Founder of Asia’s largest female investor collective says women must find the courage to invest.

A scarcity of female investors is thought to hamper VC investment into female-owned businesses. Speaking in The Pearl Lam Podcast, Maaike Doyer says that women must “stop analysis paralysis” and find the courage to invest.

Singapore – March 18, 2024 —

A scarcity of female investors is thought to hamper VC investment into female-owned businesses. Speaking to Pearl Lam in The Pearl Lam Podcast, Maaike Doyer, founder of the largest female-only investor collective in Asia, Epic Engels, says that women must “stop analysis paralysis” and find the courage to invest.

The World Economic Forum says that expanding female-led VC communities is vital to funnel more VC funding into female-founded companies. Maaike Doyer describes the journey that many women often take to becoming VCs and reflects on the importance of having the courage to get started. She says:

“The courage to invest, it’s a big thing. I have these ladies; they easily earn half a million dollars a year. And our investments start at only $2,500. I literally tell them, the handbag you just bought last week was more expensive.” 

Female founded start-ups in the USA raised only 1.9% of all VC funds in 2022; and in Southeast Asia, start-ups founded solely by women accounted for only 0.6% of capital invested in the region in 2021. Female-led firms whose first round of funding was raised from female VC partners are two times less likely to raise a second round than those whose first round included a male VC partner.

Considering how women can build courage to invest, Maaike says:

“Stop analysis paralysis and start moving with tiny baby steps. Start small and from there you can grow. But start. That’s the most important thing.”

Gallerist and podcast host Pearl Lam agrees, saying:

“If you take risks, you learn. If you fail, it’s never bad, because you learn from your experience”, adding “Why can’t women lead? Why can’t we be the dominant species?”.

Maaike Doyer is the founder of Epic Engels, the largest female-only angel investor network in the Asia Pacific region. Rejecting traditional feminist labels, she views women as change-makers rather than victims in need of special treatment. With a rich multicultural background and experiences spanning the US, Singapore and the Netherlands, Maaike is dedicated to using her expertise to make change across the globe.

Pearl Lam is a leading authority on the global contemporary art market with over 20 years of experience at the forefront of reimagining China’s cultural place in the world. Her eponymous galleries in Hong Kong and Shanghai are recognized worldwide for their intellectual ambition and influence. 

References:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/12/how-we-can-close-the-venture-capital-gender-gap/

Women-founded startups raised 1.9% of all VC funds in 2022, a drop from 2021

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Women-s-Wealth/From-Singapore-to-Silicon-Valley-female-founders-fight-for-funds

https://hbr.org/2023/02/for-female-founders-only-fundraising-from-female-vcs-comes-at-a-cost

Contact Info:
Name: Luke Severn
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Pearl Lam Podcast
Website: https://www.youtube.com/@Pearl-Lam

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wZbhpTowWg

Release ID: 89124587

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