Top Women Angel Investors (2024)
Angel investors are crucial in supporting novel ideas that can significantly improve our quality of life or the ease of business. However, a lack of female representation in angel investing has left women underserved.
For instance, even safety equipment like helmets are dangerously ill-fitting for women. Due to the need for more women researchers and research on women, medical devices and healthcare in general often poorly serve women.
According to AAUW, women comprise half of the US labor force but only 22.5% of the board seats and 7.2% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. This is unfair to women, the organization, and its customers since the best person for the job is overlooked.
Female angel investors play a major role in addressing blind spots in traditional venture capital. They also help bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship by funding and mentoring early-stage startups led by women. In this spirit, today, we would like to talk about the top women angel investors making waves and bringing change.
Trends in Women Angel Investors
No one can deny that women faced serious barriers to entry when it came to entrepreneurship and wealth creation. But all this seems to be changing.
According to the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Venture Research, in 2004, only 5% of the angel investors were women. Fast forward to 2023, and 46.7% of the angel investors were women.
In 2004, only 4.7% of the ventures seeking angel capital were women-owned and in 2023, this figure increased to 46.3%.
Another encouraging sign is that the share of female-founded companies in venture capital deals is increasing across major US cities according to Pitchbook.
Top women angel investors
Some of the top female angel investors are:
1. Nicole Quinn
- Investments in 2023-24: 5
- Funding raised by associated organization: $18.9 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 20
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 1,405
Nicole Quinn has had a long tryst with entrepreneurship. Her journey began when she helped her father build an online pharmacy startup back in the ‘90s. This gave her a first-hand experience of the hardships faced by startups. As she rose up the ranks at Morgan Stanley to become the Head of US Consumer Research Sales, she learned about consumer behavior and the retail landscape.
She has even worked on high-profile IPOs for companies like Facebook and Groupon. She is an active investor and serves on the board of companies like beehiiv, Cameo, Calm, Multiverse, Haus Laboratories, Rothy’s, and Girlboss.
2. Claire Hughes Johnson
- Investments in 2023-24: 5
- Funding raised by associated organization: $9.4 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 28
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 69
Claire Hughes Johnson served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Stripe for more than 6 years. Under her leadership, Stripe solidified its position as a leading online payment platform. Before this, she spent a decade at Google where she led various teams and oversaw projects like Gmail, Google Apps, AdWords, Google Offers, and Google’s self-driving car initiative.
Her extensive experience is highly valued which led her to board positions at companies like Ameresco, The Atlantic, Aurora Innovation, and HubSpot.
As an angel investor, she has backed numerous tech startups like Coda, ChartHop, and CoinTracker.
3. Maha Ibrahim
- Investments in 2023-24: 2
- Funding raised by associated organization: $6.8 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 49
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 792
For more than 24 years, Maha Ibrahim has served as a General Partner at Canaan Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm. She was the first investor in The RealReal, a luxury online marketplace, and served on its board through its IPO in 2019. She, too, is a founding member of All Raise.
Some of the companies in her portfolio include Cuyana, a luxury handbag brand, and Forte, a blockchain startup. Her interests are not limited to investing. She is a trustee of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading think tank, and a board member of the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Ibrahim is truly a multi-talented person with diverse interests who is a key representative of women in venture capital.
4. Kirsten Green
- Investments in 2023-24: 3
- Funding raised by associated organization: $2.2 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 98
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 245
Kirsten Green is a trailblazing venture capitalist who has led fundraising efforts worth more than $2 billion to invest in more than 100 companies. She is the founder and Managing Partner of Forerunner Ventures. Over the years, she has amassed numerous accolades like being named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time and making it to Forbes’ Midas List for the past eight years.
Green is also the founding member of All Raise, a non-profit working to reduce the gender disparity in the venture capital ecosystem.
She serves as one of the directors of Nordstrom as well as companies like Faire, Glossier, Ritual Prose, Daydream, and Balance.
5) Kara Nortman
- Investments in 2023-24: N/A
- Funding raised by associated organization: $2.2 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 29
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 410
Kara Nortman has led investments in various companies like Parachute Home, The Wing, and Fleetsmith as a Partner at Upfront Ventures, the largest venture capital firm based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Upfront Ventures, Nortman co-founded children’s e-commerce company, Moonfrye, and served as the Senior Vice President of Consumer at Urbanspoon, and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) at IAC.
As one of the founders of All Raise, Nortman is a prominent advocate for diversity in tech and venture capital industries. In addition to advising the Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association, with Julie Uhrman and Natalie Portman, Nortman co-founded Angel City FC, a women’s professional soccer team in Los Angeles.
6. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
- Investments in 2023-24: N/A
- Funding raised by associated organization: $1 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 7
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 6
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy has held leadership roles at major corporations like Google, Amazon, and StubHub. She founded and serves as the Chairman of theBoardlist, a platform aimed at connecting diverse leaders with board opportunities.
