●      Included VC is a 9 month Fellowship that enables individuals from backgrounds that are underrepresented in VC to access a comprehensive curriculum, a network of mentors, and opportunities to find investment roles within the industry.

●      Fellows from previous Included VC cohorts, who were actively looking for roles in VC, are now in VC investment roles at firms including Octopus Ventures, Atomico, M12, KAYA VC and Founders Factory.

●      Today, Included VC announces its third Fellowship cohort, including 75 fellows from 40 countries around the world; 51% of whom are female, 24% Black, 28% Asian, and 20% are from the LGBTQIA+ community.

●      Included VC is supported by a consortium of 13 VC partners, including new member HV Capital, and long-term supporters Notion Capital, Mangrove Capital Partners, Creandum, M12 - Microsoft’s Venture Fund, Seedcamp, EIF, WSGR, K Fund, Daphni, KAYA VC, HSBC Ventures, and Mouro Capital.

●      Included VC also announces ‘Included VC X’, a summit run with key community partners such as Black Valley, The LMF Network and W Lounge to extend on Included VC’s mission to create credible pathways for people from diverse backgrounds to enter the VC industry.

Included VC -- a nine month, fully-funded global venture capital Fellowship that enables individuals from backgrounds that are underrepresented in VC to find investment roles in the industry -- has launched its third Fellowship.

The latest cohort includes 75 fellows from 40 countries around the world, who range from 21 to 42 in age; 51% of whom self-identify as female, 24% Black, 28% Asian, 9% have a disability, and 20% are from the LGBTQIA+ community.

The 13 funds taking part include the established participants, newcomer HV Capital, as well as renewed support from the European Investment Fund (EIF), which took part in the inaugural Fellowship two years ago.

Diversity across VC is currently limited. Only 4.9% of VC partners in the U.S. are female, of whom the majority are still white; 0.2% are LatAm women; and 0.2% are Black women^[1]. Yet VCs recognise the potential of diverse teams -- 88% of VCs view the lived experiences of underrepresented entrepreneurs as a competitive advantage in identifying problems to be solved and markets to be addressed^[2].

Investment results back this up. A diverse team is more likely to invest in founders who look like them, and startups founded and co-founded by women are significantly better financial investments. For every dollar of funding, these startups generated 78 cents, while male-founded startups generated less than half that—just 31 cents^[3].

The international consortium of Venture Capital partners and sponsors funding the programme include: Notion Capital, Mangrove Capital Partners, Creandum, M12 - Microsoft’s Venture Fund, Seedcamp, European Investment Fund (EIF), WSGR, K Fund, Daphni, KAYA VC, HSBC Ventures, HV Capital and Mouro Capital.

The Included VC Fellowship comprises nine modules covering key VC topics. Teaching is delivered via masterclasses, mentoring, deep foundational learning, and investment committee simulations. Fellows are also invited to retreats, to support professional networking.

Fellows benefit from unparalleled access to some of the world’s top investors from the partner funds. Experienced investors, including partners at the participating VC funds, lead the classes, provide mentorship, and coaching.

Members of Included VC’s Fellowship are entrepreneurial, passionate about technology, and fascinated by the potential for venture capital to drive change on a massive scale. The fellows demonstrate the broadest definition of diversity: gender, ethnicity, non-typical degrees, intergenerational diversity, disability, neural diversity, and applicants from excluded communities such as refugees and ex-inmates. Previous Fellows have moved on to work in investment roles in the VC industry, as startup founders, or in startup roles. Previous Fellow, Ana Wolsztajn, is now an Investor & CMO at KAYA VC.

Nikita Thakrar, Co-founder & CEO of Included VC, says, “Thanks to the support of our 13 global funds, the Included VC Fellowship III will develop and launch the careers of 75 diverse and talented future investors from around the world. Fellows will learn from the best and take part in extensive training - workshops, simulation investment committees, and top-end mentoring, all supported by 50+ investors and an expert team. We hope Fellows deploy their learnings to create long-term positive change; for both the global VC ecosystem and their communities”

Alain Godard, Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund (EIF) says, “We are pleased to be sponsoring Included VC, and to support the third Fellowship programme, which will enable people from backgrounds underrepresented in the Venture Capital arena to find work in this space. A diverse and inclusive Venture Capital ecosystem in Europe is crucial, as we strive to enhance performance and inspire innovative solutions. The sustainable growth of the EU economy can only be achieved by taking an inclusive approach to financing.”

Stephen Millard, Operating Partner of Notion Capital and Co-Founder, Included VC says, “We are thrilled to welcome our largest and most global cohort to date: 75 exceptional fellows representing 41 nationalities, benefiting from an unrivaled curriculum and VC network and the opportunity to launch their careers in venture.”

Chris Tottman, General Partner of Notion Capital and Co-Founder, Included VC says, "Included VC’s 2022 cohort of 75 outstanding Fellows is our largest and most diverse cohort to date. We are confident that they will be just as successful as our recent alumni; 79% of those who were actively looking for VC roles, secured investment roles at top funds such as Atomico, M12, Founders Factory,  Octopus Ventures, to name but a few, within months of graduating from Included VC."

