From Connection to Capital: The Power of Support Networks and Collaboration
Gabriela Vera is reshaping the Latin American startup scene with EMA Ventures, Peru's first VC fund dedicated to women-led startups. Her work aims to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship and empower female founders across the region.
In a region where just 5% of startup teams are women-led, Gabriela Vera founded EMA Ventures, Peru's first VC fund for female entrepreneurs. Focused on closing the gender gap, EMA supports women-led startups, driving inclusivity and change in Latin America's startup scene.
“The idea of setting up EMA is to support women who want to become role models in the startup ecosystem, through funding and advising, it is a solution for covering a current gap in gender leadership, and because I want my daughter to have role models to look up to as she grows up.”
According to Forbes, in 2021 merely 5% of startup and scale-up founding teams in the Latin American region comprised exclusively of women and only 2%, raised capital.
Understanding this reality is what drove Gabriela Vera to set up the first Peruvian VC Fund aimed exclusively at providing equity funding and advice to startups led by women and operating in Latin America.
As an investor and co-founder of QAPU Ventures, an angel investment network turned VC Fund, she and her partner Augusto Cáceres were scouring for inspiring founders in the earliest of stages. QAPU has invested in 15 startups since their launch in 2021, but despite these promising numbers of helping very early-stage ventures, the gender gap remained.
Gabriela's journey crossed paths with seven other Peruvian women during Swiss EP’s Women Entrepreneurs Week 2023 in Zurich. This gathering served as a platform to unite remarkable women who, despite being part of the same ecosystem, did not know each other very well. The event highlighted the individual potential and the collective strength they wielded together.
During the week, 50+ women, including entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors from the seven countries of the Swiss EP Program, collaborated with international experts. In the event, Gabriela met Alessia Verdi, CEO and founder of MAQU, a Peruvian startup in the heavy machinery industry who was initiating their first investment round.
"After the event [WEW]... she became a closer friend but moreover she took on a mentoring role for me, providing invaluable feedback and support in MAQU’s fundraising stage,” Says Alessia.
As their relationship and support deepened, Gabriela encouraged Alessia to apply for funding from QAPU Ventures. After a thorough review process, QAPU invested USD 30K in MAQU, solidifying their relationship and supporting the startup’s growth trajectory. Five other angel investors trusted Alessia’s leadership and invested in her and MAQU.
On the other hand, Gabriela's journey didn't stop there. In March 2024, she embarked on a new chapter along with Natalia Amaya by founding EMA Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to empowering women-led startups. Transitioning from QAPU Ventures, Gabriela's vision for EMA Ventures emphasizes inclusivity and the amplification of women's voices in the startup ecosystem.
EMA has already made their first two investments, with MAQU being one of the startups selected for funding. These investments show that when you are actively looking for great female-led startups to support - you can find them. Closing the investment gap calls for more support networks, collaboration, and awareness, an opportunity EMA Ventures is ready to reap.
The bond born between MAQU and EMA highlights the transformative potential of such networks, in this case, as they join forces to propel women-led startups to new heights, embodying the spirit of collaboration and empowerment at the heart of initiatives like the Women Entrepreneurs Week. This kind of event goes beyond fostering friendships and camaraderie; it extends into cultivating robust support systems characterized by advisory networks, experience and knowledge sharing among women, particularly those within the same country.