- Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) and Wilson Sonsini partner with Proud Ventures for its next phase of growth
- Proud Ventures to host largest summit for LGBTQ+ founders and investors in the UK
- Over 150 founders and investors expected at the two-day summit in London to democratise insights from experienced LGBTQ+ operators and connect LGBTQ+ founders with top investors.
- Follows from Proud Ventures’ first-of-its-kind research in 2023 that showed 75% of LGBTQ+ founders reported concealing their identity at points from investors
- Tickets are now available at https://www.proud-ventures.com/summit
04 October 2023, LONDON: Proud Ventures, the UK’s leading community of LGBTQ+ VCs and angel Investors, today announced new backing from global bank and wealth manager Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) and Silicon Valley-headquartered law firm Wilson Sonsini to support its mission of empowering LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
The new sponsors will back Proud Ventures' upcoming summit on November 7-8th, set to be the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ founders and investors in the UK tech ecosystem for the first time. Over 150 attendees are expected at the two-day summit to be held in London, featuring masterclasses from expert LGBTQ+ investors and operators, a startup pitch event and extensive networking.
Proud Ventures' report earlier this year revealed 75% of LGBTQ+ founders conceal their identity, resulting in poorer mental health and fundraising difficulties. The Summit is aimed at taking steps towards solving this problem by providing a place for the LGBTQ+ tech community to come together and share challenges and solutions to problems they face.
Commenting on the sponsorship, Iain Clark, Head of Marketing at Investec Wealth & Investment, said: "I'm thrilled for Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) to be the lead sponsor of Proud Ventures for this coming year. The Summit will empower founders to bring their true identities to work and, in so doing, help to drive real change in startup culture. We're fully committed to breaking down barriers for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and look forward to building on the connection we already have with this community."
“Wilson Sonsini is proud to sponsor Proud Ventures to help to drive change for LGBTQ+ founders. Identity should never inhibit innovation. We strongly support this community and believe diversity of background is critical for a thriving startup ecosystem. By connecting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with top investors, we hope to unlock new opportunities and partnerships for founders to succeed on their own terms,” said Daniel Glazer, Managing Partner of Wilson Sonsini's London office.
The summit will feature talks and masterclasses from leading LGBTQ+ founders and investors including multi-exited founders who’ve raised £100ms and veteran VCs who over 15 years have had multiple IPOs and £Bn exits in their portfolios.
12 pre-seed and seed-stage startups will pitch to top-tier VC funds in attendance, with some VCs confirmed attending including Playfair Capital, Earlybird Venture Capital, Frontline, Octopus Ventures and more.
Tickets are now available. LGBTQ+ founders are encouraged to apply for limited spots at the summit and pitching event at https://www.proud-ventures.com/summit.
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