Diversity VC

🚀 September is here, and so is our latest DVC Digest! 🚀 This month, we're focusing on building an inclusive pipeline and highlighting the latest insights in venture capital and DEI. 🌍💡 🔑 What’s inside: - Our response to the UK Tax Treatment of Carried Interest - Top 3 tips for creating an inclusive deal flow - Spotlight on Scottish Enterprise and  Diversity in the Scottish Investment Ecosystem Event Highlight! - Key events, resources, and what we’re reading/listening to Whether you're looking to drive DEI in your fund or want to stay ahead of the curve, our newsletter has something for everyone. Ready to dive in? 📩 ✨ Read our latest issue and subscribe here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_fSzGXs #VentureCapital #DiversityInVC #DEI #InclusiveLeadership #Investment #Innovation #VC

We want Scotland to be the best country in the world to start and grow a business, and we want this to be the case for everyone, regardless of their background 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👳🏾♂️👩🏽🦰 So today we were delighted to host the ‘Diversity in the Scottish Investment Ecosystem’ event at the Merchants House in Glasgow along with partners Diversity VC. The event aimed to increase representation and participation in investment by encouraging inclusivity 🫶🏾 It is known that the investment market is dominated by a narrow demographic. This lack of diversity in investment decision making, influences the types of businesses that are then seen as viable or innovative. Therefore, venture capital tends to be given to a privileged few. Today’s event united a large part of the early-stage investment ecosystem in Scotland to understand the benefits of having a more diverse portfolio, and what practical steps they need to take to become more inclusive 💙 Our Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment, Kerry Sharp and Head of Investment Michelle Howell both gave updates on the Scottish early-stage risk capital market, and investors shared success stories of investing in diverse founders. Investors were also brought together in roundtable discussions to create and share ideas and actions to build a more diverse investment landscape. Kerry said she hoped that the event today would be the “start of introducing incremental changes that over time can lead to step change in how we invest in companies, to ensure that no company with the potential to scale and succeed is under-funded due the background of its founder”. Michelle said: “We are not just focusing on the challenges of diversity, inclusion and equity because it is the right thing to do. Our contention is that if we do not, then we are limiting our contribution to innovation and economic growth and the potential for stronger commercial success.” We hope that today’s event left attendees feeling energised to make a positive action towards making more diverse investment decisions 👏🏾 If you're an investor with an interest in Scotland and you want to join us on this inspirational journey, get in touch ➡️ https://lnkd.in/egsCEkyM #Diversity #Investment

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 Diversity VC is thrilled to be one of the Sifted Summit Community Partners! We're excited to offer our community a 15% discount on tickets. Use code DVC15 at checkout to claim your discount. Will you be there? 🗓️ Event Dates: October 2-3 📍 Venue: Magazine, London European tech has faced challenges, but startups are bouncing back stronger than ever. This year's Sifted Summit will delve into how Europe's top founders, startup operators, and investors are adapting and thriving. 🚀 Event Highlights: - 3,000 attendees - 200+ speakers - 80+ sponsors and exhibitors - 50+ countries represented - Sifted Summit afterparty - Four stages of content - Hours of networking opportunities - Onsite investor lounge - Interactive workshops and roundtables - Street food and drinks receptions - Sifted newsroom 🎟️ Don't miss out on early bird tickets—prices increase on August 9th! For more information and to secure your spot, visit: https://lnkd.in/eFu5G5G3 #DiversityVC #SiftedSummit #StartupRevival #EuropeanTech #Networking #Innovation

Join us for our Mid-Year Update on Woman and Minority-Owned Firms taking place on July 18th @ 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT. This session will feature an update on the data from our 2023 Market Review released earlier this year, along with updated data pertaining to the first half of 2024, and an outlook for the remainder of the year. We will also allot time for live Q&A. Tune in and stay informed! Click here to register: https://lnkd.in/ewE4C2VH

Our friends at Balderton Capital have just launched their second annual Founder Wellbeing Survey! This initiative aims to deepen our understanding of what entrepreneurs need to thrive and how their relationships with investors, teams, and families impact their wellbeing. If you're a VC-backed founder or CEO and can spare 10 minutes today, please check out the post below and participate in the survey. Your insights are invaluable! Deadline : Wednesday 17th July

📢 Happy July! New month, same mission! We’re excited to reach out to our US venture capital community once again as we pave the way for diversity in our field. Click the link below to share your thoughts with us and build a more inclusive future. Deadline is August 15. 👉 Complete the Equity Record Survey: https://tally.so/r/nrap5p Together, we can drive meaningful change. 🚀

During last week's #NYTechWeek event on LP Perspectives on DEI we asked everyone in the room a series of questions to gauge their own perspectives on DEI, and got some very interesting results. We'd love to hear our network's take too! If you were to complete this sentence what would YOU say? Fill in our poll below “For me, DEI is about....” A) Social responsibility/impact B) Maximizing returns C) Derisking D) I don’t think about it #DiversityinVC #NY #Events #VC #VentureCapital #Investing #DEI #LPs

These are the kind of great steps forward that we're excited to see 👀   Huge congratulations to all of the law firms named by Seramount as being the best law firms for women & diversity in 2024. Their list includes Cooley LLP, who has been a supporting of Diversity VC since day 1! We're pleased to see them making waves in the diversity space and applaud this great achievement 👏 #DiversityinVC #VC #VentureCapital #Investing #DEI #LawFirms

Huge thanks to all who joined us at our #NYTechWeek event about LP Perspectives on DEI! The off-the-record conversation with our panelists Alan Mattamana (Fairview Capital), Abigail Kahn Archibald (The Andrew Mellon Foundation), and Samer Yousif (Insight Partners), moderated by Earnest Sweat (GP & Host of the podcast Swimming with Allocators) was wide ranging and incredibly engaging. Topics covered included: ⭐ How they each define DEI in their DD processes ⭐ The financial benefits of investing in diverse, underrepresented emerging fund managers ⭐ Strategies for success as emerging fund managers We're keen to find out how you tackle these topics within your funds - comment below to share which strategies have served you well in improving your DEI processes ⬇ Thanks again to each of our panelists, to our co-hosts Rich Green and Nehemiah Green from Amazon Web Services (AWS), and to all those who attended, facilitating meaningful conversation and connections. #DiversityinVC #NY #Events #VC #VentureCapital #Investing #DEI #LPs

This week we were honored to attend the Honordex Awards by Equality Group! Although still in its infancy, the awards mark a commitment by the investment sector to do more to become more inclusive. And we are proud to be part of that change. The VC sector shined on Wednesday night with two of our members taking home awards. 🎉 Congratulations to Antler on winning the Most Improved Fund award and IP Group plc on receiving the Top Performing VC award! 🎉 Several other DVC members were in the VC top 10 and deserve a mention as well: Balderton Capital, Oxford Science Enterprises, BGF, & MMC Ventures - Congratulations! 👏 Key insights from the event included: 💡 The importance of understanding your fund’s current diversity baseline 🌈 Cultivating executive sponsorship for inclusion 🏛 Embedding DEI principles in governance 📈 Measuring inclusion across the employee lifecycle 📊 Using data to inform decisions We echo the call made to allocate more funds to female founders, and would add the importance of addressing the socio-economic diversity gap, as highlighted in our 2023 Equity Record. It’s important to celebrate the progress made, while also challenging ourselves to do more. Much work remains to be done! And remember, diversifying investments doesn’t compromise profitability; in fact we believe it can drive Alpha. 🚀 Together, we can drive innovation and build a more inclusive ecosystem. #DiversityVC #InvestingInChange #InclusiveFuture