Financial Resources for Women-Owned Brands
Since we launched Rani Public Relations in 2020, we have spoken with many women entrepreneurs who want to reach new audiences and grow their businesses. During these conversations, we’ve noticed that the most common (and often the most difficult) obstacle that they face is access to capital. And it makes sense: you’ve got to spend money to make money. But it can be tough to give up your hard-earned dollars when your brand is still in its beginning stages.
Thankfully, there has been a big shift in resources and financial support for women-owned businesses in recent years. Now there are a ton of funding options that your brand can explore: investors, crowdfunding, grants, small business loans and more. Each option has its pros and cons, so you’ll need to research each one to determine what works best for you and your business goals.
Our mission at Rani Public Relations is to help your business grow and thrive in all aspects, not just in public relations. So today, we are sharing different options that you can explore to help grow and scale your business. Here are six investment options that focus on brands owned by women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and other underrepresented groups.
Female Founders Fund
Female Founders Fund launched in 2014 with one simple belief: women will build the companies of tomorrow. Since then, they have become the leading source of institutional capital for female founders raising seed capital with over $3B in enterprise value. Female Founders Fund has invested in many cutting-edge, women-owned fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands, such as Rent the Runway, Eloquii, Live Tinted, Winky Lux and Zola.
BBG (Built by Girls) Ventures
BBG Ventures is an early stage fund focused on consumer startups with a female founder. They are backing a new wave of entrepreneurs who are reimagining daily life, creating market-defining products and services that make work, play and home lives simpler and better. BBG Ventures has invested in many women-focused brands, including Glamsquad, Mented Cosmetics, Rocksbox, The Wing and many more women-owned businesses!
Cleo Capital
Cleo Capital is an early stage venture capital fund backing exceptional female founders at the pre-seed and seed stages. Founded by Sarah Kunst, Cleo Capital seeks to support and invest in Black women-owned businesses that are making their mark on the world. They also share a ton of resources, events and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses.
Backstage Capital
Backstage Capital invests in companies led by underrepresented groups, including women, people of color and LGBTQ+ founders. They’ve invested in 150+ companies so far, and their support goes far beyond financial investment. They offer open office hours to provide insights and support for you and your company, and they also offer courses to teach you everything you need to know about fundraising, valuations and more.
Fearless Fund
Fearless Fund is another amazing investment option for women-owned businesses. They invest in women of color-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or series A financing. They also have a Get Venture Ready program, a 12-month training program for WOC business owners to acquire the needed training, mentorship, knowledge and skills needed to gain access to capital.
IFundWomen
IFundWomen is a bit different from these other investment options. IFW is a crowdfunding platform specifically designed for women entrepreneurs. They provide immediate access to capital through their online fundraising experience, access to small business grants from their corporate partners, expert business coaching on all topics that entrepreneurs need to know about and a network of women who can support you in your business journey.
About Rani Public Relations
We are Rani Public Relations, a strategic PR and marketing agency that helps female-led businesses reach their ideal audience. Our mission is to empower, elevate and advocate for underrepresented brands in the ever-changing media landscape. With our creative expertise and passion for brand storytelling, we will help your business get the recognition it deserves.
