The 2022 Global Support Ecosystem for Women Entrepreneurs & Investors

A robust infrastructure of 500+ organizations who believe women & diversity in the venture world is smart business

Joshua Henderson
9 min readJan 27, 2022

Over the last seven years, maintaining this comprehensive ecosystem list has given me a front-row seat to the development of a robust and diverse infrastructure that supports women building and investing in high-growth companies. This market that recognizes the value of women’s entrepreneurial leadership has experienced exponential growth and yet oppotunities abound as groups specialize in specific geographic and industry domains and increasingly share deals in order to co-invest their capital and resources.

This core thesis — that supporting extraordinary companies led by women is a smart business strategy, not charity — is now shared by more than 100 funds, angel networks, and investment DAOs exclusively focused on backing women-led companies.

With this year’s list, I’m honored to play a significant role in the addition of one more fund in this category. My new venture, StageNext Fund, is a $5M fund backing seasoned women entrepreneurs launched in partnership with three people I’ve worked with for over a decade: co-founder and former President of Springboard Enterprises Amy Millman, serial entrepreneur and Connecticut Innovations partner Alison Malloy, and fintech and marketing tech expert Debra Filtzer.

The supporting role we are building StageNext to play in this ecosystem

This is so much more than a vehicle for channeling funding into the most promising companies from experienced leaders emerging from the organizations and networks listed here. We are building a powerful LP network of founders, investors, and corporate leaders that will bring both financial capital and human capital to the table. Our vision is to be the strategic co-investor of choice for the entrepreneurs we back, the lead investors we follow, and the networks below who refer their companies to us.

As always, if you’re part of a woman-led company my hope is that this list makes your life easier by calling attention to valuable resources and human capital you hadn’t previously discovered.

And if you are a part of this community leading one of the organizations below, my hope is that StageNext provides us the opportunity to work even more closely together in the coming years.

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

Organizations overlooked in the April 2020 edition, October 2018 edition, January 2017 edition and March 2015 edition of this list are included below in bold font.

Investors Targeting Women-Led/Diverse Companies

  1. 1843 Capital
  2. The 22 Fund
  3. 2raze
  4. The Alice Anderson Fund
  5. Alma Angels
  6. Amplifica Capital
  7. Amplifyher Ventures
  8. Anthemis
  9. Aperture Venture Capital
  10. ArcAngels (New Zealand)
  11. Array VC
  12. The Artemis Fund
  13. Astia Fund
  14. Authentic Ventures
  15. Avestria Ventures
  16. Backbone Angels
  17. Backstage Capital (Arlan)
  18. Bambu Health Ventures
  19. BBG Ventures (Susan Lyne and Nisha Dua)
  20. BDC Capital Women in Technology (WIT) Fund
  21. Beam Angel Network
  22. BELLE Capital (Lauren Flanagan)
  23. BELLE Funds
  24. Bootstrap Capital
  25. Borski Fund
  26. BRAVA Investments
  27. Brava by Magma Partners
  28. Brilliant Friends
  29. Bumble Fund
  30. Capita3
  31. Chai Angels
  32. Chloe Capital (Chloe Capital)
  33. Citrine Angels
  34. Cleo Capital
  35. Collab Capital
  36. Cross Culture Ventures
  37. CTA Fund
  38. Curate Capital
  39. Daintree Capital
  40. Diana Capital Partners
  41. Disruption Ventures
  42. DyMynd Angels
  43. Elevate Capital
  44. Fearless Fund
  45. Female Founders Fund (Female Founders Fund)
  46. FemHealth Ventures
  47. For The Win Ventures (DAO)
  48. Founders First Capital Partners
  49. Gingerbread Capital
  50. Global Bio Fund
  51. Golden Seeds
  52. Gotham Gal Ventures
  53. Graham & Walker (fka Female Founders Alliance)
  54. Halogen Ventures
  55. Harlem Capital (Harlem Capital Partners)
  56. The Helm
  57. Her Capital
  58. How Women Invest
  59. Impact NH Fund
  60. Intel Capital Diversity Fund
  61. InvestHer Ventures
  62. Investing Women Angels (Scotland)
  63. January Ventures
  64. The JumpFund
  65. JumpStart Focus Fund
  66. Karmijn Kapitaal
  67. Komorebi Collective (DAO)
  68. Launch with GS
  69. LDP Ventures
  70. LDR Ventures
  71. Lightship Capital
  72. Luna Cap Ventures
  73. Marigold Capital
  74. MergeLane (Elizabeth Kraus)
  75. Merian Ventures
  76. Mindshift Capital
  77. Mogul Global Fund
  78. NEOME
  79. New Age Capital (New Age Capital)
  80. Next Act Fund
  81. Next Wave Impact
  82. O’Day Capital
  83. Overlooked Ventures
  84. Pique Ventures
  85. Pivotal Ventures
  86. Plum Alley (Plum Alley)
  87. Portfolia Funds
  88. Purple Sage Capital
  89. Red Capital Partners
  90. Reign Ventures
  91. Reinventure Capital
  92. Rethink Impact
  93. Rogue Women
  94. Scale Investors (Australia)
  95. Shatter Fund
  96. SheEO (SheEO World)
  97. Six Dragonflies
  98. Sixty8 Capital
  99. SoGal Ventures (SoGal Ventures)
  100. Sofia Fund
  101. Springbank Collective
  102. Springboard Growth Capital (Kay Koplovitz)
  103. StageNext Fund
  104. StandUp Ventures
  105. Stella Angels
  106. Swiftarc Ventures
  107. Sybilla Masters Fund
  108. Talent x Opportunity Fund by Andreessen Horowitz
  109. Texas Women Ventures
  110. The51
  111. TheVenture.Fund
  112. The Billion Dollar Fund for Women’s Fund Partners
  113. True Wealth Ventures (Sara T Brand)
  114. Unconventional Ventures
  115. VamosVentures
  116. Victress Capital (Victress Capital)
  117. W Fund
  118. WE Capital
  119. WE Fund
  120. WOCSTAR Fund
  121. Canadian Government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund and Women Entrepreneurship Fund
  122. Women’s Capital Connection
  123. Women’s Venture Capital Fund
  124. WXR Fund (The WXR Venture Fund)
  125. xElle Ventures
  126. XFactor Ventures (XFactor Ventures)
  127. xxAngels
  128. XXelerate Fund
  129. Zane Venture Fund

