24 Women-Led VC Funds to Pitch in 2024 (and How)
Posted by: Team Outlander
Posted on 09/4/2024
Posted by: Team Outlander
Posted on 09/4/2024
Despite the long-documented gender gap in funding female* founders, there is good news for the ecosystem in the recent rise in women-led venture capital (VC) firms.
In 2023, women-led VC firms raised a record $3.5B in 2023 (up $500M from 2022). This still only accounts for roughly 3% of all venture funding raised in 2023, but represents a significantly promising step for the entire startup ecosystem.
Especially because the indication thus far is that women-led funds are more likely to invest in diverse founders, which research indicates actually correlates with better financial performance.
Here are some quick facts regarding female* founded companies for your next pitch:
We’ve put together a short list of 24 incredible women-led VC firms (24 for ’24!) that should absolutely be on your radar. There are many more, so be sure to tag them on our LinkedIn post to help more female* founders find great investors!
And, as always, be sure to submit your venture for our investment team here!
*female & female-identifying
Sources: VCJ, Pitchbook, BCG, Forbes
Featured Partners: Leura Craig and Bailie Salk
Highlighted Investments: Gusto, Lyft, Klarna, Wish, Scale, Andela, Postmates
Outlander VC is a leading venture capital firm with a remarkable track record, including 17+ unicorns among its ~150 portfolio companies. Under the leadership of Leura Craig, Outlander has become a top-decile performer and is actively deploying capital from its third fund. The firm is notable for its commitment to diversity, with half of its investment partners being women and 62% of its portfolio having diverse founders.
How to Apply: Fill out this form
Featured Partners: Susan Lyne, Nishua Dua
Highlighted Investments: Zola, The Mom Project, Lola, Winky Lux, Oova
BBG Ventures, under the leadership of Susan Lyne and Nishua Dua, invests in early-stage startups with at least one female founder. They are on Fund IV and actively hearing founder pitches.
How to Apply: Fill out this application
Featured Partners: Theresia Gouw, Lauren Kolodny
Highlighted Investments: Bilt, Gusto, Chime, Clara, Discord
Acrew Capital is a powerhouse in early-stage venture investing, led by Theresia Gouw and Lauren Kolodny. The firm is known for its strategic investments in fintech, cybersecurity, and consumer tech, driven by a leadership team that brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to diversity.
How to Apply: Contact us button on their website
Featured Partner: Aileen Lee
Highlighted Investments: Docsend, The League, Crunchbase, Enrich, Guild
Cowboy Ventures, led by Aileen Lee, is known for its strategic investments in software-focused startups. Aileen Lee’s experience and leadership have made Cowboy Ventures a key player in the early-stage venture capital arena.
How to Apply: Reach out directly (contact in footer)
Featured Partner: Anu Duggal
Highlighted Investments: Zola, Bentobox, Wayup, Winky Lux, Fable
Female Founders Fund, led by Anu Duggal, is a leading source of capital for women entrepreneurs. The firm’s investments span a variety of sectors, all united by their focus on female leadership and innovation.
How to Apply: Fill out this application form
Featured Partner: Leslie Goldman Tepper
Highlighted Investments: DressX, Fundid, The Good Patch
The Artemis Fund is a seed-stage fund focused on tech startups in fintech, commerce, and care sectors. Leslie Goldman Tepper’s leadership has positioned the firm as a key player in supporting diverse founders who are building the next generation of transformative companies.
Fill out this form
Featured Partners: Theresia Gouw, Jennifer Scott Fonstad
Highlighted Investments: Baublebar, Gusto, HotelTonight, TheRealReal
Aspect Ventures is a Series A-focused (selected seed participation) firm whose team has funded over 100 companies and participated in 350+ follow-on investments.
How to Apply: Contact via email (listed on their website)
Featured Partners: Dayna Grayson, Rachel Holt
Highlighted Investments: Uber, Copia, Incremental, Verve, Telegraph
Construct Capital, co-led by Dayna Grayson and Rachel Holt, focuses on early-stage investments in industries like manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain. The firm’s leadership team brings deep expertise to their investments, driving innovation in these foundational sectors.
How to Apply: Reach out via email (website footer)
Featured Partner: Kirsten Green
Highlighted Investments: The Farmer’s Dog, Chime, Ritual, him&hers, Oura, Glossier
Forerunner Ventures, under the leadership of Kirsten Green, specializes in investments in e-commerce and consumer brands.
How to Apply: Fill out this application form
Featured Partner: Roseanne Wincek & Renata Quintini
Highlighted Investments: Warby Parker, Masterclass, Dollar Shave Club
Renegade focuses on early-stage investments in AI/ML, Vertical SaaS, Enterprise, Consumer, FinTech, InfraTech, and more.
