“The percentage of US adults who identify as LGBTQ+ has doubled in the last decade—from 3.5% in 2012 to 7.1% in 2022. And Gallup predicts the possibility that that percentage may exceed 10% in the near future. Despite this, LA-based VC firm Backstage Capital estimates that LGBTQ+ founders still receive less than 1% of VC funding—a stagnant and staggeringly low figure.
Our 2023 list of LGBTQ+ founders, investors, technologists, and innovators represents a small fraction of the trailblazing pros who are at work in the capital markets, creating space for themselves and others—in an environment that has long lacked diverse voices and perspectives. Updated and expanded from last year, 2023’s edition features 47 founders and investors, including some familiar faces and some newer names. We’ve included links to each person’s most-used social profile(s), and, wherever possible, we’ve linked to PitchBook profile previews of the companies and firms each person is associated with.”
