We recently concluded our first ever on-ground Expressoat Arakuin Bengaluru, where we hosted an investor round table with key names from the ecosystem who discussed the hurdles female founders faced while scaling up and whether gender affects funding.

The platform gave female founders a holistic 360 view of what investors are looking for, giving them an opportunity to share their POV and raise questions as well, bringing together a free trade of ideas, thoughts and strategies in a power packed consortium.

 Investors:

Amrita Barthakur- Partner & COO, Saama Capital

Anjali Singh- MD at Deutsche Bank, Head – India Operations, Deutsche India; National President-WICCI Banking Council

AyushChamaria- Associate Vice President, Matrix Partners India 

Garima Sharma- Investor, Saama Capital

ManjotPahwa-  Vice President, Lightspeed

Shalini Prakash- Founder Purple Matter, Author Clueless at 30

SwaytaMurarka: Senior Director, Global Banking Head at HSBC GSCs, Lead – Funding Arm WICCI Banking Council 

Moderator:

Aneesha Gaba – Director – Programming & Content, LWL

Here are the 5 key takeaways from the event: 

1. Bridging the Gap:

It was a unanimous thought that the gender bias truly existed, even in modern day times – at work, leadership positions, in the driver’s seat and in people’s minds in general. However, the key is in having female angel investors to bridge the gap which will help nurture, mentor and support more female founders.

2. Network Up:

Women need to focus on networking to build connections to scale-up their businesses. Women founders need a safe space to be able to express their ideas and become confident (if they are not already). More interaction and visibility among other successful female founders will certainly help in building a community of support and advisory.

3. Passion is the Play:

While there is hardwork, accurate numbers, feasibility, scalability and all the correct strategies in place, passion is a critical part of your business, which needs to be showcased to investors. The keenness and desire must come through from the entrepreneur to extend a feeling of ownership and commitment.

4. Diligence is Due:

Do your due diligence when looking for an investor. Talk to founders they have supported, especially female founders and see what their experience has been like. Investors who asked unnecessary questions which lend to a gender bias should be red flagged immediately. The conversation must be strictly business, and not gender related.

5. Investor Return:

How much should your give investors? There is no right answer but anywhere in the double digits ie10% -20 % is the usual ask. Investors invest more than just their money into your business – they are also involved. The level of involvement depends on the founder and the needs of the company. Be specific in the role of your investor, which will ultimately determine the asking return.

A sharing room of know-how, feasibility and experience made for a zippy first ever EXPRESSO in Bengaluru–complete with conversation and ideation.

An eye on how to dream big and what to look out for.