About Ulu ventures
Ulu Ventures: Empowering Women and Diverse Founders in Silicon Valley
Ulu Ventures is a venture capital firm that has been making waves in the tech industry for its commitment to funding women and diverse founder teams. With deep connections to Stanford and Silicon Valley, Ulu Ventures has become a leading voice for diversity and inclusion in the startup world.
Founded by Miriam Rivera and Clint Korver, Ulu Ventures was born out of a desire to create change in an industry that has long been dominated by white men. Both Rivera and Korver have extensive experience in the tech industry, having worked at companies like Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn before starting their own venture capital firm.
At Ulu Ventures, the team is dedicated to finding innovative startups led by women and people of color. They believe that diversity is not only good for business but also essential for creating a more equitable society. By investing in underrepresented founders, Ulu Ventures hopes to level the playing field and give everyone an equal chance at success.
One of the unique aspects of Ulu Ventures is its close ties to Stanford University. Both Rivera and Korver are alumni of Stanford's Graduate School of Business, where they first met as classmates. Since then, they have maintained strong connections with the university's faculty members, students, and alumni network.
This connection has proven invaluable when it comes to sourcing deals for Ulu Ventures. The team often works closely with professors who are conducting cutting-edge research or mentoring promising students who are working on exciting projects. By tapping into this network of talent at Stanford, Ulu Ventures can identify startups that have real potential for growth.
In addition to its focus on diversity and inclusion, Ulu Ventures also stands out for its hands-on approach with portfolio companies. The team takes an active role in helping startups grow by providing mentorship, strategic guidance, access to resources like legal counsel or marketing expertise as well as introductions within their network of investors and industry experts.
This approach has paid off for Ulu Ventures, with several of its portfolio companies achieving significant success. For example, the firm invested in PagerDuty, a company that provides incident response software for IT teams. Since Ulu Ventures' investment, PagerDuty has gone public and is now valued at over $3 billion.
Another successful investment was in Chariot, a startup that provided shuttle services to commuters in San Francisco. After being acquired by Ford Motor Company in 2016, Chariot expanded to several other cities across the US before ultimately shutting down due to financial difficulties.
Despite this setback, Ulu Ventures remains committed to supporting startups that are making a positive impact on society. The team is always on the lookout for innovative ideas and passionate founders who are dedicated to creating change.
If you're an entrepreneur with a big idea and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, Ulu Ventures could be the perfect partner for your startup journey. With its deep connections to Stanford and Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem as well as its focus on empowering underrepresented founders, this venture capital firm is poised to make a real difference in the world of startups.