2021 was a bitter-sweet year for female founders, who although raised a record amount of $6.4 billion of venture funding in 2021 (up 83% from 2020), still received only 2% of all VC dollars. 

This news serves as a stark reminder of the critical funding gap that remains for female founders, even as VC investment reaches some of its all-time highs (nearly $330 billion in 2021).

The data, however, also revealed some good news, such as that VC firms are noticing and hiring more women for check-writing roles. Pitchbook explained that this will mean that “Bigger headline numbers will likely appear down the road” because of women’s likelihood to reinvest in other women. 

In the climate tech space, the role of female founders and investors is imperative and has the potential to both improve returns and drive social change that results in emission reductions.

In this ongoing series, we aim to highlight the female founders who are both creating the technology needed to address climate change and those helping drive and finance it. These role models inspire us to keep creating and supporting climate innovation and, in doing so, spur on the positive feedback cycle for other climate-focused women!