No female decision-maker at 77% of SE Asia-headquartered venture firms

A March report by DealStreetAsia found that startups founded or co-founded by women in Southeast Asia bagged just a little over 17% of all private funding in 2021.

As a key source of capital for early- and growth-stage startups, venture investors can play a key role in addressing — or perpetuating — the gender funding gap. But how gender diverse are these firms themselves?

According to the latest report by DealStreetAsia – DATA VANTAGE, about 77% of venture investors headquartered in Southeast Asia don’t have a single woman in an investment decision-making role. The report defines a decision-maker as one with the authority to lead deals, sign cheques and sit on company boards.

In comparison, about 66.6% of the Asian and global investment firms with a presence in the region had no female decision-maker at all.

According to a February report by tech news site The Information, only 12 of more than 100 venture firms surveyed in the US did not have a single female investment partner.

DealStreetAsia’s latest report covered 380 venture investors headquartered in Southeast Asia and with a base in the region. The list comprised venture capitalists, venture debt providers, angel investment platforms, accelerators and incubators.

Here are some of the female decision-makers at Southeast Asia’s venture firms. For the full list of 107 decision-makers, get a copy of the report.

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Female decision-makers agreed venture firms need to address the lack of diversity, especially at senior management levels.

“If we look across the industry today, there leaves more to be desired. Most firms do a decent job attracting diverse talent pools at the junior level but not as well higher up the ranks,” said Pinn Lawjindakul, who was in April promoted to partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.

“Until women represent 50% of the VC workforce, individual firms can always do more,” said Visa Kannan, a partner at Saison Capital.

The Women in Southeast Asia’s VC Ecosystem 2022 report is available exclusively to DealStreetAsia – Professional subscribers. Subscribe/upgrade your subscription now to access our entire set of reports. Still not sure? Opt for a one-month trial for only $208.