Comparing Fundraising Trends: Solo Female and Male Founders

CHART OF THE WEEK 📈

By Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau | Read

Data shows that institutional investors allocate only 2% of their capital to solo female or all-female teams. But is this gender imbalance in traditional private markets also evident online? To answer this, we compared solo female and solo male founders’ Reg CF and Reg A+ equity online deals over the last 12 months. Our findings were more nuanced than expected.

• Yes, solo female founders raise less funding online than their male counterparts. Only half of them manage to raise at least $73k, while half of solo males raise $116k or more.

• However, solo female founders are significantly more likely to achieve at least half their funding goals than solo male founders. This could be attributed to the fact that solo female founders often raise funds for smaller companies than solo males and may have lower funding goals. Their median revenues when raising funds are nearly half that of solo males, and their company valuations are more than half lower. Notably, they also tend to raise funds for faster-growing companies, a characteristic common among small startups.

• Despite raising less online, solo female founders have an impressive track record with institutional investors. While a similar number of solo male and female founders have successfully exited a previous company, more solo female founders have gone through accelerator programs and secured VC funding before starting an equity crowdfunding round.

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PITCH REVIEW 💸

By Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau \ Deal Report

Brief: b0arding.com is a travel booking platform designed to enhance user experiences by integrating video reviews, offering an immersive and transparent booking process. Targeting younger travelers, especially Generation Z, b0arding.com addresses the overwhelming and impersonal nature of online travel booking by providing engaging and authentic video content. Collaborating with industry giants like Google and Booking.com, the platform expanded its database in 2023 to include 2 million hotels and 3 million rooms, achieving $1 million in revenue.

Key People: CEO Victor Nikonets, CTO Alex Iurev, and CMO Emily Wilson bring diverse skills crucial to the company's growth. With 20 years in the travel industry and a history of founding successful businesses, Victor provides strategic direction. Alex ensures the platform's scalability and data safety. With eight years in Hollywood PR and social media marketing, Emily drives brand awareness and user engagement.

Summary

Here's what we like:  The platform is strategically positioned to benefit from the increasing travel expenditures of Generation Z and Millennials, who prioritize authentic, visually rich content. b0arding.com's unique value proposition of video reviews directly aligns with these preferences, capturing a significant growth opportunity among younger travelers. Unlike legacy competitors like Kayak, which primarily attract customers through Google, b0arding.com leverages emerging trends by tapping into social media channels like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

The company's strategic partnerships with industry leader Booking.com bolster its credibility and market presence. This collaboration expanded b0arding.com's database to include 2 million hotels and 3 million rooms in 2023, enhancing user value and positioning the company favorably within the competitive landscape. The prospect of an acquisition by Booking.com further underscores its potential. 

b0arding.com is well-poised for growth by focusing on mobile bookings, social media influence, and innovative travel-related technologies. The platform's low valuation, minimal burn rate of $10k per month, and substantial cash runway of 30 months provide a solid financial foundation.

Here's what we don't: One of the primary market challenges is the highly competitive landscape in which b0arding.com operates. Established players like Expedia and Airbnb have significant market share, brand recognition, and resources. These competitors offer comprehensive travel services and have longstanding customer bases, making it difficult for b0arding.com to differentiate itself and capture a substantial market share.

Technological hurdles, such as integrating video reviews across a larger portion of the platform's listings, will require significant investment and development. Additionally, limited market adoption and a small customer base could impede growth. The company's focus on a niche demographic might also limit its appeal to a broader audience, potentially restricting market penetration.

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

Would you invest in Future Cardia?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 (20)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 👎 (14)

34 Votes

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