Impact investing, climate tech and authenticity
A weekly newsletter that profiles women in venture and technology
Welcome to Heroa, a weekly newsletter that aims to raise the profile of women in venture. If you enjoy what you read, please do share this newsletter with friends and subscribe - Alexandra.
Hello everyone!
This is going to be a slightly shorter newsletter this week. Partly because everything has slowed down because of summer and partially because I got my second covid vaccine on Sunday and am therefore am not feeling 100%. Enjoy this’s week’s newsletter and get your vaccine! Do also check out the brilliant social impact related opportunities at the end of this newsletter.
Round up of the news this week
💸 Female Founders Fund raises $57 million to create“the largest fund for seed capital specifically for female founders.” Backers include Goldman Sachs and Melinda French Gates.
🌱 General Atlantic is raising a $4bn growth equity fund to invest in climate tech.
🌏 Eka Ventures closes a $95m fund and creates UK’s largest Impact VC fund. Camilla Dolan, a co-founder, says, “We are looking for entrepreneurs who set the bar for impact-driven innovation high and who are focused on fundamentally changing or creating a category.”
🚀 Y-combinator launches a platform for finding a high-quality co-founder.
Insights
Climate tech VC. If you are interested in getting perspectives on the evolving world of climate tech, this newsletter covers recent venture deals, news, and jobs. Kimberly Zou, an investor at Energy Impact Partners and Sophie Purdom, a climate tech investor, run the newsletter.
The future of climate tech. This report by Silicon Valley Bank provides an overview of the impact of climate change, emerging climate technologies, and investments trends. Mona Maitra and Ellen Pizzuto write investments are increasing, costs to deploy cleantech are decreasing, and there’s an opportunity to reduce emissions by 70 via decarbonising the grid with electrification.
Why Eka invested in Paired. Camilla Folan from Eka Ventures shares insights into the yet to be defined market of relationship health. Despite relationships being key to health and happiness, to date there has been very little structured support to enable people to consistently improve on their relationship health.
The Art of Being a Wholesome and Authentic VC. Sophia Bendz of Cherry Ventures shares tips on communication, how to differentiate yourself as a VC and using personal brands as an asset.
Events
🏙 Growth Marketing Experimentation Masterclass by We Scale Startups. Thur, 22 July 2021, 16:00 - 17:30 BST Sign up here.
This workshop is designed for anyone looking to:
Found a startup
Grow and scale post-product-market fit
Experiment with different marketing techniques to see what works
Companies / Corporates looking to implement startup-style growth marketing methodologies
👼 Angel Investing School Open Day. Wed, 27 July 2021, 18:00 BST. Sign up here.
AIS Open Day will provide an overview of Angel Investing and the upcoming Angel Investing School Open Day. AIS aims to get more women and people of colour onto cap tables.
💸 IPO or sale: How will I know when to exit? Wed, 4 August, 12:00 BST. Sign up here.
When it comes to startups looking to exit, timing is everything. Misjudge the market and all your hard work could end in a flop. Get it right, and you could have a successful IPO or sale on your hands with Annalise Dragic, principal, Sapphire Ventures.
Opportunities
Zinc VC, Venture Builder. London.
Zinc VC is looking for 70 brilliant individuals to build products and services from scratch with the mission of improving children and young people’s mental health.
Global Innovation Fund, Investment Associate. Washington DC, London, Singapore.
GIF is seeking an Investment Associate (maternity cover) to join its dynamic private sector investment team, which finds and funds innovations that have the potential to measurably improve the lives of the world’s poorest people.
On Deck Catalyst Program, Fellowship. Remote.
On Deck Catalyst is an eight-week remote program for young leaders who want to solve the world’s most pressing problems and take an unconventional path to build their careers.
SEE YOU NEXT MONDAY!
If you have any comments, questions, or want to chat about start-ups and venturing, then do drop me a comment.
Written by Alexandra Wyatt, based in London but (usually!) a global traveller. You can also reach me on Twitter.