How to Apply: Check their website for updates on investment opportunities or reach out directly through their contact page.
Featured Partner: Rebecca Kaden
Highlighted Investments: Etsy, Twitter, Duolingo, Coinbase, Kickstarter
Union Square Ventures is a NYC-based VC, investing on the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures.
How to Apply: Union Square Ventures prefers warm introductions, but they are also receptive to pitches sent via email (see website footer).
Featured Partner: Annie Kadavy
Highlighted Investments: Stripe, Snowflake, HashiCorp, Nubank
Redpoint invests across consumer and enterprise and they have partnered with thousands of inspiring entrepreneurs over the past two decades.
How to Apply: Redpoint Ventures accepts warm introductions, but you can also reach out via their website.
Featured Partner: Clara Sieg
Highlighted Investments: sweetgreen, DraftKings, TemperPack, Scopely
Revolution Ventures, HQ’d in Washington, D.C., invests in companies outside traditional tech hubs through their family of funds – Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Revolution Ventures, and Revolution Growth – Revolution partners with entrepreneurs at every stage of the entrepreneurial lifecycle.
How to Apply: Networking and referrals are the best ways to approach them!
Featured Partner: Mary Meeker
Highlighted Investments: Canva, AirBnb, Doordash, Duolingo, Instacart, Clear, Peloton
Mary Meeker’s Bond Capital specializes in late-stage growth investments in high-potential companies, particularly those leveraging technology to scale rapidly.
How to Apply: The best approach is through a network referral!
Featured Partner: Mar Hershenson
Highlighted Investments: DoorDash, Gusto, Branch, Guardant Health
Pear VC is a seed-stage venture firm led by Mar Hershenson and Pejman Nozad, focusing on partnering with founders from the earliest stages of their journey.
How to Apply: Pear VC encourages founders to connect via their online application form.
Featured Partner: Aubrie Pagano
Highlighted Investments: Compass, Firstbase, Animoca, Classpass, Imperfect Foods
Alpaca VC, led by Aubrie Pagano, invests in companies reshaping the built world, leading rounds in real estate and commerce.
How to Apply: Send them an email (Listed in their footer)
Featured Partner: Kate McAndrew
Highlighted Investments: Figma, Notion, Clubhouse, Threads
Kate McAndrew leads Baukunst, a venture firm that invests in creators, builders, and entrepreneurs with a focus on creative and impactful technology & design.
How to Apply: Network introductions work best, but you can also reach out via email (see website footer)
Featured Partner: Dana Settle
Highlighted Investments: Venmo, Scopely, TheRealReal, Braintree, Boxed, Bumble
Greycroft focuses on early to growth-stage investments in technology companies across the globe with the potential to transform sectors.
How to Apply: Network introductions work best!
Featured Partners: Stephanie Palmeri and Melody Koh
Highlighted Investments: Grove Collaborative, ThredUp, Skillshare, Whoop, Attentive
NextView makes initial pre-seed & seed stage investments (checks between $400k – $4m) into software and AI companies redesigning the everyday economy.
How to Apply: The best way to get in touch is through a referral, but you can also contact through their website!
Featured Investor: Monique Woodard
Highlighted Investments: Pamper, Eli Health, mama, Bright, Serif
Cake Ventures invests in pre-seed & seed stage companies that reflect demographic change: aging & longevity, increased spending power of women, and the shift to majority-minority.
How to Apply: Apply here.
Featured Partner: Jesse Draper
Highlighted Investments: Everlywell, Inked, Metropolis, Live Tinted
Halogen Ventures is an early stage venture capital fund investing in consumer technology companies led by women and based in Los Angeles.
How to Apply: Apply here.
Featured Partner: Shadi Mehraein, Rebeca Hwang, Christina Brodbeck
Highlighted Investments: Athena, Honeybook, Ritual, Mayvenn
Rivet Ventures invests in companies where women are the key consumer demographic, focusing on companies with products or services that cater to women’s needs.
How to Apply: Contact via email (listed here).
Featured Partner: Shripriya Mahesh & Sara Eshelman
Highlighted Investments: Telo, Eli, Remark, Oova
Spero Ventures invests in founders building mission-driven technology companies in three focus areas: wellbeing; sustainability; learning, work, and play. They prefer to lead or co-lead a $3M-$10M round (late seed or Series A), typically writing checks from $2M – $4M.
How to Apply: Network introductions work best!
Featured Partner: Mercedes Bent
Highlighted Investments: OutSchool, Flink, Stori
Mercedes joined us a couple months ago for one of our most highly-attended Venture Visionary interviews. Lightspeed has added multiple female investing partners in the last few years. They love backing founders early and support from seed through Series F and beyond.
How to Apply: Network introductions work best!
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