Tickets are still available for a London event advocating for diversity and inclusion in the fundraising landscape.
The fifth anniversary of the Funding Focus Annual Conference is being held on Monday, November 25 in central London. Running from 1pm to 6pm, the free event will include inspiring keynotes from pioneering entrepreneurs and influential investors who are driving change and making a difference.
Funding Focus is a social enterprise which fights for fairer funding in investment for women and other under-represented entrepreneurs. It was started in 2019 by David B Horne after he was shocked by how little money invested by venture capital firms actually went to female founders.
David, the author of Funded Female Founders, said: “The event will be a great opportunity to connect with industry leaders, gain valuable insights into the future of funding and celebrate five years of fostering diversity and fairness in the fundraising landscape. We will be sharing the success stories by highlighting the achievements of trailblazers who have successfully navigated the funding landscape and paved the way for others.
“There will also be unparalleled networking opportunities so those who attend can connect with like-minded professionals, potential partners, and mentors who share their passion for inclusivity and innovation.”
Fundraising and finance expert David, who is also the founder of Add Then Multiply, a consultancy which helps business founders to grow fast, first started looking into inequality in fundraising after he was approached after speaking at an event. A woman asked him why female entrepreneurs were given so little funding and David told her that he didn’t know the answer but would look into it.
When David began researching the issue, he was shocked by what he found. A study showed that of all the money invested by UK venture capital firms in 2017, less than one per cent went to all female founding teams with all male teams receiving more than 89 per cent of the funding.
But he also found the issue went far deeper than simply gender. He said: “It’s not actually a question of men versus women, it’s actually white guys versus everyone else. Men from other ethnicities face a very similar uneven playing field.”
Funding Focus is a community dedicated to making a tangible impact on the world of entrepreneurship and funding. People wanting to find out more about its work and register for a ticket to the annual conference can visit the website here.