DVC Digest: October Focus + Enhancing Inclusive Due Diligence
Hello DVC Community,
As October unfolds and the pace of the year accelerates, we turn our focus to the cornerstone of smart investing: due diligence. This month, we invite our readers to explore the meticulous process that ensures sound investments, combining financial scrutiny with a growing need for inclusivity. As the industry evolves, so too must our approach to assessing opportunities, making room for diverse founders and innovative ideas that will shape the future of venture capital. Let’s delve into how we can make due diligence more inclusive.
This month’s newsletter includes:
Top 3 tips for VCs to Make Due Diligence More Inclusive
Diversity VC in Wild - where were we last month?
Mentor up & coming VCs from diverse backgrounds!
Job Alert: Part-Time Marketing Operations Intern at Diversity VC
What we’re reading/listening to
Read time: Approximately 6 minutes
Diversity VC membership can help your fund measure and improve its DEI efforts, while working towards an internationally recognised certification with the Diversity VC Standard.
As we continue our exploration of best practices in venture capital, this month’s focus shifts to due diligence. Building on last month’s tips for sourcing deals, we now highlight essential strategies for making the due diligence process more inclusive. By standardising evaluation criteria, embracing inclusive communication, and providing equitable feedback, VCs can ensure all founders are given fair consideration. These steps not only enhance investment decisions, but also foster a more diverse and vibrant entrepreneurial landscape. Let’s dive into our top three tips!
Standardise Evaluation Criteria: Use clear and consistent assessment rubrics to reduce unconscious bias and ensure all founders are fairly considered throughout the process.
Inclusive Communication: Actively convey your commitment to diversity in your marketing and founder interactions, building trust and attracting underrepresented founders.
Equitable Feedback: Provide detailed, constructive feedback to founders, helping them improve and fostering a more inclusive investment landscape.
By embedding DEI practices at every stage, you can significantly enhance the inclusivity and impact of your investments. For more advice, tips, and case studies on building an inclusive deal flow, download the Diversity VC Founders’ Engagement Deal Flow & Portfolio Guidance Toolkit.
Looking for more personalised strategy and to benchmark your fund’s DEI practices to your peers? Become a Diversity VC member!
🌎 Diversity VC in the Wild:
Scottish Enterprise x Diversity VC: We co-hosted the Diversity in the Scottish Investment Ecosystem event. [picture 1]
Venture ESG FRAME: We reconnected with our investor friends and learned about best practices in the ESG space! 🤝 [pictures 2 & 3]
UK Diversity Data Alliance: We hosted our second meeting, bringing together key players from the UK ecosystem to draft our first white paper draft. [picture 4]
LocalGlobe’s Blackout Tuesday #18: We watched and listened to venture-backed Black founders and their journey from Seed to Series A and beyond. [picture 5]
Tech Connect: Attended by investors and top scaling companies from the Netherlands, hosted by TechLeap! 🚀 [picture 6]
If you have upcoming events or would like to discuss partnerships or collaboration opportunities that would benefit the Diversity VC community in Europe, the US, or Latin America, please email abi@diversity.vc.
💼 Support Diversity VC's New Career Development Programme!
We are kicking off a new programme designed for mid-career VC professionals to prepare them for senior positions at funds, and specifically for the responsibilities of a Partner. The programme is free to participants, and will run over the course of ~6 months from late 2024 to mid-2025.
We have three asks for the community: become a Mentor, teach a class, or host a live session!
Mentor: Mentors will meet with their paired candidate 1-2 times per month over the course of the programme. You can see our mentorship guidelines here. We are specifically looking for Partner-level mentors for these candidates. Fill out our interest form here if you can help.
Teach a class: Our curriculum (with approximate dates) is available to view here. We are looking for speakers to come in to share their experiences and insight in a variety of formats, including speaker panels, case studies, and presentations. Once again, we are primarily looking for Partners to share their insights, as well as LPs with experience investing into funds. If you'd like to sign up to teach, let us know here.
Host a live session: we will be hosting a handful of live sessions for the cohort in London, San Francisco, and New York. If you are open to hosting us for an evening, please let us know here and we can coordinate the timing to best suit your availability.
👋 Come Work with Us: Part-Time Marketing Operations Intern
Are you passionate about diversity in venture capital? Join us as a Part-Time Marketing Operations Intern at Diversity VC! Work closely with our team to drive DEI-focused marketing strategies and gain hands-on experience in the VC ecosystem.
If you're detail-oriented, love social media, and want to make a real impact in DEI, we want to hear from you!
💼 Part-time | Remote | £16-20/hour (based on experience)
🔗 Job description
✉️ Apply here
🗓️ Deadline to apply: Mon, 28 Oct 11:59pm GMT
📚 What we’re reading + listening to:
“Investing in Women: The Untold Stories of Mothers in VC” report on maternity leave in VC by WVC:E
In defence of 'Woke Capitalism': DEI schemes are there to improve businesses and equality. What are the opponents of 'woke capitalism' so afraid of, asks Eleanor Kaye, Managing Director of Newtown Venture Program.
Comedian John Mulaney roasts SF techies at Dreamforce "Let me get this straight," he said. "You're hosting a 'future of AI' event in a city that has failed humanity so miserably?"
Headline raises $865m growth fund — and is eyeing defence and pharma startups. The US- and Berlin-based VC plans to invest half of the fund in Europe.
Are ESG and DEI dead? Pitchbook’s fifth annual Sustainable Investment Survey shows that practitioners are leaning into their investment approaches in new and innovative ways.
How the VC investment landscape has shifted during the past 12-18 months, by Christina Caljé.
Kapor Capital’s 2024 impact report, including a feature on why they decided to become Diversity VC members.
Gang leader turned venture capital investor, Karl Lokko, on how he turned his back on crime and founded Black Seed VC, investing in Black-led Startups.
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