The Global Support Ecosystem for Women Entrepreneurs and Investors

340+ VCs, accelerators, angel networks, conferences, platforms, and communities supporting women innovators and investors

There is a new version of this list available here.

Last updated September 6, 2020 (out of date)

An original version of this list in 2015 could fit on a single slide…

Maintaining this list over the last five years has been a labor of love, and one that has allowed me to witness the exponential growth of this support ecosystem for women that build and invest in early-stage companies. Over the last 12 years as the Vice President of Springboard Enterprises, a global network of women innovators transforming industries, I’ve met the leaders of many of the organizations included in this list and I’m honored to be part of a community of exceptional people that recognize this is not only a valuable mission but a lucrative one: there is big money to be made in finding and funding companies led by diverse teams.

Since the last edition of this list there is a significant amount of new funding in the hands of women, including funds that do and don’t focus on investing in women-led teams. I love how Jane VC’s Ann Bordetsky put this in a recent post on women-led VC funds: “The most exciting and transformative trend happening in the Tech community right now is a new generation of venture funds — founded, raised and led by experienced, badass women. This wave of Wonder Women will reshape Silicon Valley as we know it.”

COVID-19 is also reshaping the startup world and the way that all of us connect with and support those on the herculean mission to build a viable business. Communities are convening in new, virtual ways and evolving their support models. In the coming months, I will update this post to call out those organizations with virtual engagement opportunities.

If you’re part of a woman-led company, I hope this list makes your life easier by pointing you to valuable virtual resources and human capital you didn’t already know about.

Notes: I strive to maintain this list on a monthly basis, which I do through my own research, the support of my Springboard colleagues, and through recommendations from the community. If you want to nominate an addition to this list, please comment below or message me on LinkedIn.

Organizations overlooked in the October 2018 edition, January 2017 edition and March 2015 edition of this list are included below in bold font.

Academies and Accelerators for Women-Led Companies

1. Ad Astra Ventures
2. AIM-HI Accelerator Fund’s Women’s Venture Competition
3. Althea-Imperial Programme
4. Atto Accelerator
5. Backstage Accelerator
6. Beta Boom
7. The Big Push
8. Camelback Ventures
9. The Capital Network’s Fellowship for Female Founders
10. The Circular Board
11. Colliders Pre-Accelerator
12. DivInc (DivInc)
13. Diversity Innovation Hub
14. Emerge
15. Equita
16. F-Lane
17. Female Founder School
18. Female Founders Accelerator
19. Female Founders Competition by Microsoft
20. Female Innovators Lab by Barclays and Anthemis
21. FemTech Accelerator Program
22. FounderGym
23. FourthWave
24. GUILD Academy
25. Halo Incubator
26. HearstLab
27. Her Corner
28. Hillman
29. Launchpad2x
30. MassNextGen
31. Monarq Incubator
32. Multicultural Innovation Lab
33. mystartupXX
34. NY Fashion Tech Lab
35. NYC Immersion Program by FD Global Connections
36. The Pinkubator
37. PledgeLA Summer Lab Fund
38. Project Entrepreneur
39. Prosper
40. Ready Set Raise
41. The Refinery
42. Sephora Stands
43. SOAR
44. The Seed Scheme (Australia)
45. Springboard Enterprises (Springboard Enterprises)
46. Stella Labs (fka Hera Labs)
47. TechDiversity Accelerator
48. Upstart
49. WiSTEM by 1871
50. WMN•FINtech by 1871 and BMO Harris Bank
51. Women in Cloud Accelerator
52. Women Innovating Now Lab
53. Women on the Move
54. Women Who Dare
55. Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator
56. Women’s Startup Lab

Others with demonstrated awareness of the need for diversity of thought: 500 Women, American Underground, Founders Institute, Ignite Accelerator, Make in L.A., NewMe Accelerator, as well as Design Technologies produced accelerators ABCT, ELabNYC, and Next Milestone