Networks of Women Investors

Many but not all of these also have a focus on backing diverse teams.

  1. #Angels (#ANGELS)
  2. Angels.vc
  3. ArcAngels (New Zealand)
  4. Astia Angels
  5. Beehive Holdings
  6. BELLE Capital (Lauren Flanagan)
  7. Broadway Angels
  8. The Council (DAO)
  9. Golden Seeds (Golden Seeds)
  10. Flying Fox Ventures
  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. Stella Angels
  23. The Syndicate
  24. Tidal River
  25. Topstone Angels
  26. We Are Enough
  27. WE Capital
  28. Women in VC (DAO)
  29. Women’s Equity Lab
  30. WOMENA (Womena)

Investor Training Programs/Networks

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

Academies and Accelerators for Women-Led Companies

  1. Ad Astra Ventures
  2. AIM-HI Accelerator Fund’s Women’s Venture Competition
  3. AllRaise Masterclasses
  4. Althea-Imperial Programme
  5. Atto Accelerator
  6. Backstage Accelerator
  7. Beta Boom
  8. The Big Push
  9. Camelback Ventures
  10. The Capital Network’s Fellowship for Female Founders
  11. Chic CEO
  12. Colliders Pre-Accelerator
  13. DivInc (DivInc)
  14. Diversity Innovation Hub
  15. Emerge
  16. Emerging Food Brands Lab by Project W
  17. Equita
  18. F-Lane
  19. Female Founder School
  20. Female Founders Accelerator
  21. Female Founders Competition by Microsoft
  22. Female Innovators Lab by Barclays and Anthemis
  23. FemTech Accelerator Program
  24. FounderGym
  25. Founders First CDC
  26. FourthWave
  27. Get Sh!t Done Accelerator
  28. Graham & Walker Accelerator
  29. GUILD Academy
  30. H.E.R. DAO (DAO)
  31. Halo Incubator
  32. HearstLab
  33. Her Corner
  34. Hillman
  35. Launchpad2x
  36. MassNextGen
  37. Million Dollar Women Accelerator
  38. Million Dollar Women Fund
  39. Multicultural Innovation Lab
  40. NY Fashion Tech Lab
  41. NYC Immersion Program by FD Global Connections
  42. The Pinkubator
  43. PledgeLA Summer Lab Fund
  44. Project Entrepreneur
  45. Project W by Davis Wright Tremaine
  46. Prosper
  47. Ready Set Raise
  48. RECREATE
  49. The Refinery
  50. SaaS Launch Lab by Project W
  51. Sephora Stands
  52. Sie Ventures
  53. StartR Inclusion
  54. SOAR
  55. The Seed Scheme (Australia)
  56. Springboard Enterprises (Springboard Enterprises)
  57. Stella Labs (fka Hera Labs)
  58. Tech Equity Hub by Project W
  59. TechDiversity Accelerator
  60. Upstart
  61. Visible Hands
  62. WiSTEM by 1871
  63. WMN•FINtech by 1871 and BMO Harris Bank
  64. Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp by Project W
  65. Women in Cloud Accelerator
  66. Women Innovating Now Lab
  67. Women on the Move
  68. Women Who Dare
  69. Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator
  70. 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. CoworkHERS
  2. EvolveHer (Chicago)
  3. HeraHub (Multiple Locations, Hera Hub)
  4. Luminary
  5. One Roof Melbourne
  6. The Hivery (Mill Valley, CA)
  7. The Riveter (Multiple Locations)
  8. WeAct (Los Altos)
  9. WMN (Tel Aviv)
  10. The Wing (New York City)

