across Europe received a tiny fraction of venture capital raised in 2023 receiving 0.6% in France, 1% in the Nordic countries, 1.9% in Britain, and 1.7% in Germany, according to a report by Unconventional Ventures.

We also saw a large number of women leave the venture capital industry this year, another regressive step backward for diversity in the industry. With less than 16% of VC Partners being women, less women in the industry means less women in decision making positions influencing where capital is being deployed. Statistically speaking, female fund managers are twice as likely to invest in female founders than their male counterparts.  

Despite the challenges thrown our way, 2023 was a year of resilience and perseverance. It was also a year where the conversations around investing in female founders evolved from being a mere hot topic to a genuine commitment, with numerous resources, communities, and funds dedicated to fostering their success. 

So as we look forward into 2024, I am hopeful given the undeniable buzz surrounding the remarkable strides made in supporting and investing in female founders across the startup and investment industries. By investing in female founders, we are not just promoting equality; we are fostering a future where creativity knows no gender, and success has no boundaries. Here's to a year filled with unprecedented achievements and breakthroughs as we champion the rise of unstoppable female founders. 

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Resources

Here are a few of the individuals and resources for female founders I’ve begun following over the last year: 

Accelerators: 

• Carina Klaffl - Female Founders Accelerator & Lead Today Shape Tomorrow conference 

• Google for Startups - Women Founders

Funds: 

• Arian Simone & Ayana Parsons - Fearless Fund

• Pierre Rolin - Ankh Impact Ventures 

• Sarah Chen-Spellings - The Billion Dollar Fund for Women 

• Saloni Bhojwani & Samira Ann Qassim of Pink Salt Ventures 

• Anu Duggal - Female Founders Fund 

• Tatiana Jama - Sistafund

Communities: 

• Gulsah Wilke - 2Hearts Community

• Emmie Faust - Female Founders Rise 

• Sarah Bundy - For Female Founders Group 

Other Resources: 

• Chris Smith -Playfair Capital’s Female Founder Office Hours 

• Sarah King - OBU the angel investing platform designed for women 

• Invest in Women Hub - Education and resource guides

• Janine Vanessa Heinrich - On The Up and Up

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#Unstoppable Female Founder Spotlight

And of course, this newsletter wouldn’t be complete without an #Unstoppable Female Founder spotlight. This week, my shoutout goes out to all of the amazing women I have met over the past year who have inspired me, motivated me and empowered me in so many ways. Thank you!

Cheers to a new year full of bold, unstoppable and unapologetic ambition!

JH