Co-Working for Women-Led Companies

1. Blooms London
2. CoworkHERS
3. EvolveHer (Chicago)
4. HeraHub (Multiple Locations, Hera Hub)
5. Luminary
6. One Roof Melbourne
7. The Hivery (Mill Valley, CA)
8. The Riveter (Multiple Locations)
9. WeAct (Los Altos)
10. WMN (Tel Aviv)
11. The Wing (New York City)

Networks of Entrepreneurial Women

1. accelerateHER
2. Ada’s List
3. Alley to the Valley
4. Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs
5. Astia
6. Athena League
7. BEACON DC
8. Black Women Talk Tech
9. Blooming Founders (Blooming Founders)
10. Bossy Chicago
11. Chief
12. Chooks SA
13. C-Sweetener
14. Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network
15. digitalundivided (digitalundivided)
16. Dreamers & Doers
17. Ellevate Network (Ellevate Network)
18. EnrichHER
19. Female Equity
20. Female Founder Collective
21. Female Founders (Europe)
22. Female Founders Alliance
23. Female Ventures
24. Femstreet Membership
25. Firstboard.io
26. Found & Flourish
27. Girlboss
28. Global Invest Her
29. Hautepreneurs
30. Heads Over Heels
31. LandIt (Landit)
32. Lesbians Who Tech
33. Mums & Co
34. OneTech
35. Pepperlane (Pepperlane)
36. Philly Women in Tech
37. SBE Australia
38. SheEOs
39. SheWorx
40. SoGal (SoGal Ventures)
41. The Fourth Floor
42. The Startup Ladies
43. StartupChicks
44. Tech Ready Women Academy
45. TechWomen Canada
46. theBoardList (theBoardlist)
47. TheNextWomen
48. UPWARD Women
49. the Vinetta Project
50. WE Venture
51. WE@Yale
52. WEConnect International
53. WEST
54. Women@Austin
55. Women 2.0 (Women 2.0)
56. Women Founders Community
57. Women Founders Network
58. Women in Bio
59. Women In Innovation
60. Women in Tech by ICON
61. Women Led
62. Women Presidents’ Organization
63. Women Tech Founders
64. Women Who Startup
65. Women Who Tech
66. Yazamiyot

Organizations Dedicated to Diversity in Venture

1. AllRaise (AllRaise.org)
2. Black Girl Ventures
3. BLCK VC
4. Capital Access Lab by Kauffman Foundation
5. Consider Something Better
6. Diversity Rider Initiative by Act One Ventures
7. Diversity.VC (Diversity VC)
8. Female Founders
9. Financial Alliance for Women
10. Founders for Change
11. Included VC
12. iNTENT Manifesto
13. Israeli Power in Diversity Initiative
14. Project Include
15. The Billion Dollar Fund for Women
16. Transparent Collective
17. VC Include
18. Venture Forward
19. WLOUNGE
20. Women.VC

Networks of Women Investors

1. #Angels (#ANGELS)
2. AllBright (UK, AllBright)
3. ArcAngels (New Zealand)
4. Astia Angels
5. Beehive Holdings
6. BELLE Capital (Lauren Flanagan)
7. Broadway Angels
8. Golden Seeds (Golden Seeds)
9. Eleanor Venture
10. Hera Fund
11. How Women Invest
12. Invest for Better
13. Investing Women Angels (Scotland)
14. The JumpFund
15. New Voices Fund
16. Next Act Fund
17. NNE WIN (Northern New England Women’s Investor Network)
18. OSEA Angel Investors
19. Scale Investors (Australia)
20. SheEO (SheEO World)
21. Sofia Fund
22. Topstone Angels
23. We Angels Network (Chile)
24. We Are Enough
25. WE Capital
26. WOMENA (Womena)
27. X-Squared Angels

Investor Training Programs/Networks

1. 37 Angels (37 Angels)
2. Angel Academe (Angel Academe)
3. Female Funders
4. Kauffman Fellows
5. Pipeline Angels (Pipeline Angels)
6. Portfolia (Portfolia by Trish Costello)
7. WeDemption
8. Women First Enterprise by the Angel Resource Institute
9. Women in Venture

