Arts
Investing in a future where all women and girls can fulfill their potential.
Fund
Stardust Equity is a mission-oriented investment fund putting capital to work for competitive returns and positive social and environmental impact.
We partner with fund managers and entrepreneurs who intentionally seek commercial, sustainable solutions to some of our world’s greatest challenges.
Identifying the Gaps
We want to disrupt the financial world to serve as a vehicle for large-scale change and challenge the patterns and structures of power that have historically been disadvantageous to women. Our gender-focused investment approach prioritizes three main gap areas that have historically been ignored by the financial sector.
Less than 3% of private equity firms are women-founded and those firms tend to focus on early stage venture capital investing at small sizes.
Source: Preqin
In the United States, female-founded startups represented 5.4% of venture capital deals in 2018.
Source: Fortune
In the US, all-women founding teams raised just 2.2% of total venture capital funding ($) in 2017.
Source: Fortune
The average seed round for all startups is $1.14 million.
Source: ProjectDiane
Only 34 black women have ever raised more than $1 million in VC funding.
Source: ProjectDiane
The average funding amount among Black women who have raised less than $1 million is $42,000.
Source: ProjectDiane
We work to increase access to capital for women managers and entrepreneurs.
In the US, all-women founding teams raised just 2.2% of total venture capital funding ($) in 2017.
source: New York Times
We work to accelerate workplace equity.
55%
College-educated women make about 90% as much as men at age 25, but only 55% as much at age 45. The majority of this pay gap stems from women not getting raises and promotions at the same rate as men.
Source: New York Times
53¢
Latinas are typically paid just 53 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Source: National Partnership
58¢
Native American women are typically paid just 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Source: National Partnership
61¢
Black women are typically paid just 61 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Source: National Partnership
77¢
White, non-Hispanic women are typically paid just 77 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Source: National Partnership
85¢
Asian American women are typically paid 85 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Source: National Partnership
80¢
Across all racial and ethnic groups, women in the United States are typically paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to men.
Source: National Partnership
The gender pay gap exists even at the top executive level. The global sectors with the highest average executive pay gap are:
Utilities: 14.5%
Source: Morgan Stanley
The gender pay gap exists even at the top executive level. The global sectors with the highest average executive pay gap are:
Materials: 12.2%
Source: Morgan Stanley
The gender pay gap exists even at the top executive level. The global sectors with the highest average executive pay gap are:
Energy: 8.8%
Source: Morgan Stanley
The gender pay gap exists even at the top executive level. The global sectors with the highest average executive pay gap are:
Financials: 8.0%
Source: Morgan Stanley
The gender pay gap exists even at the top executive level. The global sectors with the highest average executive pay gap are:
Telecom: 7.6%
Source: Morgan Stanley
29%
Women hold 46% of entry-level positions, but only 37% of manager roles and 29% of vice president roles. The numbers shrink even more at the very top.
Source: McKinsey and LeanIn.Org
6.4%
Women held 6.4% (32) of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies in 2017 and made up 20.2% (1,100) of Fortune 500 board seats in 2016.
Source: McKinsey and LeanIn.Org
We support products, services, and solutions that benefit women and girls.
2/3
Women are expected to control 2/3 of the consumer wealth in the U.S. over the next decade.
Source: Nielsen
2x
In aggregate, women represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined—more than twice as big, in fact.
Source: Harvard Business Review
Women have a multiplier effect. They are multiple markets in one. Because women serve as primary caregivers, women buy on behalf of the people who live in their households, as well as for extended family and friends.
Source: Forbes
Our Approach & Strategy
Our integrated investment approach leverages our influence as an investor in two ways:
Funds
We allocate capital to private markets fund managers that are pushing the envelope on socially and/or environmentally conscious investing. These managers are pursuing a “no-trade offs” investment strategy and utilizing comprehensive impact assessment tools. Furthermore, they have aligned with Stardust in its mission to proactively tackle some of the most pervasive gender gaps that exist today.
Ventures
We selectively back high-growth companies that are deliberately trying to make a difference in the lives of women and girls. These mission-driven companies work to ensure that women and girls have access to the tools and resources they need to achieve their potential.
Selected Fund Investments
- Acrew Capital
- Blackstar Stability
- Circularity Capital
- Community Outcomes
- Generation IM
- Good Growth Capital
- Human Ventures
- Impact America Fund
- Kapor Capital
- Landed
- Leeds Illuminate
- MSquared
- Obvious Ventures
- Reinventure Capital
- Rethink Impact
- Springbank Collective
- SteelSky Ventures
- Trill Impact
- Unshackled Ventures
- 5th Century Partners
Selected Venture Investments
Case Studies
Doing & Dreaming
Our space to document and build on our collective dreams and actions.
Explore