Invest in the World you Want to Live In
The51 Venture Funds invests from pre-seed to Series A in women-led ventures poised to scale. We focus on high-performing, undercapitalized businesses in sectors where innovation meets real-world demand, technology, health, sustainability, and finance. These are the companies shaping tomorrow’s industries. Our strategy is disciplined and selective, backed by deep networks and market expertise that deliver long-term value.
OUR STRATEGY
Backing Bold Ventures, Built to Scale
Our strategy is built on the belief that real innovation, when paired with the right capital and ecosystem, delivers lasting performance. We back companies with strong fundamentals and clear market demand, aligned with long-term economic shifts, including the growing influence of women as consumers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
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We back companies positioned in sectors where innovation is meeting real demand, ensuring our investments align with proven market opportunity and growth potential.
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Our investments go beyond funding. We activate both capital and community, offering founders access to expertise, networks, and distribution that accelerate growth from day one.
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Our portfolio is built around innovation with the potential to scale across industries and markets, prioritizing ventures with the right mix of leadership, traction, and market fit.
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Our LPs bring more than capital. They become customers, partners, and champions of innovation, unlocking new markets and strengthening commercialization.
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The51 is more than a fund, it’s a financial ecosystem. Our 45,000+ community creates unmatched network effects, fueling portfolio success across fundraising, growth, and exits.
The Untapped Asset Class in Venture,
Women.
of the population is women
of all Canadian wealth will be controlled by women by 2030
Companies with at least one female founder performed
better than all-male founding teams
Womed-led VC firms are 3X more likely to fund women-led startups
Yet
of venture capital is still allocated elsewhere
A capital inefficiency that represents one of the largest untapped market opportunities.
INVEST IN THE MOST OVERLOOKED OPPORTUNITY IN VENTURE
The51 Fund III
Fund III is The51’s newest fund, built to unlock the full potential of women-led innovation. By investing in high-growth, women-led ventures, Fund III turns untapped potential into scalable companies shaping the future economy.
Our Venture Funds
PROVEN PERFORMANCE
01
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Launched in 2020, Fund I marked a pivotal moment for The51, unifying a capital community with over 90% women investors, one-third of whom were first-time venture participants, and deploying that capital into a diverse portfolio of women-led ventures. The companies backed through Fund I have gone on to secure follow-on raises, expand into new markets, and demonstrate the market strength of women-led innovation across industries.
02
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Fund II remains actively investing in high-potential ventures across technology, health, and sustainability. With disciplined capital deployment and the support of our growing network, Fund II is already driving measurable growth, attracting significant follow-on investment, and positioning portfolio companies for scale. Get funded.
03
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Alongside our flagship funds, the Food & AgTech Fund directs capital toward one of the most urgent and opportunity-rich sectors: sustainable food systems and agricultural innovation. Managed by NYA Ventures, and a dedicated investment team, The51 Co-Founders Shelley Kuipers and Judy Fairburn contribute as General Partners. This fund invests in ventures transforming how we grow, distribute, and sustain food.
Value for Every Type of Investor
Across every type of investor, the thesis is the same: women-led ventures represent one of the most strategic opportunities in private markets today.
Institutional LPs
With structured governance, transparent reporting, and a focus on scalable companies, our platform aligns with institutional mandates for both financial performance and inclusive innovation.
Family Offices
We provide curated access to high-quality ventures, opportunities for flexible participation, and alignment with values that matter across generations: capital efficiency, legacy, and impact.
Foundations
Funds offer a disciplined approach that combines financial sustainability with systemic outcomes, ensuring capital not only advances equity and inclusion but also sustains future philanthropic goals.
Individuals
Through our community-powered platform, investors access private markets with confidence, participating in investment opportunities that diversify portfolios while reflecting their values and long-term ambitions.
We invest with conviction, guided by core beliefs that shape every decision.
Our Investment Philosophy.
Our Investment Philosophy.
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Returns and systemic progress are not opposites. They reinforce each other, creating long-term value for investors, companies, and economies.
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Backing women-led ventures unlocks an overlooked, high-performance segment of the market with growing economic influence.
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We target scalable, technology-enabled businesses with clear market validation, defensible positioning, and strong fundamentals.
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Founders who are coachable, commercially disciplined, and operationally prepared to scale responsibly are at the center of our thesis.
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Our edge lies in pairing financial capital with human capital, networks, expertise, and customer access that amplify growth.
We want to hear from you.
Building Boldly?
Where Education Meets Investment
Movement51 is The51’s independent nonprofit partner, preparing women founders and investors for venture readiness through education, insight, and national programming.
For founders, this means access to the tools, knowledge, and networks to be investment ready. For investors, this means a pathway to build confidence in early-stage investing, learning the fundamentals, gaining exposure to women-led deal flow, and stepping into capital leadership with clarity.