GENDEX: November recap 🤩
Hi friends,
At the risk of sounding like a broken record... November at GENDEX was packed!
We closed out conference season at Web Summit, where Martina and I shared our latest data insights with a twist—a game of 3 Truths and 2 Lies. (Think you can guess? More below.)
We also finalised our initial research and packed it into a new brochure with insights into the GENDEX index and what’s next.
Next up? Our first Venture Leadership Circle on December 5th, where our investor allies will collaborate with us to shape GENDEX Pulse (launching in January) and gain early access to the tool. 🤩
Thanks for joining us on this journey. ✨
— Sophie Webber, Communications Lead at Founderland for GENDEX
3 Truths and 2 Lies: What our Data Revealed 🕵🏼♀️
At Web Summit, we unveiled our data with a twist: a game of 3 Truths and 2 Lies:
1️⃣ Women develop more IPs independently.
2️⃣ Women have the same perception of their own skills as men when it comes to starting their own business.
3️⃣ Women represent less than one-third of STEM undergraduates.
4️⃣ Women are a minority at the board level in deep tech startups and scale-ups.
5️⃣ Women founders receive their first term sheet faster than men.
The Truths – 1, 4, and 5
Women develop more IPs independently (29% vs. 18%)—but often due to limited institutional support.
Women are a minority at the board level—only 5% of deep tech board seats are held by women, underscoring the need for diversity clauses in term sheets.
Women founders take longer to receive first term sheets—and raise significantly less (€500k vs. €2M for men at first round).
The lies reveal critical gaps 🔎:
While women make up 42% of STEM undergraduates, they hold only 31% of roles in top tech companies.
Confidence disparities persist—76% of women vs. 89% of men feel confident in their technical skills.
We didn’t just share the data—we shared solutions 💁🏾♀️:
📊 Track diversity in talent pipelines.
💰 Support women-led startups at early stages.
📝 Reduce pitch biases with structured evaluations.
💼 Mandate DEI governance at the board level.
✨ Enter GENDEX Venture Leadership Circle ✨
On Thursday we’re looking forward to hosting an exclusive gathering of investor friends to shape the future of diversity benchmarking in venture capital.
At its core is GENDEX Pulse—our soon-to-launch tool for the deep tech ecosystem, measuring portfolio performance against actionable diversity benchmarks.
This invite-only event offers:
💡Collaboration on building the GENDEX index.
🔎 Early access to insights and feedback opportunities.
🌟 A chance to lead as launch partners, backing diversity in VC.
While spots are filled, we’re extending invitations to select deep tech investors. 📩 Interested? RSVP below.
Reads 📚
📖 £250 Million Raised. The Invest in Women Taskforce marks a historic milestone with launch of fund for women founders in the UK.
📖 Why diversity in leadership is the secret to unlocking your company’s potential. Angeley Mullins shares how inclusive executive cultures drive innovation and resilience.
📖 Why Aren’t There More Women Investors? Despite progress, structural barriers and biases still hold women back in VC.
📖 How can organisations champion DEI under a second Trump presidency? HBR breaks down three strategies to navigate an increasingly hostile political climate.
📖 2024’s Must-Know DEI Stats. From the “fatherhood bonus” to the untapped potential of women-led businesses, here’s what every leader should know.
📖 Top 5 Diversity Trends in 2024. From intersectionality to AI fairness, here’s what’s reshaping DEI—and setting the stage for 2025.
📖 What does the GENDEX Index measure? Explore the four tiers of our framework driving diversity benchmarks across European tech.