As the President of StubHub, she oversaw its $4 billion acquisition of Viagogo. Currently, she serves as the CEO of Xero, a global accounting software company. In the past, she has served as a Director on the Boards of Ericsson, TripAdvisor, and Urban Outfitters.
Various major publications like Forbes, Fortune, and The New York Times have hailed her contributions. She was named as a Woman to Watch by Forbes and Top 100 People in the Valley by Business Insider.
7) Kelly Ann Winget
- Investments in 2023-24: 1
- Funding raised by associated organization: $1 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: Multiple
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 25
Kelly Ann Winget founded Alternative Wealth Partners (AWP), the first private equity firm established by a millennial openly LGBTQ+ woman. Her firm manages diversified funds with a commitment to social impact under the ethos of ‘Good Deals, Good People, Great Returns.’ They have raised nearly $1 billion for startups, energy firms, real estate, and emerging markets.
Prior to founding AWP, she founded EPIC Economies, a 100% women-owned private equity firm.
As a philanthropist, she supports initiatives for survivors of domestic violence and causes like Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer.
Major publications like Forbes, Real Leaders, CBS Moneywatch, Business Insider, D Magazine, Yahoo! Finance, Fast Company, and The New York Times have celebrated her visionary leadership.
8. Theresia Gouw
- Investments in 2023-24: 1
- Funding raised by associated organization: $1 billion
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 57
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 124
Theresia Gouw is a pioneering venture capitalist and co-founder of Aspect Ventures, an early-stage venture firm. They focus on bridging the gap between angel investors and larger VC platforms and specialize in cybersecurity, enterprise software, digital health, and the future of work. At Aspect Ventures, Gouw has led early investments in companies like Cato Networks, Deserve, Exabeam, and ForeScout.
As a Managing General Partner at Accel, Gouw led investments in companies like Trulia, and Imperva.
Currently, she works as a founding partner at Acrew Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on data and security, fintech, and health and human empowerment startups.
Gouw has been recognized on Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women list and the Forbes Midas List eight times.
9. Ruchi Kalra
- Investments in 2023-24: 2
- Funding raised by associated organization: $878.1 million
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 12
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 5
Ruchi Kalra is an Indian entrepreneur and the co-founder of two unicorns, OfBusiness and Oxyzo Financial Services. With her husband, she founded OfBusiness, a B2B platform offering raw materials and industrial supplies. Shortly after this, they launched Oxyzo Financial Services, the financing arm of OfBusiness.
Kalra’s expertise in financial services comes from spending nearly a decade as a Partner at McKinsey & Co. managing the financial services sector.
She is a strong advocate for women in fintech and has made investments in companies like Captain Fresh, Liquide, and Hood.
10. Bedy Yang
- Investments in 2023-24: 1
- Funding raised by associated organization: $824.6 million
- Number of individual and partnership investments: At least 8
- Number of investments of associated organization: At least 3,137
As a Managing Partner at 500 Global, Bendy Yang played a pivotal role in launching strategic partnerships and accelerator programs worldwide and leads their corporate startup innovation and consultancy.
Before becoming a Managing Partner at 500 Global, Yang founded +INNOVATORS, an organization that reshaped digital entrepreneurship and innovation in Brazil and the USA. LAVCA recognized her contributions in 2023 and listed her among the Top Women in Latin American Tech.
Yang has played a key role in building supportive ecosystems for entrepreneurs all over the world. Yang led 115 programs in 26 countries, including the Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program where she invested in 94 companies. She has also trained over a thousand investors across the globe.
