A number of reports have highlighted the Southeast as a good place for high-potential female entrepreneurs
A number of reports have highlighted the Southeast as a good place for high-potential female entrepreneurs, thanks to its proximity to high-quality tech education, talent, support organizations, and mentorship.
What’s less discussed is the other side of the equation: the state of the region’s female investor population.
The two topics are intertwined. One of the biggest challenges faced by female entrepreneurs not just in the Southeast, but across the country, is access to capital.
Nationwide, women make up only 9 percent of partners at venture capital funds over $25 million, and fewer female investors has been shown to result in fewer women-led ventures being funded. A study by The Wharton School describes the VC industry as being ruled by the homophily principle, which basically means that birds of a feather flock together. Male investors most often fund male entrepreneurs.
“Women are underrepresented across all aspects of entrepreneurship — as investors, as incubators and as entrepreneurs themselves. And we know that a vibrant business community must include men and women,” says Kim Seals, a partner at The JumpFund, an early-stage venture fund based in Chattanooga.
www.venturebeat.com
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