Every Women-Focused Fund, Accelerator & Program in Australia and Beyond (2026)

When I started building NUVC, I spent weeks Googling "investors who back women founders" and getting the same recycled lists from 2019. Half the funds had stopped deploying. The other half were US-only with no path for Australian founders.

So I built the list I wish I'd had. Every entry below was verified in March 2026 — active fund, accepting applications or deal flow, with a clear thesis that includes women founders. Not "might consider" — actively looking for you.

This is built from NUVC's database of 3,500+ verified investors plus original research. Bookmark it. Share it with a founder who needs it. Come back when you're ready to raise.

How to Use This List

Don't spray and pray. Here's the approach that actually works:

1. Find your stage — Pre-seed, seed, or Series A+ determines which section to start with
2. Pick 3-5 from Track 1 (women-focused funds) — these are your momentum builders
3. Pick 5-10 from Track 2 (generalist funds with female GPs) — these write the bigger cheques
4. Layer in 2-3 programs (accelerators, grants) — these give you credibility and warm intros
5. Approach Track 1 first — a term sheet or strong interest from a women-focused fund creates urgency that pulls generalists in

Women-Focused VC Funds in Australia & New Zealand

These funds exist specifically to back women founders. Your gender is a tailwind here, not a headwind.

Scale Investors (Melbourne) — Pre-Seed to Series B

• What: Australia's first women-led VC fund. Raising a $100M fund after a management buyout by four senior women executives (Samar Mcheileh, Roo Harris, Chelsea Newell, Solai Valliappan)
• Cheque size: Previously $50K-$250K via angel syndicate, now scaling with fund vehicle
• Track record: 30+ portfolio companies over 11 years as an angel investment group
• Best for: Australian women founders at any early stage. Strong mentoring culture
• Apply: scaleinvestors.com.au

Alice Anderson Fund / LaunchVic (Melbourne) — Seed

• What: $10M Victorian Government co-investment fund targeting women-led startups
• Cheque size: $50K-$300K (co-invests 3:1 with private capital)
• Track record: 46 investments since launch
• Note: LaunchVic is being consolidated into Breakthrough Victoria. The fund is still accepting applications (next IC meeting May 2026, deadline 14 April 2026) — but check status before applying
• Apply: launchvic.org

ALIAVIA Ventures (US-Australia) — Pre-Seed & Seed

• What: California-based fund investing in early-stage female founders in the US and Australia
• Cheque size: From a $13.5M AUD fund
• Founded by: Marisa Warren (ex-SAP, Microsoft, Workday) and Kate Vale (ex-Google MD, ex-Spotify Australia)
• Focus: B2B and B2C tech — health tech, fintech, edtech, HR tech, media
• Track record: 9 investments including Eugene, HowToo, Othelia
• Best for: Australian women founders who want access to US networks. One of the few cross-border women-focused funds
• Apply: aliavia.vc

Women-Focused VC Funds Deploying Globally in 2026

If you're raising from international investors — or planning to expand — these are the funds actively writing cheques right now.

Pre-Seed & Seed (US$500K-$2M rounds)

• Female Founders Fund (New York) — Seed stage, e-commerce, platforms, media. One of the original women-focused funds and still actively deploying
• Halogen Ventures (Los Angeles) — 100+ female-founded investments, 6 unicorns in portfolio, $15B+ combined portfolio value. Fund III ($30M) closed June 2025. Focus on consumer tech and the "Future of Family" ($7.5T category including childcare). Led by Jesse Draper. halogenvc.com
• Chloe Capital (New York) — Seed stage with gender and diversity lens. Climate, health, workforce tech. 2026 Founder Fellowship running now (NYC, partnership with NYCEDC). Invests minimum $300K in fellowship companies. 41 investments to date. chloecapital.com
• How Women Invest (San Francisco) — Raising Fund III. Unique angle: engages women limited partners as investors. howwomeninvest.com
• Golden Seeds (US, nationwide) — 315+ members across 9 chapters and 28 states. $185M+ invested in 250+ companies. One of the largest angel networks in the US. Opened Chicago chapter October 2025. goldenseeds.com
• SoGal Ventures (US-Asia) — Pre-seed and seed for women and diverse founders. 70+ investments, $7.8B+ portfolio value, 4.5x returns, 77% gross IRR. One of the strongest-performing women-focused funds. sogalventures.com

Series A+ (US$3M+ rounds)

• Cowboy Ventures (Palo Alto) — Founded by Aileen Lee (who coined "unicorn"). Fund V recently closed ($130-160M). Seed through growth. Not women-only but strong thesis backing women founders. 94+ portfolio companies. cowboy.vc
• BBG Ventures (New York) — Consumer tech focus, women-led companies. $170M AUM
• Backstage Capital (US) — 171+ portfolio companies backing underrepresented founders (women, people of colour, LGBTQ+). Recently partnered with 360 Venture Collective for strategic expansion. backstagecapital.com

Climate & Impact

• Buoyant Ventures (Chicago) — $81M AUM, female-owned by Amy Francetic and Allison Myers. Digital climate solutions (energy, transport, agriculture, water, built environment). Preference for gender and ethnically diverse founders. Largest first-time female-owned venture fund outside the coasts. buoyant.vc
• True Wealth Ventures (Austin) — Two funds ($19M + $35M). Invests exclusively in women-led companies improving environmental or human health. 80%+ of LPs are women. Led by Sara Brand and Kerry Rupp. truewealthvc.com
• Portfolia (US) — Sector-specific funds (FemTech, Active Aging, Food & AgTech, Climate) with female LP base. Multiple fund vehicles allow sector targeting

Generalist Funds With Female GPs Who Back Women Founders

These investors won't invest because you're a woman — they'll invest because you're building something exceptional. But they won't penalise you for it either. That matters more than most founders realise.

