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Each founder’s startup story is unique. What leads someone to taking the first step to decide to start a business? For some it’s lived experience, for others it’s the magnetic draw of entrepreneurship. The one thing each founder has in common however is that feeling.

There’s been much talk of the diversity (or lack thereof) of the profile of founders that receive venture capital funding. But backing diverse founders is not only morally but also commercially sound. Someone who has not only seen this opportunity but is leading from the front is Rodney Appiah. Four years ago and with a decade of VC experience under his belt Rodney co-founded Cornerstone Partners - the first angel syndicate in the UK focused on investing in businesses led by black and diverse founders.

The investment world has always been fraught with power imbalance. However, the past several years have seen many people beginning to confront and re-think these dynamics of the VC industry. Take the launch of initiatives like Landscape VC.

LVNDR took part in BGV’s first remote programme back at the start of 2020. In only a short period of time, they have gone from strength to strength, including closing a £1.5m seed round earlier this year.

Applications for our flagship 12-week Tech for Good programme are open! You’ll be joining BGV for our 10th year of investing in tech for good. With a decade of experience and 18 programmes behind us, you will not only receive £30,000 investment, but also expert support and mentorship from the people who pioneered tech for good.

Hi everyone. I’m Rob and I’m very pleased to be the new Operations Associate at BGV! Let me share a bit more about my journey here and what I'll be up to in my new role. With a finance degree and experience at a large tech company, it may seem natural for me to have ended up in tech for good investing, but my journey hasn't been as typical as you may think.

Last month the World Health Organisation recognised World Mental Health Day. This happens every year as a way to raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce the stigma around them. Days like this serve as an important reminder of the resources and tools available to help anyone who is struggling, including mediation apps and mindfulness practices. However, for many, the language and culture surrounding meditation and mindfulness is alienating.

Female angel investors are, unfortunately, still somewhat of a rarity. According to recent research, they make up only 11% of Europe’s angel community. But with increased acknowledgement of this shortfall, and particularly the effect it has on female founders’ ability to raise early-stage capital, there are hopes this is changing.

We’re pleased to announce that we’re now a signatory to the Investing in Women Code, joining a league of financial services firms to improve access to resources and investment for female entrepreneurs.

The most challenging psychological aspect of impact investing is being positive about something negative. As tech for good investors we now find ourselves in a boom - interest in impact-driven tech companies has never been higher and the amount of capital allocated to tech for good ventures is growing every month.

Early 2019, we became (to our knowledge) the first VC globally to map and share the risks of our portfolio’s ‘unintended consequences’.

Tech for Good is the intentional use of technology to solve pressing social and environmental issues at scale. It has four key features – intentionality, scale, intrinsic impact, and inclusion.