Diversity
In a report published over the summer, the Treasury Committee recommended the government take swift action to promote diversity in the UK’s venture capital industry. With the proposed policies directly targeted at driving investment towards female and ethnic minority founders, as well as businesses outside of London, the report forms part of a growing momentum to expand access to venture capital (VC) in the UK.
It is vital to champion founders from underrepresented groups, especially in the tech startup ecosystem, as traditionally the tech space is majority made up of white males. According to “The Business of Tech Q4 2022 Diversity Report”, created by Dave Sobel, which examined diversity development in tech leadership, found that 88.92% of the tech industry’s leaders were white men.
Amelia Peckham, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks personally knows the importance of genuine diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. Having worked in a selection of startups throughout her career, she believes that they do in fact benefit from being smaller companies that can act faster. Decisions can be made quicker and red tape is minimal so it’s easy to pivot and adjust as things progress.
Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, and Sony Music UK, have announced a cohort of ten pioneering digital-first startups, to participate in the inaugural FutureScope Black Founders Programme. The programme will support Black British entrepreneurs in the digital entertainment space, and encourage the successful commercialisation of their innovative new solutions.
As a university professor and CEO of an EdTech company, I have experienced first-hand various challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the two sectors. While systemic issues persist, there are opportunities for individual companies to adopt best practices. Here are three tips for startups.














