What is Harriet
Harriet supports female founders as they fundraise for external capital. We work with founders to help them secure the right funding for their business and we partner with strategic Venture Capital Funds with a focus on bridging the gender gap, an important yet challenging metric for many venture funds.
The Problem we Solve
Female founded teams receive less than 3% of all venture funding globally. At Harriet, we’ve seen first hand how this disconnect with female founders plays out and it exists for a variety of reasons, many of which stem from a lack of diverse teams in venture funds. Most leading venture funds are well aware of this challenge but it’s a difficult equation to solve overnight.
Harriet has been established to serve as a bridge between these two groups, we support great female founders when they need it, and work with leading venture funds looking to attract great female lead companies.
The Problem we Solve
The Arbitrage Opportunity
Women are 51% of the world’s population and open almost 40% of all businesses and yet we know they receive less than 3% of funding dollars. At Harriet we believe this presents an enormous opportunity because 97% of all entrepreneurial talent does not reside within men alone. Therefore, it is fair to assume that if entrepreneurial talent is divided equally between men and women that great female founders are untapped. We recognise the face of venture funding is changing – that’s a change we want to be part of.
The Problem we Solve
Bridging the gap
We have established Harriet to facilitate this connection through curated introductions and business support for founders.
OUR SERVICES
What We Do
Venture Partners / Scouting - for Venture Funds
Our services for Venture Funds include Scouting arrangements and Venture Partner agreements (including qualified deal management through IC). With increasing competition for deals in SEA, Harriet offers VCs access to:
- Boot-strapped deals not otherwise in the public domain;
- Deals we have advised on and nurtured through initial pre-seed and seed funding;
- Founders who gravitate towards female-led organisations like Harriet.
We have found our voice and vision resonates with high calibre female founders, especially those actively seeking out diverse investors.
Consulting and Business Support - for Founders
Harriet offers tailored and affordable consulting sessions to founders seeking guidance on their business, we support:
- Pitch vetting;
- Network referrals (to other key regional contacts or third party providers partnering with Harriet);
- Fundraising support for founders on their fundraising journey;
- Advice for founders on key business activities and growth challenges;
- Referrals for pre-seed through Series B companies to key VC funds (under approved Venture Partner Arrangements).
Consulting and Business Support - for Venture Funds
Harriet offers tailored consulting services to investors seeking guidance on their diversity and inclusion procedures as well as initiatives to help build a more diverse portfolio.
Speaking Services - Corporate and Industry Events
Tanya and Anna are recognised leading gender-lens experts and sought out keynote speakers in Asia. Through Harriet we offer speaking services which cover Venture Capital, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems to corporations and industry groups.
TESTIMONIAL
“ We believe in great details, and we also believe in businesses that keep that in our mind all days, everyday. ”
⸺ Enterprise Client
Our Expertise
Anna Pearson and Tanya Rolfe have worked together in Asia since 2017. Over the last five years through our own start-ups and investment expertise we have developed an extensive network of female founded companies and contacts across Asia (and wider). These are either investee companies we know and trust or companies we have championed, diligenced and supported. We are inundated by female founders who actively seek us out to assist with their funding needs and to provide business expertise. Our founders are looking for diversity for their cap table and board.
Together we have developed the following businesses and investment vehicles in Asia.
ABOUT US
Anna Pearson
Anna started her career as a lawyer in Australia and London before moving into business roles as an early pioneer of alternative legal service providers. She was formerly the General Manager for Axiom in Singapore responsible for the company’s growth and success in the region. Prior to that she was the co-founder of Axiom’s business in the UK building and developing the company over eight years in London. In the last five years she has served as the General Manager for Plexus Engage in Australia and the company’s Head of People/Talent. Anna has extensive experience with global legal innovation, sales and account management across multiple geographies including leading managed services and technology sales in the sector and human resources.
Anna also runs a mentoring business for women in the early stages of their careers working in start-ups and growth companies. Anna has served as a member of The Ladies Investment Club and a Venture Partner at Her Capital, responsible for deal sourcing and deal structuring. Anna also sat on the Investment Committee. This experience has further developed her passion for start-ups and market disruption across all sectors and geographies in Asia Pacific.
Before moving into commercial roles Anna was a lawyer with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London and Minter Ellison in Australia, she has Business and Law degrees from QUT in Queensland, Australia.
TANYA ROLFE
Tanya founded the Ladies Investment Club in Singapore and grew a team of 40 female investors which enabled female investors to build their investment portfolio and credentials, while providing hard to access funding to female founders. Tanya went on to launch a venture capital fund for women entrepreneurs and during her time at the fund, discovered the need for both more women investors and women entrepreneurs to be supported.
Before Tanya started her investment and education work, Tanya worked at some of the world’s largest law firms for over 15 years.
Tanya is a recognised LinkedIn Top Voices 2022 for Gender Equity in Singapore.
Published Articles:
Recent Speaking Engagements:
Credit Suisse, Credilinq.AI, Standard Chartered Bank, NUS, Citibank, 100 Women In Finance, Saxo Markets Singapore
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