Female Founders Fund

Incredibly honored and grateful to be named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Most Innovative Entrepreneurs of 2024. Thank you Jason Feifer, Kim Kavin and the full panel of judges for this special award! This is not just a personal?milestone; it reflects the dedication and innovative thinking of the entire Zeera team, who has spent years working tirelessly listening to members, pivoting to meet evolving needs, challenging the status quo, and bringing a new modality of care to life. It all looks much prettier in magazines than it feels IRL—I'm lucky to work alongside such driven, creative minds. There is still so much work to do so solve today's mental health crisis; excited to keep working at it ? https://lnkd.in/eBdz7mKN

Celebrating ten years since founding Female Founders Fund, we’re thrilled to announce a major milestone: the full return of Fund I. With notable exits such as Walmart’s acquisition of ELOQUII, Fiserv’s acquisition of BentoBox, and Maven Clinic’s recent $125M growth round, we’re seeing firsthand the power of women-led innovation. Being an early investor in Maven Clinic has shown us the transformative potential of female founders reshaping legacy industries like healthcare. Kate Ryder’s success story in building Maven into a category-defining business has become a beacon of inspiration for other female founders across all sectors. With this milestone, we’re proud to double down on our commitment to the next generation of female founders building tomorrow’s leading companies. As FFF investor Erin Harkless Moore, CFA of Pivotal Ventures put it, 'Female Founders Fund has shown that investing in women isn’t niche—it’s mainstream.' A special thanks to Allie Garfinkle at Fortune for covering our story! https://lnkd.in/ejTw7zWr

What a fantastic evening in NYC with Anu Duggal, Female Founders Fund, Wendy Tsu, Melanie Goldey and Adrianne Nickerson highlighting #femalefounders in healthcare. Key highlights from the discussion: ?? Everything is about patterns. What business models are working in other industries that we can bring to women's health and healthcare in general? ?? A CEO's job is storytelling -- to investors, to teams, to partners, to buyers, to customers, to employees, to clinicians - so to be a female founder in healthcare, you have to hone your storytelling skills. ?? Our longevity is 90% controlled by our lifestyle choices, and only 10% by our genes. ?? When building in healthcare, we don't have the luxury of "going fast and breaking things" because lives are on the line. Product and design teams have to be bought into this. ?? In resource allocation, prioritization of resources to the clinical and scientific team is always paramount. ?? In this fundraising market, it's not about running a process (a la 2021). It's about building the relationships for the long term and bringing investors along the journey with you. But...both sets of fundraising skills are valuable. ? The best first question to ask an investor before pitching, "Tell me about your thesis in XYZ and how you think our company fits into that" -- this answer will tell you if you should continue the conversation. ?? Step into your "hot girl energy" because in fundraising, swagger matters -- especially as a female founder. ?? The biggest businesses opportunities come from where companies are spending money. Start getting smart and asking questions about where companies are spending money -- then find a way to reduce where the P&L is getting split. ?? What are we most excited about in healthcare? - Personalization and contextualization - using data driven insights and evidence-based protocols to deliver more personalized care - Movement from point solutions to platforms - Movement towards preventative care and wellness It was so great to see and say hello to so many game changers in the #womenshealth ecosystem in one room - next time let's take more pictures! Curious -- what do you think of the above? Jessica Knopp-Gwynne Kate Twist Robin Berzin MD Sheila Egan Adriane Devereux Nara Lee Komel Caruso Abigail (Abi) Reynolds

?? In a significant move that's turning heads in the fertility benefits industry, e-commerce giant Amazon has reportedly chosen Maven Clinic to replace Progyny, Inc. as its primary fertility benefits provider. This development, highlighted in a recent J.P. Morgan analyst report, marks a notable moment in the competitive landscape of digital health and family care services. ?? ?? "A significant milestone for Maven Clinic today — with their first analyst report highlighting a notable shift in the industry: Amazon has chosen Maven to replace Progyny as their primary fertility benefits provider. This marks a pivotal moment, solidifying Maven's leadership in digital health and redefining the future of family care." Anu Duggal, Founding Partner at Female Founders Fund #femtech #womenshealth #familyhealth #fertility #familybuilding #benefits #partnerships #report #industry #ecosystem #reproductivehealth #employer #healthcare #fertilitybenefits

I am thrilled to start a new chapter investing with Female Founders Fund. ?? Anu Duggal started FFF 10 years ago and has made an incredible impact on the tech & venture ecosystem. FFF has a history of backing exceptional entrepreneurs who are running category defining companies like Zola, Maven, Billie, Co-Star, Milk Bar, BentoBox, and ELOQUII. I am grateful to be able to intertwine my work as an investor with my desire to level the playing field for women investors and founders. At FFF, I will be investing in early-stage companies in the software, digital health, consumer, and climate spaces. If you’re a founder or investor, I’d love to hear from you! As I step into my next role, I have so much gratitude for Helen Min and Meena Harris. Being part of the earliest days at Phenomenal Ventures, watching the firm grow, and learning from both of you, has been an invaluable experience. Beyond excited for the road ahead! ??