Networks of Entrepreneurial Women

  1. The 10th House by Female Founder Collective
  2. accelerateHER
  3. Ada’s List
  4. AllBright (UK, AllBright)
  5. Alley to the Valley
  6. Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs
  7. Astia
  8. BEACON DC
  9. Black Women Talk Tech
  10. Blooming Founders (Blooming Founders)
  11. Bossy Chicago
  12. CEOX
  13. Changing Tides Movement
  14. Chief
  15. Chooks SA
  16. C-Sweetener
  17. Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network
  18. digitalundivided (digitalundivided)
  19. Dreamers & Doers
  20. Ellevate Network (Ellevate Network)
  21. EnrichHER
  22. Fem Foundry
  23. Female Equity
  24. Female Founder Collective
  25. Female Founders (Europe)
  26. Female Ventures
  27. Femstreet Membership
  28. Firstboard.io
  29. Found & Flourish
  30. The Founding Moms
  31. Girlboss
  32. GirlMade
  33. Global Invest Her
  34. Hautepreneurs
  35. Heads Over Heels
  36. LandIt (Landit)
  37. Lesbians Who Tech
  38. Million Dollar Women Community
  39. Mums & Co
  40. OneTech
  41. Pepperlane (Pepperlane)
  42. Philly Women in Tech
  43. SBE Australia
  44. She Runs It
  45. SheEOs
  46. SheWorx
  47. SoGal (SoGal Ventures)
  48. Sprinters
  49. The Fourth Floor
  50. The Startup Ladies
  51. StartupChicks
  52. Tech Ready Women Academy
  53. TechWomen Canada
  54. theBoardList (theBoardlist)
  55. THEIA
  56. TheNextWomen
  57. The Upside
  58. UPWARD Women
  59. the Vinetta Project
  60. WE Venture
  61. WE@Yale
  62. WEConnect International
  63. WELL for Digital Health
  64. WEST
  65. Women@Austin
  66. Women 2.0 (Women 2.0)
  67. Women Founders Community
  68. Women Founders Network
  69. Women in Bio
  70. Women In Innovation
  71. Women in PropTech
  72. Women in Tech by ICON
  73. Women Leaders of Octane
  74. Women Led
  75. Women Presidents’ Organization
  76. Women Tech Founders
  77. Women Who Startup
  78. Women Who Tech
  79. 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. MVMT50
  15. Project Include
  16. Screendoor Partners
  17. The Billion Dollar Fund for Women
  18. The Equity Alliance
  19. Transparent Collective
  20. VC Include
  21. Venture Forward
  22. WLOUNGE
  23. Women.VC

VC Funds Led by Female Partners

Additional funds led by women that do not have a specific diversity mandate.

