WVC:E Brings Sold-Out All Female Venture Capital Event to Paris’s Station F

In response to troubling statistics — women-founded companies raise only 1.1% of all capital in Europe and women general partners (GPs) represent only 15% of European VC — WVC:E has created one of the largest events dedicated to women in VC to date. Over 400 women LPs, GPs, investors and founders have registered to join the sold-out WVC:E Summit on September 26–27, 2022 at Station F in Paris.

The event will focus on empowering women and fostering integration in the venture capital ecosystem in Europe. Speakers including director at Station F, Roxanne Varza, founding partner at Pact VC, Monik Pham, partner at Balderton, Rana Yarad, and co-founder and managing partner of Seedcamp, Reshma Sohoni, will lead discussions on topics ranging from “Finding the Next Unicorn” and “Building the Next Generation of Women-Led Funds” to exploring “The State of Diversity in European VC.”

“We recognised a significant opportunity to bring together outstanding women to meaningfully impact the state of diversity in venture capital, from who is getting funded to who is raising a fund,” said WVC:E co-founder Ruth Foxe Blader, partner at Anthemis, a venture fund dedicated to promoting change in financial services.

Founding Sponsors of WVC:E, launched in 2022, are Anthemis, Silicon Valley Bank, Cooley and Deloitte. Additional sponsors include AWS, Vauban, Affinity, Google Cloud, Balderton, Portage, Albion, Omers, BPI. WVC:E partners with important organisations supporting the cause, including Diversity VC, Future VC, Included VC, Newton Venture Program, SISTA, Global Invest Her, Women in VC, Antler and Associated Podcast. The event is also supported by investors at Korelya Capital, Citi Ventures, Octopus Capital, Sprints Capital, New Alpha, Pact, Notion, Eurazeo, HV Capital, Augmentum Fintech, Lightbird, Eight Roads, AENU and other global funds.

“There are some powerful local groups and initiatives working on diversity, equity and inclusivity across the globe in the industry. We want to support their efforts and help them amplify their messages across the continent,” said WVC:E co-founder Sophie Winwood, Principal at Anthemis.

For more information on the first event, visit the official event website for more information. To view the agenda visit: https://www.wvce.tech/agenda.

Sponsor and speaker quotes:

• Erin Platts, Head of EMEA of Silicon Valley Bank UK said, “In the first half of 2022 Europe posted its second-highest half year on record for VC funding, confirmed by the findings from our recent report with Dealroom. This emphasises that there is still a huge opportunity as capital within Europe continues to flow at a substantial rate however, we need to ensure that this flow finds its way to more underrepresented founders and diverse teams. At Silicon Valley Bank we believe collective action and attention is required to change the status quo and that’s why we are proud to support WVC:E, who have this at the forefront of their mission.”
• Rachel Proffitt, Partner, Cooley said: “Cooley is thrilled to support the Women in Venture Capital Summit: Europe, in recognition of the unique contribution and importance of women in VC, with the aim to further collaboration across Europe and beyond. Amplifying the voices of all contributors in VC and the broader tech industry + supporting the VC-backed ecosystem is core to Cooley’s DNA.”
• Sarah Herman, Head of Startup Business Development, UK&I, AWS said “AWS are thrilled to be a part of WVC:E’s mission to build community and inclusion across the startup ecosystem. A strong community helps create access to mentorship, employment, funds, and technical expertise, which is crucial to level the playing field for underrepresented communities.”
• Roxanne Varza, Director at Station F in Paris, where the event will be held, said, “This is one of the few high level events for women in VC in our industry and I couldn’t be more thrilled for it to be taking place at STATION F.”
• Monik Pham, Founding Partner at Pact VC, stated, “As an emerging manager, I have experienced first hand the challenges of raising a fund as a diverse founder. The ecosystem in Europe desperately needs WVC:E as a platform to foster a community and knowledge sharing.”
• Rana Yarad, Partner at Balderton, said, “”Last year companies founded solely by women raised just 1.1% of VC investment in Europe. This is not down to a shortage of amazing female founders but rather a VC industry that has historically been incredibly tough for women to break into. We need funds to come together and combat this legacy which is why we’re pleased to be supporting WVC:E.”
• Reshma Sohoni, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Seedcamp stated, “Let’s be real. VC is a people business and you want to be in the room where it happens. WVC:E brings together great content and great participants into the room. The relationships and deals coming out of this event will reverberate for weeks and months ahead.”

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About Women in Venture Capital: Europe (WVC:E)

Founded in 2022, WVC:E brings women together to promote inclusion, empowerment and integration of venture capital. The community-driven organization includes content, research and events to identify ways to connect and explore opportunities to increase the representation of women in VC across the ecosystem.