Investors Targeting Women-Led/Diverse Companies

1. 1843 Capital
2. The 22 Fund
3. Amplifyher Ventures
4. Anthemis
5. Array VC
6. The Artemis Fund
7. Authentic Ventures
8. Avestria Ventures
9. Backstage Capital (Arlan)
10. Bambu Health Ventures
11. BBG Ventures (Susan Lyne and Nisha Dua)
12. BDC Capital Women in Technology (WIT) Fund
13. BELLE Funds
14. Bootstrap Capital
15. Borski Fund
16. BRAVA Investments
17. Bumble Fund
18. Capita3
19. Chloe Capital (Chloe Capital)
20. Citrine Angels
21. Cleo Capital
22. Collab Capital
23. Cross Culture Ventures
24. CTA Fund
25. Daintree Capital
26. Diana Capital Partners
27. Disruption Ventures
28. Elevate Capital
29. Fearless Fund
30. Female Founders Fund (Female Founders Fund)
31. Founders First Capital Partners
32. Fund The Women Ventures
33. Gingerbread Capital
34. Gotham Gal Ventures
35. Halogen Ventures
36. Harlem Capital (Harlem Capital Partners)
37. The Helm
38. Her Capital
39. Impact NH Fund
40. Intel Capital Diversity Fund
41. InvestHer Ventures
42. JANE.vc
43. Janngo Capital Startup Fund
44. Jump Canon
45. JumpStart Focus Fund
46. Karmijn Kapitaal
47. Launch with GS
48. LDR Ventures
49. Lightship Capital
50. Luna Cap Ventures
51. Marigold Capital
52. MergeLane (Elizabeth Kraus)
53. Merian Ventures
54. NEOME
55. New Age Capital (New Age Capital)
56. Next Wave Impact
57. Pique Ventures
58. Pivotal Ventures
59. Plum Alley (Plum Alley)
60. Red Capital Partners
61. Reign Ventures
62. Reinventure Capital
63. Rethink Impact
64. Rogue Women
65. Shatter Fund
66. SoGal Ventures (SoGal Ventures)
67. Springboard Growth Capital (Kay Koplovitz)
68. StandUp Ventures
69. Sybilla Masters Fund
70. Talent x Opportunity Fund by Andreessen Horowitz
71. Texas Women Ventures
72. The Billion Dollar Fund for Women’s Fund Partners
73. True Wealth Ventures (Sara T Brand)
74. Unconventional Ventures
75. Victress Capital (Victress Capital)
76. W Fund
77. WE Fund
78. Canadian Government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund and Women Entrepreneurship Fund
79. Women’s Venture Capital Fund
80. WXR Fund (The WXR Venture Fund)
81. xElle Ventures
82. XFactor Ventures (XFactor Ventures)
83. xxAngels
84. XXelerate Fund
85. Zane Venture Fund

VC Funds Led by Female Partners

1. 11.2 Capital
2. 1776 Ventures (1776)
3. Acrew Capital (The Acrew Team)
4. Ada Ventures (Ada Ventures)
5. Aligned Partners
6. Aspect Ventures (Aspect Ventures)
7. Astarte Ventures
8. Backend Capital
9. BackingMinds (BackingMinds)
10. Bloomberg Beta
11. Blossom Capital
12. Boston Seed
13. Breakout Ventures
14. Brilliant Ventures
15. Chingona Ventures
16. Construct Capital
17. Converge (Converge)
18. Cowboy Ventures (Cowboy Ventures)
19. Day One Ventures
20. DBL Partners
21. Define Ventures
22. District Ventures Capital
23. Energize VC
24. F7 Ventures
25. Fika Ventures
26. Forerunner Ventures (Forerunner Ventures)
27. Glasswing Ventures
28. H Ventures
29. Hadean Ventures
30. Human Ventures (Human Ventures)
31. Hustle Fund
32. Illuminate Ventures (Cindy Padnos)
33. Impact America Fund
34. Impact Engine
35. Ingressive Capital
36. Inspired Capital
37. Katalyst Ventures
38. Leadout Capital Partners (Leadout Capital Partners)
39. Longevity Fund
40. Magnetic Ventures
41. Metrodora Ventures
42. MILA Capital
43. Moderne Ventures
44. Moxxie Ventures
45. Nia Impact Capital
46. Operator Collective
47. Reach Capital (Reach Capital)
48. Relentless Venture Fund
49. Renegade Partners
50. Rivet Ventures
51. Rucker Park
52. Spero Ventures (Spero Ventures)
53. Starvest Partners
54. SteelSky Ventures
55. Supernode Ventures (Supernode Ventures)
56. Teja Ventures
57. The Community Fund (Lolita Taub)
58. The Venture Collective
59. Urban Innovation Fund
60. Valor Ventures
61. Wave Capital
62. Wedbush Ventures
63. Westlake Village BioPartners
64. WorkLife Capital (Brianne Kimmel)

