This is a presentation that I gave at the recent Babraham Investment Forum in Cambridge, UK, where I pitched for hearts and minds instead of capital.

1. Funding | Growth | Leadership
We started Astia to address the issue of women's access to capital,
specifically venture capital by women entrepreneurs building
technology companies. It was based on two fundamental principles:
that gender should not be part of the equation of calculating
business risk and that there is an objective of giving back.
- Cate Muther, Founder, Astia

2. Can you help launch ASTIA in UK?
“I don’t do • I am not a natural
PINK!” advocate for “women”
• BUT
• The quality of the
network members is
compelling
• So is the track record!
My (Stupid) Reaction…

3. Astia’s Impact: since 2003
• Over 875 companies screened, over 200 companies participated in Doing it
Right program (http://bit.ly/c3cgsY)
• 151 companies selected for elite fundraising program with the following
results:
– More than 60% of Astia clients have achieved funding or an exit within
one year of entering the program
– More than $650 Million raised by presenting companies
– 19 exits, including 2 IPOs
This is an extraordinary success rate for early stage companies
and attests to the hidden opportunity presented by women-led
companies. Astia’s intense Program for the presenting companies
clearly contributed to results.
- Mitchell Kertzman, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

4. A Considered Reaction
• Astia companies secure investment because
they have a compelling investment proposition
• Astia companies have female participation in
diverse leadership teams
• Astia is not about pink - it is about excellence,
and helping would be women entrepreneurs have
the courage of their ambitions
• A track record we should replicate in the UK

5. Challenge = Opportunity
• Where are we now in the UK?
– Women 33.5% of all HE students in SET disciplines.
– Women represent 18.5% of SET employees.
– 9.0% of directorships in UK FTSE 100 companies (SET sectors).
– 8.0% of all SET professors are female.
• Female SET entrepreneurs - potential driver of GDP
• UK is similar to the US
No woman has ever been CEO of a Wall Street firm. Women were
primary owners of only 19% of the 237,843 firms founded in 2004,
according to the Kauffman Foundation's analysis of Dun &
Bradstreet data. Just 3% of tech firms were founded by women in
that year. Vivek Wadhwa University of California at Berkeley and Duke University*
*http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010023_986637.htm

6. STEM qualified by gender in the UK, 2008
Female Male Total Female % Male %
Subjects allied to Medicine 93,620 48,414 142,034 65.9 34.1
Biological Sciences 157,240 158,871 316,111 49.7 50.3
Physical/Environmental Sciences 130,076 296,188 426,264 30.5 69.5
Mathematical Sciences & Computing 117,412 368,107 485,519 24.2 75.8
Engineering 49,699 489,468 539,167 9.2 90.8
Technology 24,168 55,557 79,725 30.3 69.7
Architecture, Building & Planning 47,767 139,664 187,431 25.5 74.5
All qualified in the subjects above: 619,982 1,556,269 2,176,251 28.5 71.5
Non-STEM qualifications 3,096,557 2,037,343 5,133,900 60.3 39.7
Total 3,716,539 3,593,612 7,310,151 50.8 49.2
Future of UK Biotechnology Depends on Female
Participation in Entrepreneurial Activity
Secondary analysis by UKRC
Data source: ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Jan - De, 2008.
Distributed by the Economic and Social Data Service.

7. ASTIA Addresses the Critical Issues
• Self evaluation
– Women instinctively evaluate risk differently
• Destination of VC investment
– Just 4 to 9 % of VC deals go to women
– Women are founding more businesses but
accessing less capital
• Female participation
– Confidence and support

8. How? Via Astia Community
DOING IT RIGHT PROGRAM:
Silicon Valley, New York, London and India
750-PLUS ADVISORY NETWORK around the globe
INVESTOR FORUMS
WE OWN IT SUMMIT: In June 2010, driving
collaboration in the community
Partnerships: 85 Broads, Golden Seeds, Springboard
Enterprises, The Indus Entrepreneurs, Women 2.0
Entrepreneurs & Executive

9. In Tough Economic Times
Q1 2010 Astia Client Achievements
• Over $25M funding secured.
– Arcxis Biotechnologies, Avaxia Biologics, HarQen, LearnVest, Marrone Bio
Innovations, Inc. (MBI) and Renewable Fuels Technology.
• DNA Direct, acquired by Medco Health Solutions, Inc (NYSE:MHS) in February.
• Blurb and MBI significantly increased revenues.
– Blurb recorded $45 million in revenue in 2009
– MBI’s first quarter 2010 sales exceeded all of its 2009 revenues.
The exposure to and commitment from the Astia Advisor Community
has been an integral part of getting us to where we are today. From
start to finish, we were able to close our most recent Series A raise in
just six weeks from a top tier firm with the perfect DNA for LearnVest..
- Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO of LearnVest.com

10. Why Investors Care? ROI and Deal Flow
• Women have the same entrepreneurial drive as men
• Women build companies that are more capital-efficient
and achieve the same or higher revenue performance
in early-stage years
• Women don’t fail as often as men
• “There are more women in the world. They represent a
greater share of markets and purchasing power.”
Mark Heesen, president of the NVCA
• Astia is able to source high quality investment
opportunities with diverse leadership teams
Source: Illuminate Ventures/Kauffman Foundation http://bit.ly/bLU2xn

11. Find Out More
• Astia.org
– For information on not for profit status,
events, lobbying and sponsorship
• Follow Astia
– @astiaSF, @astiaUK and @astiaNYC
• Contact UK executive Katie Nittler
(katie@astia.org) or member of the
Advisory team