Last year, women-founded startups in the U.S. secured just 1.9% of venture capital (around $4.5 billion) of the total $238.3 billion allocated, according to the latest data from PitchBook.
“The statistics show that the amount of venture capital going to women is very small,” says serial entrepreneur Pam Marrone. “That’s a major challenge. Women entrepreneurs don’t get their share of venture capital.”
However, despite the disparity and the challenges many women founders face, Pam has been fortunate to secure funding throughout her startup journey. The multi-time founder has raised nearly $300 million from investors. Her second startup, AgraQuest, was acquired by Bayer Crop Science for nearly $500 million. And her third startup, ag-tech company Marrone Bio went public in 2013 and was acquired for $260 million last year.
Now Pam devotes her time to helping other startup founders as an advisor.
In a global keynote for Founders Network on August 17, she will share her tips for attracting startup investors when you don’t fit the mold. Whether you’re a founder from a minority group or a technical founder struggling to establish credibility, Pam will share insights on what investors are looking for.
Her webinar will also cover:
Opening Remarks @ 9:30am PT
Join us for opening remarks with Dina Fattom, Member Success Manager at Founders Network, to get the latest updates from the Network and opportunities for getting involved.
Keynote Speaker @ 9:40am PT
Dr. Pam Marrone spent her 30+ year career focused on biological products for pest management and plant health, having started and led three bioag companies (Entotech, AgraQuest and Marrone Bio Innovations (now called Profarm Group), all of which were sold to larger companies. She is one of only 32 women to have founded a company and taken it public. With co-founder Jim Boyd, the former CFO of Marrone Bio, Pam is launching a fourth company, the Invasive Species Corporation and its corresponding Invasive Species Research Institute, to bring effective, environmentally friendly biological solutions to control destructive invasive species, in water, forestry and agriculture. She is on the board of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, is a Senior Fellow of the Arizona State University Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems and is a past alumni-Trustee of Cornell University. She is Chair of the Board of Elicit Plant and serves on the boards of 180 Life Sciences (NASDAQ:ATNF), Stem Express and Pheronym and advises several agtech/agbio startups, many founded or led by women. Among her many awards, in 2022 she was the first woman to receive the American Chemical Society “Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success.” She has a B.S. in entomology with Honors and Distinction from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in entomology from North Carolina State.
Stage-Based Roundtables @ 10:30am PT
Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! We’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.
About Founders Network:
Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more about us here
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