List of Top Women Angel Investors
Below is the list of top women angel investors:
| Name of Investor | Location | Organisation associated with | Number of Investments - Associated Organization | Number of Investments - Indivdual and Partnership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole Quinn | California, United States | Lightspeed Venture Partners | 1405+ | 20+ |
| Claire Hughes Johnson | United States | Stripe | 69+ | 28+ |
| Maha Ibrahim | Florida, United States | Canaan Partners | 792+ | 49+ |
| Kirsten Green | California, United States | Forerunner Ventures | 245+ | 98+ |
| Kara Nortman | Los Angeles Metropolitan Area | Upfront Ventures (Past), All Raise | 410+ | 29+ |
| Sukhinder Singh Cassidy | San Francisco Bay Area | Acrew Capital | 6+ | 7+ |
| Kelly Ann Winget | Texas, United States | Alternative Wealth Partners, LLC | 25+ | Multiple |
| Theresia Gouw | California, United States | Acrew Capital | 124+ | 57+ |
| Ruchi Kalra | Delhi, India | OfBusiness | 5+ | 12+ |
| Bedy Yang | California, United States | 500 Global | 3137+ | 8+ |
| Sara Choi | California, United States | Wing Venture Capital | 179+ | 2+ |
| Alexa von Tobel | New York, United States | Inspired Capital | 68+ | 9+ |
| Sophia Bendz | Stockholm, United States | Cherry Ventures | 206+ | 25+ |
| Jenny Lefcourt | California, United States | Freestyle Capital | 214+ | 64+ |
| Maia Heymann | Massachusetts, United States | Converge Venture Partners | 50+ | 10+ |
| Julia Hartz | California, United States | Eventbrite | 2+ | 30+ |
| Carina Szpilka | Greater Madrid, Spain | K Fund | 89+ | 1+ |
| Aileen Lee | California, United States | Cowboy Ventures | 154+ | 67+ |
| Reshma Sohoni | England, United Kingdom | Seedcamp | 588+ | 26+ |
| Lisa Lambert | San Francisco Bay Area | George Kaiser Family Foundation, National Grid Partners (Past) | 66+ | 36+ |
| Sue Siegel | San Francisco Bay Area | The Engine | 51+ | 6+ |
| Jocelyn Goldfein | California, United States | Zetta Venture Partners | 95+ | 19+ |
| Nicole Sahin | California, United States | Globalization Partners | 6+ | N/A |
| Lu Zhang | California, United States | Fusion Fund | 109+ | 67+ |
| Eva Ho | California, United States | Fika Ventures | 94+ | 10+ |
| Deborah Quazzo | Chicago, United States | GSV Ventures | 144+ | 109+ |
| Jennifer Lum | Boston, United States | Biospring Partners | 6+ | 20+ |
| Constance Freedman | Greater Chicago Area | Moderne Ventures | 103+ | 47+ |
| Cheryl Campos | New York, United States | Republic (Past), The Community Fund VC | 73+ | N/A |
| Lindy Fishburne | San Francisco, United States | Breakout Ventures | 30+ | 5+ |
| Shruti Gandhi | California, United States | Array Ventures | 78+ | 30+ |
| Ellen Pao | San Francisco, United States | Project Include | N/A | 13+ |
| Laura González-Estéfani | Miami, United States | TheVentureCity | 136+ | 13+ |
| Kathryn Cavanaugh | Austin, United States | Capstar Ventures | 4+ | 1+ |
| Ruchi Sanghvi | California, United States | South Park Commons | 111+ | 62+ |
| Anu Duggal | New York, United States | Female Founders Fund | 103+ | 15+ |
| Elizabeth Yin | San Francisco Bay Area | Hustle Fund | 300+ | 7+ |
| Nisha Dua | New York, United States | BBG Ventures | 114+ | 11+ |
| Maria Dramalioti-Taylor | United Kingdom | Beacon Capital | 4+ | 4+ |
| Arian Simone | Atlanta, United States | Fearless Fund | 25+ | 9+ |
| Arlan Hamilton | California, United States | Backstage Capital | 200+ | 12+ |
| Cyan Banister | California, United States | Long Journey Ventures | 129+ | 73+ |
| Deborah Jackson | New York, United States | Plum Alley | 40+ | 4+ |
| Sharon Vosmek | California, United States | Astia | 12+ | 5+ |
| Jalak Jobanputra | New York, United States | FuturePerfect Ventures | 59+ | 36+ |
| Janet Bannister | Toronto, Canada | Staircase Ventures | 5+ | 20+ |
| Maren Bannon | London, United Kingdom | January Ventures | 40+ | N/A |
| Alicia Castillo Holley | California, United States | Wealthing VC Club | 20+ | 40+ |
| Monique Woodard | California, United States | Cake Ventures | 11+ | 14+ |
| Jenny Fielding | New York, United States | Everywhere Ventures | 348+ | 362+ |
| Sonja Perkins | California, United States | The Perkins Fund | 64+ | 8+ |
| Pocket Sun | British Columbia, Canada | SoGal Ventures | 59+ | 4+ |
| Tracy Chadwell | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | 1843 Capital | 13+ | N/A |
| Caterina Fake | United States | YES VC | 61+ | 39+ |
| Soraya Darabi | New York, United States | Trail Mix Ventures | 61+ | 16+ |
| Yasmin Cruz Ferrine | Greater Boston, United States | Visible Hands | 20+ | 2+ |
| Leslie Feinzaig | Seattle, United States | Female Founders Alliance | 7+ | 2+ |
| Natalia Oberti Noguera | New York, United States | Pipeline Angels | 101+ | 6+ |
