IfWeRaise

Fairer access to entrepreneurship.

IfWeRaise helps founders who've been overlooked by traditional funding get the knowledge, network and capital they need to build.

The mission hasn't changed, and the door isn't closed. We're between chapters — and giving real thought to where we can be most useful next.

No active programmes running right now

Why this still matters

Erika Brodnock's Diversity Beyond Gender (Extend Ventures) tracked a decade of UK venture capital, from 2013 to 2023. The gap is the reason this work exists.

11%
of funding rounds went to Global Majority Heritage founders — who make up 18% of the UK population.
14.5%
went to women founders — barely up from 11% in the previous decade.
0.14%
of all funding reached Black women founders across the ten years.
2013–23
a full decade of UK VC data — and the gap has barely moved.
Read the full report →

In the meantime — start here

If funding has never quite been built for you, you shouldn't have to wait for us. These are the people we'd point you to today.

Capital — funds & angels backing underrepresented founders

  • Ada Ventures — seed fund built to back founders and markets that traditional VC overlooks.
  • Cornerstone VC — Black-led pre-seed and seed fund that weights team diversity heavily.
  • Impact X Capital — backing underrepresented entrepreneurs across Europe.
  • Lifted Ventures — mobilising more capital into women-led businesses.

Network — the people changing the system

  • Diversity VC — the non-profit working to make venture capital fairer.
  • Foundervine — community and accelerators for diverse founders.
  • Hatch Enterprise — inclusive incubation and acceleration for founders from all backgrounds.