Our Why
In 2016, The Helm identified a unique pocket of value in an increasingly crowded venture capital landscape: the structural and systemic undervaluing of female-founded companies. Of the $58.8 billion dollars invested in U.S.-based companies the year before, only 7 percent of funding went to white female entrepreneurs (for women of color, it was 0.2 percent). In 2017, funding for female founders dropped to and remains around 2 percent.
Despite this, studies have shown that women continue to outperform their male counterparts. We saw this as an opportunity to realize significant social and financial returns. We responded by raising our first fund and building an ambitious platform to invest in and support female-founded companies. The results have been tremendous. With the launch of Fund II, investors can benefit from the same arbitrage opportunity.
Fund II
The Helm is a generalist seed-stage fund investing in companies with at least one female founder. We are investing in founders who take a broad view of the needs of the world, and are using technology to create novel, enduring solutions to difficult problems. For more information, please see our FAQ. To view our portfolio, please click here.
If you are interested in investing in Fund II ($25 million) please fill out the form below so that we can get to know more about you and your investment goals. You will receive our weekly newsletter, bringing you the latest in news and content from The Helm. We look forward to being in touch soon.