The Valhalla Approach to Gender Equality in Angel Investing

Emmet McGonagle

Jun 17, 2022

According to data from the Angel Capital Association, women make up just a fifth (22%) of America’s angel investors, with this figure dropping to just 14% of angel investors in the UK and 5% in France.


Likewise, a 2020 report carried out by Women in VC - the world's largest community for female investors - found that only 4.9% of the US’ venture capitalist partners are female (with Latinx and black female investors each making up 0.2% of this figure, respectively); while Crunchbase data from the same year found that only 2.3% of funding went to women-led startups, a drop from to 2.8% the year prior.


Gender disparity has also had a wider impact on the mental health of female angel investors. A 2019 study by the
Canadian Mental Health Association revealed that female entrepreneurs with startups in the growth or early stages (alongside those with fewer employees or less revenue) are more likely to report mental health issues than their male counterparts.


However, Valhalla Private Capital welcomes every opportunity to highlight our unapologetically Canadian approach to unlocking capital for female entrepreneurs through global affairs, instead of working through other donor organizations. 


Since Valhalla’s inception in 2014, we have taken steps to champion female investors and entrepreneurs across North America and further afield.


As well as training and advising the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs - one of Canada's most prominent programs which prepares female founders for financing - Valhalla Private Capital has mentored 600 women-led businesses on their investment readiness process, assisting female founders in raising an estimated USD$1.5m along the way. An estimated 36% of the approximately 1,100 entrepreneurs who have attended Valhalla fundraising workshops are female founders.


We continue to coach female entrepreneurs on growth strategies, as part of Vietnam’s Women's Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship, and in Pakistan we are currently offering coaching support as part of the World Bank's WeRaise program, which supports 12 female Pakistani entrepreneurs as they endeavour to raise outside capital. 


Lastly, Valhalla Private Capital has made a formal commitment to Beyond the Billion - an organization dedicated to unlocking capital to women entrepreneurs - to provide $20 million in funding to female founders.


Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page.


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More than half of workers believe that disclosing worker compensation details on job postings will lead to better equality in pay, according to the latest iteration of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index . The index - which is based on a survey of 3,302 members in Canada between June and September 2023 - found that 52% of people asked felt that people sharing their pay information (including salary and bonus) would improve workplace equality, compared to 48% in 2022. This number varies between different generations, with younger Canadians more likely to express support for pay transparency (73%), followed by 69% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X and 44% of Baby Boomers. However, 37% of those surveyed remarked that they felt anxious about sharing their pay information - a 2% rise from the year prior. Likewise, just under half (49%) said they felt well compensated for the work they do while 74% expressed that the pay gap between CEOs and employees had become too wide. The people of LinkedIn have come out in their dozens to give their two cents on the topic, with Adrienne Tom , executive resume writer for executives, saying: “ I'm all for salary transparency, so long as the number is clear and legit. Some postings list salary ranges so wide that the actual salary number isn't entirely clear, leaving job seekers confused.” “If you have a manager who is not advocating for the pay gap, you are working for the wrong manager,” remarked career strategist Sweta Regmi , while noting that women in Ontario earn an average of $0.87 for every dollar earned by men. On the topic, she added: “Salary ranges with job postings can help close the gender pay gap while allowing companies to find qualified candidates more quickly.” Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page .
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