| Kathryn Finney | Illinois, United States | Genius Guild | 11+ | 7+ |
| Kara Weber | Greater Seattle Area | The Community Fund | 17+ | N/A |
| Brianne Kimmel | San Francisco, United States | Worklife | 47+ | 22+ |
| Penny Schiffer | Zurich, Switzerland | GoBeyond | 175+ | 32+ |
| Sarah Kunst | United States | Cleo Capital | 26+ | 6+ |
| Christine Tsai | San Francisco Bay Area | 500 Global | 3000+ | 15+ |
| Allison Long Pettine | United States | Ad adastra ventures | 6+ | N/A |
| Angela Lee | New York, United States | 37 Angels | 100+ | 1+ |
| Anne DeGheest | San Francisco Bay Area | HealthTech capital | 91+ | 1+ |
| Anne Wojcicki | California, United States | Los Altos Community Investments | NA | 54+ |
| Archana Priyadarshini | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India | Forward Slash Capital, Endurance Capital | 2+ | 21+ |
| Carmen Busquets | London, England, United Kingdom | CoutureLab | N/A | 21+ |
| Carrie Colbert | Houston, United States | Curate Capital | 8+ | 4+ |
| Chloe Sladden | San Francisco, United States | #Angels | 40+ | 24+ |
| Diana Moldavsky | North Holland, Netherlands | Tencent | N/A | 1+ |
| Ellen Levy | California, United States | Silicon Valley Connect | N/A | 31+ |
| Ellen Weber | Pennsylvania, United States | Robin Hood Ventures | 138+ | N/A |
| Asya Bradley | San Francisco, United States | Cowboy Ventures | 154+ | N/A |
| Eve Burton | New York, United States | HearstLab | 71+ | 10+ |
| Galit Horovitz | Israel | WellTech Ventures | 12+ | 5+ |
| Gülsüm Çıracı | Turkey | Istanbul Startup Angel | 7+ | 4+ |
| Heidi Roizen | San Francisco Bay Area | Threshold Ventures | 152+ | 8+ |
| Holly Liu | San Francisco Bay Area, United States | PKO Investments | 9+ | 29+ |
| Jennifer Fonstad | San Francisco Bay Area, United States | Owl Capital | 40+ | 2+ |
| Jesse Draper | California, United States | Halogen Ventures | 60+ | 9+ |
| Joanne Wilson | New York, United States | Gotham Gal Ventures | 34+ | 72+ |
| Julie McDermott | New York, United States | McDermott International | N/A | 21+ |
| Kim Perell | Florida, United States | 100.co | N/A | 100+ |
| Lauren Robinson | British Columbia, Canada | Highline Beta | 18+ | N/A |
| Linda Greub | San Francisco Bay Area, United States | Avestria Ventures | 20+ | 3+ |
| Linda Xie | United States | Scalar Capital (Past) | 31+ | 15+ |
| Ling Wong | United States | Highbury Group | 5+ | 69+ |
| Lisa Suennen | California, United States | Venture Valkyrie | N/A | 6+ |
| Lori Greiner | Chicago, Illinois, United States | N/A | N/A | 19+ |
| Marcia Dawood | North Carolina, United States | Angel Capital Association | 200+ | 50+ |
| Marissa Mayer | California, United States | Sunshine | N/A | 29+ |
| Natalie Carnegie | California, United States | N/A | N/A | 21+ |
| Rachel ten Brink | New York, United States | RedBike Capital | 3+ | N/A |
| Rana el Kaliouby | Massachusetts, United States | Blue Tulip Ventures | N/A | N/A |
| Susan Preston | Seattle, Washington, United States | Seachange Fund | 30+ | 7+ |
| Verena Pausder | Berlin, Germany | Pausder Ventures | N/A | 25+ |
| Tina Sharkey | San Francisco Bay Area | Heyday | N/A | 9+ |
How have these women angel investors impacted the startup ecosystem?
Not only did these women break barriers and create opportunities for female entrepreneurs but they also ensured that merit-based leadership flourished, innovative products found their market, and the overall startup ecosystem thrived.
They focused on talent and potential rather than gender to place the most qualified individuals in leadership roles. These women have always had an eye for promising products that could effectively address market gaps.
Through strategic investments and mentorships, they contributed to the success of startups across sectors, ultimately enhancing the value and competitiveness of the entire startup ecosystem.
Eqvista: Valuing Visionary Women
The rise of women angel investors is reshaping the startup ecosystem for the better. It is bringing diversity and fresh perspectives to the table. These women are not only funding innovative ventures but also paving the way for more women to enter the world of angel investing and entrepreneurship. Their success demonstrates the immense value that women bring to investing.
As we continue to strive for gender equality in the business world, the impact of these top women angel investors serves as an inspiration and a catalyst for change in the venture capital industry.
If you are a female entrepreneur struggling to get a fair valuation of your company before heading into a fundraising round, connect with Eqvista’s team. We can provide an unbiased and airtight valuation report that will help you negotiate from a position of strength and confidence.
