Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal Ventures accelerates social progress by removing barriers that hold people back.

©$year Pivotal Ventures

Our Founder

Centering Women and Girls of Color

Mental Health for Young People

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Women's Political Power

Women and Tech Innovation

Investments

We're changing the face of the investment industry.

We invest in women-led funds and series A to C companies that are aligned with our mission. We’re out to prove that a commitment to diversity can deliver meaningful financial returns—and unlock market-based solutions to a range of social problems.

Key Principles
& Tactics

Investing Early

We aim to commit capital early to help bring other investors on board. This helps steer more resources to founders and funds that aren’t getting the attention and investment they deserve.

Building an Inclusive Process

We have designed a process to avoid replicating the unconscious biases that select against companies and funds led by women, especially women of color. When we evaluate investments, we focus on performance potential—not whether a founder or fund manager looks like the archetype of who’s been successful in the past.

Rethinking Due Diligence

We have a rigorous due diligence process, and we only invest in companies and funds that we believe are likely to be profitable. We want to send a signal to the rest of the industry that by overlooking these diverse investment opportunities, they’re missing out.

Aligning with Core Focus Areas

We shine a light on companies and funds working to advance market-based solutions to the issues in Pivotal's focus areas—like caregiving and mental health for young people.

Generating Meaningful Returns

These investments aren’t philanthropic: We expect them to be profitable.

A video of women discussing the potential impact of putting more money in the hands of women investors and founders.

We believe that a commitment to diversity will generate meaningful returns. When more women of all backgrounds can control, access, and benefit from investment capital, it will meet unmet market needs—and drive progress and innovation for everyone.

Our Portfolio

We invest in funds and early-stage companies that are changing the face of power in the venture capital industry and unlocking market-based solutions to societal problems.

Fund Investments

Acrew Capital

Status: Active

Type: Fund

Investing in data and security, fintech, and health and human empowerment with conviction and commitment

Investments

We're changing the face of the investment industry.

Key Principles & Tactics

Investing Early

Building an Inclusive Process

Rethinking Due Diligence

Aligning with Core Focus Areas

Generating Meaningful Returns

These investments aren’t philanthropic: We expect them to be profitable.

Our Portfolio

Fund Investments

Acrew Capital

Basis Set Ventures

BBG Ventures

Beta Boom

Cake Ventures

Cherryrock Capital

Chingona Ventures

Construct Capital I, LLC

Define Ventures

Female Founders Fund

Forerunner Ventures

Growth Warrior Capital

Impact America Fund

Leadout Capital

Magnify Ventures

Monarch Collective

Rethink Impact

Ulu Ventures

Vesey Ventures

Direct Investments

Ellevest

Founders First Capital Partners

Huue, Inc.

Mon Ami

Summer Health

Tia

Webee

"Instead of investing in women and people of color because it's good for optics, now investors are doing it because they've seen it's good for business."

Get insights about how investments can drive change.

Insights From the Team

Bridging the Gap: Women-led Funds Are Seizing Opportunities Others Have Missed

Resources

Our Investment Strategy

Key Principles
& Tactics