WEL Atlantic launches second fund to boost investment in Women-Led Businesses
tl;dr
WEL Atlantic's Second Fund: Launched with 50 women investors, raising $250,000 to support women-led businesses in Atlantic Canada. Building on the success of the first fund, which invested $190,000 in four companies.
Leadership and Growth: Managed by Kathryn Lockhart, Laurie McKeigan, Johanna Brown, and Natasha Fletcher, nearly 60% of previous investors continue their involvement.
Aims to empower female entrepreneurs and investors.
The Women's Equity Lab Atlantic Investment Group (WEL Atlantic) is proud to announce the launch of its second fund to continue its mission to support women-led businesses and build the community of female investors. With an impressive growth in Limited Partners (LPs), the Atlantic Investment group's second fund is fully subscribed with 50 women investors.
WEL Atlantic has successfully raised $250,000 to invest in women-led businesses across the Atlantic provinces. This initiative underscores WEL's commitment to creating opportunities for local companies while also cultivating a new generation of women investors.
The first WEL Atlantic fund was a resounding success, with 38 investors contributing to the growth of four women-led companies. The fund, created in 2023, invested a total of $190,000 in Uresta, Aurea Technologies, Hollo Medical and Myomar Molecular.
The managing partners for fund 2, Kathryn Lockhart, Laurie McKeigan, Johanna Brown and Natasha Fletcher, are excited to work with the new group of LPs to invest in women entrepreneurs. "We learned a lot throughout the first fund and are so excited to see so much interest from investors to grow our support for local entrepreneurs. We are also thrilled that nearly 60% of our LPs are continuing from fund 1."
The Atlantic Chapter's launch is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential for meaningful change when diverse voices are included in the investment landscape. By focusing on local companies, the WEL Atlantic Chapter not only aims to drive regional economic development but also to inspire more women to take on investor roles, creating a more inclusive and dynamic business environment.
The group is now open to receiving applications from women-led businesses seeking to raise funds. The fund is sector agnostic and focuses on tech-enabled businesses.
For more information about Women's Equity Lab Atlantic Chapter, investment opportunities, or how to get involved, please visit www.womensequitylab.com or contact the WEL Atlantic team at atlantic@womensequitylab.com.
About Women's Equity Lab
The Women's Equity Lab was first launched in late 2017 in Victoria, BC by 23 founding partners with the support of the National Angel Capital Organization, (NACO), the Capital Investment Network (CIN) and Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt, LLP.
WEL now consists of a powerful community of over 150 women investors from around the world managing a growing portfolio of investments which should reach about 40 company investments by the end of the year. Over 70% of WEL investments are in women-run and women-led businesses. There are funds operating in BC, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia as well as Silicon Valley which also accepts investors outside of North America.
Each group has their own investment thesis and connects closely with the businesses in their region while also making investments across Canada. The groups do not only provide capital to the companies that they invest in but each investment is also backed by a strong network of women who are able to act as advisors, connectors and champions of the investee.
Across regions WEL teams network and share deal flow, education, expertise and resources to support our investees and our communities.
For more information, visit www.womensequitylab.com.
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