Ana Wolsztajn, Investor & CMO at KAYA VC, and former Included VC Fellow, says, “I can definitely say that Included VC turned my life upside down in the best possible way. Being selected from around 1.5K applicants to be mentored and to learn from founding partners and seasoned investors at leading VC firms proved priceless. Not to mention the camaraderie of other fellows - the inspiration and community support made my career transition not only possible, but also super exciting.

Venture capital is an interesting industry, on one side it's a numbers game and the fellowship helped me into my investor's journey by filling in the gaps in my financial education. But at the same time Included VC allowed me to shine by utilizing my strengths, as being a people person and a storyteller plays an important role in VC, where EQ is often as crucial as IQ.

Would I be where I am now, without Included? I don't think so. Thanks to the fellowship I am part of an amazing team at KAYA that I get to both invest along with and mentor new cohorts together as we continue to support Included.”

Manuel Silva Martinez, General Partner of Mouro Capital says “After 3 years in operation, the change Included VC has brought to the ecosystem is remarkable. Some of the Included fellows are already contributing actively, with their unique POV, at some of Europe's finest funds - and Included VC Fellows hailing from 41 nationalities this year shows how much the world needs this initiative, and how mature it has become. We have a long way to go to fully embrace diversity in the VC industry, but as a backer of Included VC since Day 1, we could never dream of what this amazing group of people has brought to life.”

Natasha Lytton, Head of Brand, Network and Portfolio, at Seedcamp, says "We’re proud to have supported Included VC from its inception and are impressed by the impact to date and growth now going into the third year of the programme. Included VC shares our belief that exceptional talent can come from anywhere and we are excited to see what the fellows from this year’s programme will go on to achieve and have high hopes they'll continue the trend of securing great roles across venture; a much-needed step in helping to diversify our industry."

Martin Weber, General Partner at HV Capital says, “As we continue to grow as an industry, we will need to become more diverse when it comes to giving people access to the few, sought-after, career opportunities in VC. This allows us to attract and retain the best talent on the market and invest in their potential for the long term. That's why almost two years ago, HV Capital revised its hiring processes for investment talent, to widen our talent pool to a new and diverse generation. And today, we are especially proud to announce our membership with Included VC, to do our part in consciously pushing forward diversity in VC. We are only at the beginning of this journey and look forward to what we will do together to create a more inclusive and well-positioned industry for the future.”

Nikolas Krawinkel, Partner of Mangrove Capital Partners says, “As founding partners, we have seen how Included VC's unique venture capital “MBA” has already helped numerous previous fellows from diverse backgrounds break into VC, globally. We now know that Included VC works and this is only the beginning. We fundamentally believe that the European VC ecosystem must continue to evolve and promote inclusion. We are proud to support this great initiative again and can’t wait to meet the new fellows!”

Jaime Novoa, Principal at K Fund says, “We've been involved with Included VC since the very beginning and it's honestly one of the best programs we've been part of since we founded K Fund almost six years ago. All market participants are aware that diversity in both the entrepreneurship and VC industries is an issue, and we're always looking forward to a new edition of Included VC in order to help shape the future of our sector."

Pierre-Yves Meerschman, Partner and Co-founder of daphni says, “We are proud supporters of Included VC as we share common values: that diversity is wealth and that the VC industry should not be an exception. This Fellowship brings together ambitious individuals from diverse communities in the VC ecosystem, improving the society we’re living in. At daphni, we strongly believe that Included VC is all about a better future, making the Fellows’ voices matter."

Matthew Goldstein, Managing Director at 'M12- Microsoft's Venture Fund says, “This year we are not only proud sponsors of Included VC but we have welcomed two Included VC alumni to our investment team. The pipeline of diverse talent Included VC is channeling to our industry is a testament to the authenticity of the Fellowship’s mission - to radically diversify the VC industry. Now in its third year, Included VC Fellows are propagating seeds of change at every fund that they are a part of.”

Ore Adeyemi, Head of Strategic Innovation Investments at HSBC says, “It has been a privilege to be part of the Included VC Fellowship for the second year in a row. We are very excited to keep working with 75 new fellows and we are committed to creating a more accessible path to the Venture Capital industry for underrepresented groups. Our partnership with Included VC is an important part of this journey.”

Please find quotes from Included VC Fellows below:

Munashe Demawatema, Venture Fellow at M12, and previous Included VC Fellow says, “When I just started the process of applying to Included VC, I had just moved to Munich to start my venture capital internship at VC fund of funds, Blue Future Partners, and I was attempting to break into a conventional VC firm. Included VC provided me with the technical skills, network, and industry knowledge that enabled me to secure an internship at Microsoft’s Venture Fund – M12. At M12, I have had the opportunity to apply and expand that skillset learned on the Fellowship whilst working on various deals under the tutelage of M12 Partner Matt Goldstein, which has been an enriching and career-defining experience. The value the Included VC fellowship has provided to me in such a brief period of time has simply been unprecedented and immeasurable.”

Natalie Otwoma, a technology consultant at Capgemini, and a new Included VC Fellow says, “I want to break into the VC industry to be able to invest, support and work with early-stage businesses that are reshaping entire industries but with a particular focus on underrepresented entrepreneurs (those who aren’t typically represented in your typical VC portfolio) as well as Gen-Z founders as they may not have had the advantages that are needed to successfully navigate the VC fundraising process. I can’t wait to witness more women and black founders reach unicorn status who will in turn create generational wealth within the populous.”