identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs

Exciting Times Ahead for identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs! 🌟   The whole identity team is currently holding our strategy offsite in the beautiful city of Helsinki - the home of our principal, Mari. 🏡   As we gather in this vibrant city, we're filled with excitement and energy for the upcoming year. Our focus on supporting groundbreaking LGBTQ+-led startups, fostering innovation, and driving impactful change in the venture capital landscape will continue. 🚀   From brainstorming sessions to strategic planning, we are committed to shaping a future that empowers entrepreneurs and nurtures transformative ideas. We can't wait to share more about the exciting ventures and initiatives we have in store! ✨   Here's to a year of bold action, inspiring startups, and unparalleled growth. Cheers to continued success! 🥂 Jochen Beutgen, Til Klein 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺, Mari Luukkainen, Jaren S., Alexander Hees

Exciting News for Our Community! 🌈   We are thrilled to announce that Queer Founders will be joining the Queer Founders & Funders Community! This unification aims to bring together the vibrant communities of Queer Founders & Funders into one dynamic space.   During this transition, we will also be rebranding from "Queer Founders & Funders" to "League of Unicorns" to better reflect our mission and vision. The "League of Unicorns" will continue to be a thriving hub for collaboration, support, and innovation, celebrating diversity and empowering each member to achieve their full potential. 🦄   Join our slack channel to connect with the community and stay tuned about latest event by signing up here: https://lnkd.in/eqV5N6jx   Let's create a stronger, more inclusive founder and investor community - together! 🙌   LUMO Labs, Queer Funders & Founders & identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs

Attention founders in London! 🚀   There's still time to sign up for our identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs Office Hours! 🌟   Are you a startup founder looking for guidance, feedback, or potential funding opportunities? Our office hours are the perfect chance to connect with our team, ask questions, and get valuable insights to help your business thrive. Feel free to still sign up here: https://lnkd.in/d-NVwe_A! 🙌

🇵🇱 We're thrilled to share that MamStartup, Poland's largest website for startups, has featured the launch of identity.vc! 🚀 🏳️🌈 Dziękuję MamStartup for the coverage. Check out the full article to learn more about our journey and mission. #Startup #Poland #IdentityVC #MamStartup #Innovation #LGBTQEntrepreneurship #LGBTQ+

Thrilled to Share! 🌈   Last week, we had the incredible honor of hosting another one of our "LGBTQ+ Founders & Funders" events at our Berlin office! With a full house of enthusiastic participants, the evening was filled with inspiring conversations, meaningful connections, and groundbreaking ideas. 🎉   We were especially excited to welcome Anton Kononov, co-founder of FORMEL SKIN, as our guest speaker. Anton's talk was nothing short of inspiring, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs of fundraising; especially raising a Series A round. His journey and insights resonated deeply with everyone in attendance.   At identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs, we believe in the power of diversity and are committed to backing LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Events like these are essential in fostering a strong, inclusive community where founders and funders can collaborate and innovate together.   A huge thank you to all who attended and made this event a success! We are already looking forward to the next one. 🌟

Exciting News! 🚀   We are thrilled to announce that identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs has officially joined the Finnish Startup Community! 🎉   This milestone also marks a natural expansion into the Nordics, a region renowned for its progressive values and thriving startup culture. Next to our new principal Mari, who joined us two months ago, this action further solidifies our commitment to the region!    Here's to new partnerships, fresh ideas, and a future full of possibilities! 🌟

We're excited that the story of our first closing is covered in TechCrunch! 🚀 In the article, our founding partners Til & Jochen outline the history of the fund, its current state and why they believe in a more diversified VC world. 🙌 Feel free to check out the TechCrunch article by Rebecca Szkutak below.

Meet us at the #neuland Congress in Aachen! Our founding partner, Til Klein 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺, will be speaking with Tim Schumacher from World Fund in a Fireside Chat on "Impact-Investing for Tomorrow: Why Specialized VCs Drive Change." 🚀 Catch them on Wednesday, July 3rd at 11:10 AM. Don't miss this insightful discussion! 🙌

“Diversity attracts more money these days, at least in Europe and the US,” stated Mari Luukkainen, Principal at identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs. This venture capital fund recently secured 50 million euros within months to invest in early-stage startups led by LGBTQ+ individuals across Europe and beyond. This success underscores the growing interest in supporting diverse teams. “In the US, LGBTQ+ investment is already well-established, while in Europe, it’s gaining momentum.” As part of our Pride Week celebrations, we organized a summer breakfast event centered around the theme of “Empowering LGBTQ+ Founders & Community.” Speakers from identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs and Inklusiiv shared insights and experiences. Mari also highlighted compelling statistics that demonstrate the positive impact of diversity on performance: 🌈 Diverse teams have a 25% higher likelihood of financial outperformance. 🌈 LGBTQ+ founded companies create 36% more jobs. 🌈 These companies also register 114% more patents. Diversity-driven companies not only innovate more effectively but also achieve greater financial success. Additionally, they attract world-class Gen Z talent; over 70% of Gen Z individuals consider a company’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues when evaluating job opportunities. Mari provided valuable advice to entrepreneurs: “Avoid accepting funding from individuals with whom you cannot be open. Building trust and maintaining a healthy dynamic is crucial, as value conflicts can lead to burnout.” Furthermore, there are abundant options available for companies to empower LGBTQ+ founders. Maria Ristimäki, Head of Research and Operations at Inklusiiv, outlines several strategies—both passive and active—that organizations can adopt. Here are her top 6 tips: 🌈 Raise awareness in your organization 🌈 Measure the state of inclusion 🌈 Advocate for inclusive policies and benefits 🌈 Use inclusive language 🌈 Spotlight and support LGBTQ+ initiatives 🌈 Active allyship A warm thank you to our inspiring speakers and our guests as well! ☀️ #embracediversity #LGBTQ+ #investment #venturecapital #inclusivity #diversity #dei

Don’t forget to register for our next 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Founders & Investors Networking Event 🦄 in #Berlin with a keynote by Anton Kononov, Co-Founder FormelSkin, about how to raise a €30M Series A 🚀 Afterwards, you can enjoy delicious food and drinks while building valuable connections 🤝 📆 27th June ⏰ 18:30 CET 📍identity.vc office in Berlin ✍️ RSVP here: https://lu.ma/vofwxy3a