  1. 11.2 Capital
  2. 1414 Ventures
  3. 1776 Ventures (1776)
  4. 2045 Ventures
  5. A100x
  6. Acrew Capital (The Acrew Team)
  7. Ada Ventures (Ada Ventures)
  8. Agent Capital
  9. Aiim Partners
  10. Alchemus Capital
  11. Aligned Partners
  12. Amateras Capital (PE)
  13. Aspect Ventures (Aspect Ventures)
  14. Astarte Ventures
  15. Audacity Fund
  16. Backend Capital
  17. BackingMinds (BackingMinds)
  18. Benson Capital Partners
  19. Bloomberg Beta
  20. Blossom Capital
  21. Boston Seed
  22. Breakout Ventures
  23. Brilliant Ventures
  24. Cake Ventures
  25. CapitalX
  26. Capital T
  27. Chingona Ventures
  28. Conscience VC
  29. Construct Capital
  30. Converge (Converge)
  31. Cowboy Ventures (Cowboy Ventures)
  32. Dawn Capital
  33. Day One Ventures
  34. DBL Partners
  35. Define Ventures
  36. DigitalDx Ventures
  37. District Ventures Capital
  38. Divergent Capital
  39. Elevate/Elevar Capital by WEPOWER
  40. Energize VC
  41. F7 Ventures
  42. Fika Ventures
  43. Forerunner Ventures (Forerunner Ventures)
  44. FTX Ventures
  45. Ganas Ventures (Lolita Taub)
  46. Glasswing Ventures
  47. H Ventures
  48. Hadean Ventures
  49. Hannah Grey
  50. Human Ventures (Human Ventures)
  51. Hustle Fund
  52. Illuminate Ventures (Cindy Padnos)
  53. Impact America Fund
  54. Impact Engine
  55. Ingressive Capital
  56. Inspired Capital
  57. Katalyst Ventures
  58. Lattice Ventures
  59. Leadout Capital Partners (Leadout Capital Partners)
  60. Longevity Fund
  61. Magnetic Ventures
  62. Mendoza Ventures
  63. Metrodora Ventures
  64. MILA Capital
  65. Moderne Ventures
  66. Moxxie Ventures
  67. Nia Impact Capital
  68. Offline Ventures (Brit Morin)
  69. Operator Collective
  70. Pact VC
  71. Reach Capital (Reach Capital)
  72. Relentless Venture Fund
  73. Renegade Partners
  74. Revaia
  75. RevUp Capital
  76. Rivet Ventures
  77. Rucker Park
  78. Serena Ventures
  79. Spero Ventures (Spero Ventures)
  80. Starvest Partners
  81. SteelSky Ventures
  82. Supernode Ventures (Supernode Ventures)
  83. Supply Change Capital
  84. Teja Ventures
  85. The Venture Collective
  86. TMV
  87. Ulu Ventures
  88. Urban Innovation Fund
  89. Valor Ventures
  90. Wave Capital
  91. Wedbush Ventures
  92. Westlake Village BioPartners
  93. WorkLife Capital (Brianne Kimmel)

Coming soon: Katie Haun’s crypto fund

Diverse Lists of Investors

  1. #womeninVC
  2. 100+ Active Female Investors in Europe
  3. Founders for Change Diverse Investors List
  4. Gender Metrics List
  5. The Fundery
  6. InvestFem
  7. VC Diversity Index
  8. 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. BroadMic
  4. Connecting Founders
  5. Declare
  6. Diversify Tech
  7. EllePod
  8. Elpha (Elpha)
  9. FD Global’s ScaleUP Programs
  10. Female VC Lab
  11. Femstreet
  12. For Colored Girls Who Tech
  13. Hastartuptiot
  14. Impact By Women
  15. Impulse4women
  16. Let’s Get to 51%
  17. Lioness Magazine
  18. Piloting Your Life — a Podcast by Terri Mead
  19. The GUILD (The GUILD)
  20. The Pink Ceiling
  21. Pitch Makeover by Pipeline Angels
  22. The Point 25 Initiative
  23. Scroobious
  24. Startup-Investor Matching Tool
  25. The State of Women (Women INVESTING)
  26. Stride Ventures
  27. Ventureneer (Geri Stengel)
  28. Venturous Counsel
  29. Virago
  30. Wingpact
  31. wiseHer
  32. Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
  33. Women’s Business Development Center
  34. WoVen (Women of Venture)

Data

  1. Project Diane by digitalundivided
  2. Project Sage
  3. State of Women-owned Businesses Report by Amex
  4. US VC Female Founders Dashboard by Pitchbook

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 Festival
  13. 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. MotherCoders
  20. National Center for Women & Information Technology
  21. PowerToFly (PowerToFly)
  22. Queen B
  23. Rails Girls
  24. RailsBridge
  25. She Codes
  26. Skillcrush
  27. Tech Ladies
  28. TechGirlz (TechGirlz)
  29. Venture for America (Venture For America)
  30. Women In Product
  31. Women of Wearables
  32. Women Who Code (Women Who Code)
  33. YSYS

Supporting Women in Crypto / Web3

  1. BFF
  2. FTW.DAO
  3. She256
  4. We3

I’m the Co-founder and Managing Partner @ StageNext and the former 12-year Vice President and Head of Life Sciences at Springboard, a venture catalyst and premier global network of women innovators transforming industries. Follow me at @joshuahenderson or joshuahenderson.com and StageNext at stagenext.vc. If you enjoyed this article, please clap for it.

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Joshua Henderson

1000% committed to helping women innovators transform industries, cure diseases, and build scalable businesses