Our founder, Grace Ubawuchi, speaking on the panel for the launch of Channel 4’s new initiative Untapped. Untapped is a great commercial initiative to level the playing field for underrepresented founders. Be sure to visit their website for more information. www.channel4ventures.com/ https://lnkd.in/eTjWHPPm
Today is an important day, as Channel 4 has just launched Untapped, an incredible initiative to invest in underrepresented founders. This initiative resonates deeply with me as a founder who has experienced the challenges of fundraising first-hand. I am immensely proud to witness the dedication and commitment shown by the Channel 4 Ventures team in addressing the inequalities within the investment space. Why is this initiative so crucial? Take a look at the stats: - Despite men representing only 41% of all UK graduates, a staggering 94% of founders are men. - Founders are 51 times more likely to have graduated from prestigious institutions like Oxbridge or their US equivalents than graduates from universities outside the top 100 globally. - Furthermore, 67% of founders either have previous entrepreneurial experience or come from within the traditional startup and investor ecosystem. These stats are not shocking or a secret to those in the startup/investment ecosystem. By addressing these disparities head-on by embedding these insights into their decision-making, Channel 4 Ventures aims to level the playing field. This initiative marks the first step in the right direction towards a more inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial landscape. Thank you Vinay, Dan and the Channel 4 Ventures team, for inviting me to the panel yesterday to kick-start this new initiative. I can't wait to see this come to life! Check out the incredible team at Channel 4 Ventures if you are interested in finding out more. www.channel4ventures.com/ https://lnkd.in/e5hpx6Ez