Launching the next wave of female founders and funders in the VC space: The51 and Osler

According to the “Where’s The Dial Now?” benchmark report* released in 2017, approximately 30% of Canadian venture capital firms have a female partner, and on average, 12% of partners are women. According to data from Pitchbook, women founders received approximately 4% of total VC funding in 2018 in Canada.

The gaps that point to a paucity of women in these roles and indeed in other c-suite roles as well as board room tables is well documented and in need of creative corrections. Osler has been a long term supporter of women led ventures in our Emerging and High Growth practice, represent StandUp Ventures, a women-focused fund based in Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, been a founder in the #movethedial movement, as well as supported other ways to amplify the voices and roles of women in business.  We are now proud to announce today the sponsorship of The51 founded in Calgary, Alberta.

“Women founders are underrepresented in venture funding,” says Andrea Whyte, strategic advisor to The51 and partner in Osler’s corporate practice group. “Osler is working with The51, a female-founded investment platform, to create more opportunity for women’s wealth equity.”

“With Osler’s strategic support, we will activate more female-led capital towards female-founded businesses in Canada,” states Shelley Kuipers, The51 co-founder.

Founded in Calgary, The51 was created to power female led businesses and investors, thus igniting the next economic wave in Alberta and Canada. Just since March 2019, the movement has already invested over $4 million in female founders, significantly contributing to the creation of new, innovative female-led business models.

For more information, please contact:

Courtney Dragani, Chief of Staff
courtney@the51.io

*Co-authored by #movethedial, PwC Canada and MaRS, and powered by Ceridian, Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA), BDC Capital (BDC) and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP