Women in VC meeting with the Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva

At 🇪🇺 #EICSummit25, Women in Venture Capital met with Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, to discuss the current state and the future of Venture Capital and diversity in 🇪🇺 Europe.

🔷 Pension funds hold €3,5BN, yet only 0.01% flows into VC - a missed opportunity that could bridge funding gaps for scale-ups, and increase Europe's innovation & competitiveness

🔷 Women-led funds remain underfunded, managing only 9% of total VC assets, despite evidence that gender-diverse teams can boost median IRR by up to 9.3%

🔷 Institutional LPs and National Fund of Funds control €1BN-1.5BN, yet the lack of private Fund of Funds creates a major funding gap in Europe.

🔷 Europe needs to rethink its LP strategies, including creation of new privately managed Fund of Funds, ensuring dedicated allocations for balanced VC funds to drive long-term economic returns.

The solution is clear: We need to unlock European Pension Fund Investments into Fund of Funds and Venture Capital. We can build a strong and healthy tech supported economy by matching the right funding vehicles within Europe! It was a privilege to be part of this conversation. Thank you to the speakers for sharing valuable regional insights, and to all the participants for contributing to this important dialogue.