Diverse Lists of Investors

1. #womeninVC
2. Founders for Change Diverse Investors List
3. Gender Metrics List
4. The Fundery
5. VC Diversity Index
6. Where Black Female Founders Can Find Funding, Resources, and More by Lolita Taub

Crowdfunding for Women-Led Companies

1. Arya Women (Turkey)
2. AWE Ventures
3. iFundWomen (iFundWomen)
4. TheNextWomen Crowd Fund(Europe, The Next Women)

Tech, Services, Content for Women-Led Companies

1. 24 Hour Assembly
2. Alice (Alice)
3. Connecting Founders
4. Declare
5. Diversify Tech
6. EllePod
7. Elpha (Elpha)
8. FD Global’s ScaleUP Programs
9. Femstreet
10. For Colored Girls Who Tech
11. Hastartuptiot
12. Impact By Women
13. Impulse4women
14. Let’s Get to 51%
15. Piloting Your Life — a Podcast by Terri Mead
16. Project W by Davis Wright Tremaine
17. The GUILD (The GUILD)
18. The Pink Ceiling
19. The Point 25 Initiative
20. Scroobious
21. Startup-Investor Matching Tool
22. The State of Women (Women INVESTING)
23. Stride Ventures
24. Ventureneer (Geri Stengel)
25. Venturous Counsel
26. Virago
27. Wingpact
28. wiseHer
29. Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
30. Women’s Business Development Center
31. WoVen (Women of Venture)

Conferences for Entrepreneurial Women

1. Black Women Raise
2. Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
3. Female Founders Conference
4. Female Founders Program at The Montgomery Summit
5. FemTech Bootcamp
6. Ladies Who Launch
7. Million Dollar Women Summit
8. Qualcomm Female Founders Summit
9. SERENDIPITY by The GUILD
10. She Leads Conference
11. Women @ Republic (Republic)
12. Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp
13. Women Entrepreneurs Festival
14. Women’s Venture Summit

Developing Women Tech & Executive Talent

1. 23 Code Street (23 Code Street)
2. allWomen
3. Baot by Extend
4. Bella Minds
5. Black Girls Code
6. Canada Learning Code
7. Code First: Girls
8. Code Like a Girl
9. CODE2040 (Code2040)
10. For Colored Girls Who Tech
11. Girl Develop It (Girl Develop It | GDI)
12. Girl Geek Academy
13. Girls Who Code (Girls Who Code)
14. GoldieBlox
15. Hackbright Academy (Hackbright Academy)
16. Hello Career Guru
17. Jewelbots
18. Kode With Klossy
19. mBolden
20. MotherCoders
21. National Center for Women & Information Technology
22. PowerToFly (PowerToFly)
23. Queen B
24. Rails Girls
25. RailsBridge
26. She Codes
27. Skillcrush
28. Tech Ladies
29. TechGirlz (TechGirlz)
30. Venture for America (Venture For America)
31. Women In Product
32. Women of Wearables
33. Women Who Code (Women Who Code)
34. YSYS

Developing Young Women Entrepreneurs

1. GirlMade

I’m the VP @ Springboard, a venture catalyst and premier global network of women innovators transforming industries and will soon be launching a new project focused on advancing treatments to rare genetic diseases. Follow me at @joshuahenderson or joshuahenderson.com and Springboard at sb.co or @springboardent. If you enjoyed this article, please clap for it.