Standing up to close the venture capital gender gap with StandUp Ventures’ Michelle McBane

CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

Michelle McBane is the Managing Director at Standup Ventures, a seed-stage fund investing in women led Canadian technology startups. On this episode, we discuss where Canadian VC dollars went in 2020, how COVID-19 affected the industry, and how VC funds like StandUp Ventures are leading the way by investing in the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

Solving the gender gap in technology

Although there is immense wealth being generated in the venture backed company sector, recent studies have shown that only 10% of cap table holdings are by women. According to Michelle, diverse teams consistently outperform homogenous teams, and if you have a diverse pool of talent around the table, you're going to attract a variety of different deals that you otherwise may not have.

When it comes to women-led ventures, having good role models and promoting mentorship are key to success

According to Michelle, funders are used to investing in companies where they see themselves, and can relate to the story. Building a company is rife with challenges, some of them specific to female founders, and the value of a prior experience can't be discounted. As Michelle explains, there are a lot more women stepping up to fill the role of mentor within the industry.

In venture capitalism, you are always learning

Whether you’re a serial founder, a funder, or just stepping into the field, according to Michelle, you will learn every day. No day is the same, no deal is the same, and you will get to learn about the makeup and functionality of exciting new businesses every day. It’s a field that promotes constant growth, education, taking risks and embracing the unpredictable.

CIBC Innovation Banking is a trusted financial partner to entrepreneurs and investors. Get in touch with our team at cibc.com/innovationbanking.

This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill.