WEL Silicon Valley

Joanne Fedeyko
GP, WEL Silicon Valley

Leila Yari
GP, WEL Silicon Valley

We are bridging the gender gap

There are not nearly enough female investors in early stage businesses.

About WEL SV

Silicon Valley houses some of our world's most innovative companies. We strive to bring more female investors to the table to invest in innovative companies while simultaneously supporting female and LGBTQ+ startup executives. Our investment thesis is to have 70% of investment dollars go towards female and GNB-led startups to address the gender gap.

Collective Investing & Experiential Learning

WEL Silicon Valley strives to create a comfortable, non-intimidating environment to learn about early-stage startup investing and get access to high-quality deal flow while allowing members to expand their network to find investment partners for years to come.

FAQ

What is your investment thesis?

At least 70% of our investments will be in companies with a female founder or have a woman on the executive team. We aim for investments that have a 5-7 year time horizon. Sector and geographic agnostic. Our focus first is return on investment and we will prioritize those with a societal impact. We will evaluate every deal and make investments based on our collective experience and our capacity to support the startup on their path to growth.

The investment thesis will be developed at the start of each new fund in order to take into account the values and expertise of the Limited Partners.

How will the funds be managed?

How much is required to invest?

How many investors will be part of the fund?

Why is the Equity Lab just for women?

Women are underrepresented as angel investors and Women’s Equity Lab created this initiative to address this issue. Having more women involved in investing (Wanczyk, A, 2017) is beneficial because:

Women investors are more likely to fund women-led businesses and female entrepreneurs are more likely to achieve a successful exit if their investors include women.
Adding women investors to the industry provides more cash to the start-up ecosystem and imparts the community with new skills, contacts, and experiences to help grow successful companies.
More women involved in company ownership and on boards translates into more effective corporate decision-making and outcomes.

Become an Investor

Learn by doing & build a portfolio at the same time

WEL Silicon Valley provides a collaborative and fun environment for women to experiment with investing in early stage ventures with a small amount of risk capital. Here you’ll gain access to innovative companies, learn the ins and outs of investing, build your network of likeminded successful women, and create an investment portfolio of one or more companies. As a woman angel investor – you will be a leader and change-maker, inspiring other women to join the movement.

JOIN US

Apply for Funding

Get support from WEL Silicon Valley

If your company is early stage and based in the Silicon Valley area then WEL Silicon Valley might be the right source for funding. Even though we might not take the entire round, our relationships and affiliations with high net worth individuals and other WEL funds and angel groups can potentially help you raise further funding.

APPLY NOW