Fundraising
of venture capital funds in Europe spend more time seeking investment
opportunities into female-founded companies than 12 months ago.
40%
stateofgenderdiversity.com
Does gender of an investor matter to you?
Female founders only
Notes: 'Funded' founders are those who have raised any amount of funding.
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Associate, Earlybird
Natalia Ahmadian
Germany
"I have definitely seen a positive impact of being part of a diverse investment team. This year, we seen a growing number of female founders proactively approaching us.
Participating in events (both as an attendee and organizer) dedicated to female founders has been incredibly rewarding and led to very strong connections between founders and VCs. This also gave me the chance to leverage my network to encourage more female entrepreneurs to step forward, start their ventures, and connect with relevant stakeholders such as VCs and angels."
82% of female founders say that the gender composition of their boards matters to them
Unlike the gender of investors, the gender composition of the board matters to female founders in Europe.
In an overwhelming majority, 82%, female founders who participated in our survey stated that the gender composition of their boards is important to them.
Does gender composition of your board matter to you?
Female founders only
of female founders say that gender composition of their board matter to them.
82%
Notes: All female founders.
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VC investor, Molten Ventures
Paul-Louis Lepine
United Kingdom
"The distinctive value added by women in board positions goes beyond diversity or the fostering of an inclusive company culture.
Companies catering predominantly to female demographics, such as femtech, fashion, home & design, health & wellness, or groceries, should and are actively seeking female board members to leverage their insights and deeper understanding of the customer base."
France has the highest number of new funds with at least one female general partner in 2023
Our analysis of funds with at least one female general partner reveals that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have the highest number of funds with female General Partners.
Geographical location of new funds with at least one female general partner, 2023
Tap on a bar to reveal the exact number
Notes:
Source: Dealroom
Geographical location of new funds with a female general partner over the years
See how the number of new venture capital funds with at least one female general partner has been evolving over the past five years in the countries within our scope in Europe.
New funds with a female general partner per country, 2019 to 2023
Tap on a bar to reveal the exact number
Notes:
Source: Dealroom
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Associate, Eurazeo
Carole du Fretay
France
"The diversity of individuals you engage with and the intellectual stimulation you experience daily make a VC role ideal for someone who is hyper-curious.
For me, venture capital is synonymous with my passion. I enjoy talking with people who are driven by making changes in the world. In this role, it's of course essential to assess risks, yet equally important to dream and believe in opportunities, focusing on the upside rather than the downside! The human aspect and the necessity to trust your instincts add an extremely exciting dimension to the job, which I can genuinely enjoy."
Over a third of principals and mid-level investors at European VC firms are women
We wanted to find out how many female principals and mid-level investment positions there are in European VC firms to better understand what the gender representation looks like for positions just below the Partner level. We found that over a third of those positions are currently filled by women.
Proportion of female principals and mid-level investors at European venture capital firms
of principals in European venture capital firms are women.
34%
Notes: Positions classified as 'principal' encompass vice-president and director levels. Funds with over $25m AUM, everywhere in Europe.
Source: Female Foundry
15 women were promoted to partner level in 2023
We have been monitoring the promotions of female venture capital investors in 2023. A total of fifteen female investors were promoted to partner level.
female investors in the European VC firms were promoted to partner level in 2023.
15
Notes: