Anu Duggal

In a world where 98% of VC dollars go to male-led startups, Anu Duggal did something no one else dared to: she built a fund just for women.

The problem? No one initially believed in her thesis.

“I had over 700 meetings to raise $5.85 million. Most people didn’t think it was a real opportunity. One investor literally told me, ‘Female founders? That’s not a category.’”

Still, in 2014, Anu launched the Female Founders Fund.

The first VC fund backing women at the earliest stage.

Over the last decade, she’s invested in 70+ women-led startups including Maven Clinic, Zola, Tala, Co-Star, Peanut, and BentoBox.

Generating over $4B in enterprise value, 4 successful exits, and something even rarer in VC: a movement.

“I knew we had to do more than just write checks. We had to build a platform... events, content, and community that made women feel seen.”

That vision worked.

FFF is now backed by Goldman Sachs, Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Plexo Capital, and even some of its own founders, who came back as LPs.

She’s also one of the only solo female GPs managing $100M+ AUM.

And the hurdles haven’t stopped.

From fundraising in a recession to defending DEI in the wake of political backlash, Anu is still in the ring, backing founders with what she calls “a chip on their shoulder.”

“Founders who’ve been overlooked tend to be more resourceful, more relentless. I look for that fire.”