Back in 2006, Alexa von Tobel had what she considered a sure-fire business idea: A website with investment tools and advice columns to teach young women about personal finance. It took nearly three years for her to round up her first external funding, $1.1 million from angel investors. In April, after eight more months and 35 investor meetings, she obtained $4.5 million from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Accel Partners.
It's too early to know if her company, LearnVest, will change the world as von Tobel predicts. Yet even after von Tobel's arduous quest for financing, the 17-employee operation has already beaten the odds. Over the past decade companies headed by women represented less than 7 percent of the startups funded by venture capital firms, even though women launch nearly half of all new businesses.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Closing the Venture Capital Gender Gap - BusinessWeek
Author: Sharon Vosmek