Female GPs Writing the Biggest Cheques in 2026

• Ann Miura-Ko — Floodgate. Seed stage. One of the most respected seed investors in Silicon Valley
• Kirsten Green — Forerunner Ventures. $2B+ AUM. Consumer and commerce. Led Warby Parker, Glossier, Bonobos, Dollar Shave Club. Active December 2025 (led Dazzle seed round). Forbes Midas List 2024
• Theresia Gouw — Acrew Capital. $1.7B AUM. Became venture capital's first female billionaire (Forbes, June 2025). Data, security, community-activated tech. Acrew's Diversify Capital Fund specifically helps diversify cap tables
• Sarah Guo — Conviction. $230M Fund II closed January 2025. AI-native investing. Portfolio includes Harvey ($3B), Mistral ($6B), Sierra ($4.5B). Co-hosts "No Priors" AI podcast

Accelerators With Strong Female Founder Cohorts

• Startmate (Australia/NZ) — Consistently strong female cohort ratios. Fellowship and accelerator programmes. Strong alumni network across ANZ
• Antler (Global, offices in Sydney and Melbourne) — Co-founder matching + investment. Active gender diversity targets in cohorts
• Techstars (Global) — Multiple programmes across sectors. Track record of diverse cohorts
• Entrepreneur First (London, Singapore, Bangalore) — Pre-team, pre-idea. Good for technical women founders who want a co-founder

The Multiplier: Beyond The Billion

Beyond The Billion is a consortium of 120+ VC funds globally that have collectively deployed over $1 billion into 1,302 women-founded companies — including 14 unicorns like Canva, Airwallex, FIGS, Spring Health, and Maven Clinic.

Why this matters tactically: A warm intro to one BTB partner can cascade across the network. These funds share deal flow. If Chloe Capital passes but loves your company, they'll refer you to three other BTB partners who might be a better fit.

BTB partners include many of the funds listed above — Halogen Ventures, Buoyant Ventures, ALIAVIA Ventures, SoGal Ventures, Golden Seeds, and dozens more. Getting into one relationship opens the network.

beyondthebillion.com

Grants and Non-Dilutive Funding for Women Founders in Australia

Before you give up equity, check whether you qualify for these:

• NSW Investing in Women Program — State government funding for women-led businesses. Applications typically open annually (check nsw.gov.au)
• Boosting Female Founders (federal) — Grants up to $400K for women-founded startups with innovative ideas and growth potential. Check current round status on business.gov.au
• R&D Tax Incentive — Not women-specific but critical. Up to 43.5% refundable offset for eligible R&D. Most early-stage tech companies qualify. Talk to a specialist accountant — this is often worth more than a seed cheque

Networks and Communities for Women Founders

Capital is one thing. The right network is often worth more.

• SBE Australia — Scale, Bankability and Enterprise programme. Mentoring, board readiness, investment preparation for women founders
• Rare Birds — Australian network connecting women entrepreneurs. Events, mentoring, community
• Heads Over Heels — Introduces high-growth women founders to corporate leaders who become customers, mentors, and investors
• Women in AI Australia — For founders building in AI/ML. Growing community with regular events
• Australians Investing in Women (AIIW) — Impact initiative directing philanthropic and investment capital to women and girls

Women Founder Funding Statistics 2025-2026

Use these in your pitch — not as a sob story, but as market context that positions your raise:

• $73.6 billion — Total raised by US female-founded companies in 2025 (27.7% of deal value, a record)
• 127 funds — Women-led VC funds that closed in 2025, totalling $2.45 billion
• 78 cents vs 31 cents — Revenue generated per dollar invested by women-founded vs male-founded startups (BCG)
• 35% higher ROI — Average return on investment for female-founded companies vs all-male teams
• 14% less funding — What women receive for identical pitches compared to male founders. The gap is real but narrowing
• 42% of new VC firms in 2024 had at least one woman managing partner (target: 45% in 2026)

The Quick-Reference Cheat Sheet

Screenshot this. Save it. Send it to a founder who needs it.

• Raising under $500K? Start with Golden Seeds, Scale Investors, or Alice Anderson Fund. Layer in an accelerator (Startmate, Antler) for warm intros to institutional capital
• Raising $500K-$2M? Lead with Halogen, Chloe Capital, SoGal, or ALIAVIA. Use a term sheet from any of these to create urgency with generalist funds
• Raising $3M+? You need a generalist lead (Forerunner, Cowboy, Acrew). Use women-focused fund interest to demonstrate competitive demand
• Building in climate or health? Buoyant Ventures and True Wealth Ventures are the two funds specifically built for you
• Not sure where to start? Join Beyond The Billion's network through any single partner fund — the 120+ fund network shares deal flow

For the full tactical playbook on how to run a two-track fundraising process, read our companion guide: Fundraising as a Woman Founder: A Tactical Guide (Not a Pep Talk).

Your Next Move

Upload your pitch deck to NUVC. Our matching engine cross-references your stage, sector, and thesis against our database of 3,500+ investors — including every women-focused fund and BTB partner listed above. Score 7.0+ and you unlock direct contacts with personalised outreach talking points.

Get matched with women-focused investors — 60 seconds from upload to personalised matches.

Or share this list with a founder who needs it. That's how ecosystems actually work.

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Every fund, programme, and statistic in this article was verified in March 2026. If you spot something that's changed, let us know — we update this list quarterly.

Sources: Beyond The Billion Momentum Report 2025, PitchBook Female Founders Dashboard, BCG Gender Gap Study, Founders Forum Women in Funding Report 2025, Halogen Ventures press release March 2026, Scale Investors / Capital Brief, LaunchVic, TechCrunch, Venture Capital Journal.