DVRGNT Ventures

Great Article!! Congrats Diana Murakhovskaya and Stephanie Campbell and the entire The Artemis Fund team!

?? ?? “We’re not just writing checks. We’re after tech and innovation that’s helping women live and thrive." Naseem Sayani (she/her), Emmeline Ventures Co-founder #femtech #womenshealth #womenshealthinnovation #investor #investment #vc #venturecapital #vcfund #womeninvc #fintech #climatetech

Diversity isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a powerful driver of innovation and success. We believe that by embracing varied perspectives, we’re not only enriching our investment strategies but also paving the way for a more dynamic and representative entrepreneurial ecosystem. Let’s keep pushing for systemic change and celebrate the progress being made. The future of venture capital is inclusive, and we’re proud to be part of that transformation! Thanks to Julie Kratz and Forbes for continuing to support and increasing the visibility of our mission and the paradigm of VC we're shifting. We encourage you to read and share the article with your network to help us spread our message: https://lnkd.in/gUXWUanj #FabricVC #WeaveWithUs #DiversityMatters #ImpactInvesting

?? Breaking Down Barriers in #VentureCapital: It's Time for Change?? The #venturecapital industry is long overdue for a transformation. Despite the outdated stereotype of what it looks like to be a venture capitalist, the numbers paint a clear picture: 98% of #venturecapital still flows to white men. In a recent interview with Laurel Mintz, founder of Fabric VC, she shared an important truth:?? “This is a business problem. Less than 2% of #venturecapital goes to diverse-run businesses, yet they have a 25% higher return rate. This isn't just about leveling the playing field—it's about business impact.” The takeaway? Focusing on diversity and business results isn't an either/or situation—it’s a both/and. When you diversify the table, you also diversify the bottom line. But there’s more work to do. As Mintz points out, the biggest challenge is empowering women, particularly women of color, to step into #venturecapital roles. Historically, women have been locked out, from access to credit to the use of complex jargon that makes them feel unwelcome. The tide is changing. Leaders like B. Pagels-Minor, founder of DVRGNT Ventures, are paving new paths. When traditional VCs weren't interested in investing in overlooked regions like Middle America, they took matters into their own hands. The Great 38?? represents untapped economic potential—less than 20% of VC investment goes there. Pagels-Minor’s experience highlights why new perspectives are vital in #venturecapital. The future is bright: - The Great Wealth Transfer is projected to shift 70% of wealth to women. - Women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions and will become the primary financial decision-makers in most households. - Women entrepreneurs are innovating in areas that have been historically ignored, from #femtech to beauty and personal care. The #venturecapital industry may still be dominated by the old boys’ club, but the rewards for those who break the mold will be worth the effort. ?? ETA Technologies is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive future in #venturecapital. We utilize our proprietary technology, which integrates psychometric testing and #AI, to aid investors in identifying the most promising teams for investment, while eliminating unconscious bias from the process. ??? Source: https://lnkd.in/dJ6GDN22

Some numbers on the fundraise for our $50M Fund III announced yesterday: -Took 108 first calls with LPs, 28 committed -Took over 80 first calls in three weeks to start the raise, ran a tight process how a startup might (this was a gamble but it worked) -$38.5M of the $50M are from 6 LPs -Raised the entire fund in 5 months -Have never given up part of the management co -Welcomed our first institutional investors in Fund III

VC firm Slauson & Co. has closed a $100 million Fund II, a big step up from its initial $75 million fund. “We invest in everybody,” Ajay Relan, partner at Slauson & Co., told TechCrunch, adding that the firm wants to make sure all perspectives are included in its products and services. Companies in its first portfolio include the e-commerce platform The Folklore Group and the food logistics company Prado. “We’re investing in a way that’s a bit more representative of the shifting demographics in this country.” Much has changed since Slauson & Co. partners Relan and Austin Clements launched their venture fund in 2020.?Fast-forward to today, Slauson & Co. remains?even more committed?to the mission of inclusivity in its funding, and it seems?limited partners have its back.?Read more about their raise below ???? https://lnkd.in/ed3buimj

?? Big news! The official calendar of events for #SFTechWeek and #LATechWeek is now LIVE! And thrilled to announce that this is officially our BIGGEST Tech Week, ever! - 850+ events ?? - San Francisco: Oct 7-13 ?? - Los Angeles: Oct 14-20 ?? Link to register below to see all events?? Sneak peek of a few events you can't miss... - The Future of Entertainment with Andrew Chen (a16z), Carter Reum (M13), Jeffrey Evans (Mantis), David Sabow (HSBC) - Founder Fireside Chat with Chris Best, Substack Founder & CEO - Game Changers: Breakfast with Fenwick and a16z with Jonathan Lai (a16z GP) and Kat Duncan (Partner, Fenwick) - How Design, Story, and AI are Changing Software with Siqi Chen, CEO of Runway - AI Breakthrough: Finding Product-Market Fit with executives from Mistral AI, Pinecone, Anyscale, HSBC and a16z - SPEEDRUN Demo Day by A16Z GAMES 40%+ of the events self-report having an AI theme. We're also seeing a ton of diversity in topics, including: B2B, fundraising/investing, fintech, engineering, deeptech, infra, consumer, games, media/entertainment, SaaS... In just 2 years, the Tech Week community has grown to 100k+ folks and has evolved from primarily VC deal flow to deal flow AND a diverse range of use cases: - B2B Lead Generation - Product Launches - Sourcing Talent - Meeting Investors / Fundraising - Brand Building It's been amazing to see Tech Week serve as a bridge between different cities, connecting the SF, LA, and NY ecosystems. Our back-to-back scheduling for SF and LA is designed to encourage cross-pollination. ??Tech Week wouldn’t be possible without incredible partners. Thank you to Andreessen Horowitz Fenwick & West, HSBC Innovation Banking, Dialpad, Stripe, Atlassian, PwC, and Nasdaq for your support and belief in the mission ?? And Tech Week would not be possible without the incredible (and growing!) team behind it - huge shoutout to Andrew Chen Rose Johnson Shrikala Kashyap Joung Lee for your dedication to the community ?? Make sure you're following us at TECH WEEK by a16z for more updates, and register at tech-week.com!

At Build In SE, we love to track data like this! It has been exciting to watch the high-caliber founders graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology. These alumni are not just launching startups – they are building companies that have reached unicorn status. Some notable GT alumni-led unicorns include: - nCino, Inc. - Flock Safety - OneTrust - Pendo.io

#southeastvc