unlock VC (previously WVC:E)

Earlier this year, the British Business Bank gathered some of the most influential women UK VC for an intimate roundtable discussion about the unique challenges female fund managers face when raising capital. The conversation was candid, insightful, and — most importantly — actionable. Some key takeaways: 🚫 Length of fundraising processes The timeline for raising a fund is long (in most cases at least a year), especially for emerging managers where proposals need to develop over time to be investor ready. Many women simply don’t have the personal runway to sustain themselves through fundraises. ✨ To solve it, LPs need to be transparent about timelines and process + signal earlier that they're committing so others come onboard sooner. 🚫 The GP commit onundrum The expectation for GPs to make significant personal investments in their funds remains a substantial obstacle. For many women who haven’t had the opportunity to build wealth in the same way as their male counterparts, this requirement can be a non-starter. ✨ To solve it, GP commitments could be based on personal wealth rather than a percentage of the fund + we should allow the commitment to be paid in smaller tranches over time. 🚫 Having a family and a fund As one attendee put it “Building a fund is essentially like having another child — without the maternity leave.” When a fund manager takes parental leave, it disproportionately impacts women and reinforces outdated notions about caregiving responsibilities. There is also the struggle of managing a fund and a family. ✨ To solve it, among many things, LPs should encourage portfolio funds to have parental leave policies and return to work processes in place + explore childcare options. To read more in depth, check out our article in the comments.

Last night, we brought together a small group of community members, partners and allies for a wine tasting evening celebrating exceptional wines crafted by female winemakers. It was great to connect with so many people who have been so meaningful in our journey over excellent wine and an absolutely breathtaking sunset. Huge thanks to our incredible hosts at Deloitte (thanks Kariel Parian) and our brilliant partners HSBC Innovation Banking, and Cooley LLP for making the evening possible. We are always up for new and exciting ways to bring together our community - any ideas for our next one?! Let us know!

We’re excited to announce that Deloitte has renewed its partnership with us at unlock VC as a headline partner. Deloitte has supported us since the very beginning. Its continued support fuels our mission to champion women in venture and build a more inclusive ecosystem. Shoutout Kariel Parian, Simon Hitchcock and the entire team. We can't wait to do more with you all this year.

HSBC Innovation Banking in collaboration with Cooley LLP and other law firms have released the 2nd edition of their annual 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 2024 The Guide is based on 426 final term sheets and provides an independent view of ‘market standard’ & negotiating tips. 👀 Top insights 👉Notable % increase in 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝: 14% (21) to 29% (23) of term sheets 👉𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 and 𝐀𝐈 represented 30% of term sheets 👉𝐃𝐄&𝐈 & 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: seen in 11% of term sheets (1% in 21) & 22% of term sheets (16% in 21) respectively You can read & download the full report below👇 https://grp.hsbc/6046ZbF0i Glen Waters Aaron Archer

Congrats to our partner Khepri who are a finalist at the prestigious The Drawdown Awards 🚀 They've been recognised in two categories: 📊 Fund Administration (<$50bn AUM) ⚖️ Compliance & Regulatory Advisor Shout out to Michael Booth Charlene Fletcher 🙌

🔦 Community Spotlight 🔦 Meet Catherine Fletcher — General Partner at SCVC She started her career as a scientist, spending years in academia deeply immersed in research. She says, "While I loved the intellectual challenge, I became increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of impact — spending years working on something only for it to end up in a journal rather than in the real world." She realised she needed to be in a more people-focused role, somewhere I could see tangible results from my work. So she left academia, traveled the world, and became a scuba diving instructor — a role that taught her how to manage risk in real time, communicate complex concepts under pressure, and work with people from every possible background. You can read more about Cath's role into VC in the comments below. 🔦 Throughout March, we're shining a light on the extraordinary women who make up our amazing community. Each profile will showcase the unique journeys, expertise, and perspectives that these accomplished venture capitalists bring to the table.

Looking to get into VC? 👀 Join us this Friday for an online Zoom where we discuss the practical ways to break into the industry. You'll get to hear from investors who have done it recently enough to be able to still remember the nitty gritty. Joining us will be:  - Sarah Hopley, Head of Venture Studio from Crisis, the national charity for people experiencing homelessness in the UK. - Jannat Rajan, tech investor at Forestay Capital, an early-growth stage tech fund and part of B-FLEXION.  Eleanor Kaye, Managing Director at Newton Venture Program. Moderated by our very own Anisah Osman Britton MBE 💃 We will have a 40 minute panel, followed by 20 minutes for Q&A so come prepped with your burning question. Sign up here 👇 https://lu.ma/k6x8jtmi

🔦 Community Spotlight 🔦 Meet Eva-Maria Dimitriadis — Managing Partner at Conduit Connect She ran an accelerator in the US and the Middle East that focused on 'tech for good' startups. This is where she learnt the ropes for early stage investment. You can read more about Eva-Maria in the comments below. 🔦 Throughout March, we're shining a light on the extraordinary women who make up our amazing community. Each profile will showcase the unique journeys, expertise, and perspectives that these accomplished venture capitalists bring to the table.

The launch of Project Europe has been met with a mixed reaction and sparked debate across European tech and VC. The underlying feeling seems to be that we’ve got the opportunity to do things differently to benefit Europe as a whole, not just the same sub-section. But instead of just complaining, how do we turn these responses into meaningful change? Sophie Winwood shared some of her thoughts in Sifted which are worth a read!

🔦 Community Spotlight 🔦 Meet Elina Halatcheva — Managing Partner at BrightCap Ventures. "1. You can't DD everything. Often, what turns a company around is something unpredictable: market changes, personal problems, etc. 2. Big name VCs aren't better investors. They can become complacent - especially, once they have a big hit -and aren't as engaged nor helpful with founders." You can read more about Elina in the comments below. 🔦 Throughout March, we're shining a light on the extraordinary women who make up our amazing community. Each profile will showcase the unique journeys, expertise, and perspectives that these accomplished venture capitalists bring to the table.