Male entrepreneurs are the beneficiaries of the overwhelming majority of venture capital investments. But are their ideas really better investment opportunities for VCs than those pitched by women?
VC Stereotypes About Men and Women Aren’t Supported by Performance Data
A study of Swedish startups.
March 15, 2018
Daniel Haskett/Getty Images
Summary.
Studies show that female founders experience significant bias when it comes to receiving VC funding. To better understand this pervasive trend, the authors conducted a two-part study exploring the stereotypes around male and female entrepreneurs. They found that despite widespread assumptions that men make for better leaders, venture performance data shows that these myths are simply untrue. Ultimately, the authors suggest that VCs must work to overcome the biases that keep them from investing in female leaders, reevaluate how they discuss potential investment opportunities, and rethink how they distribute funds.