5 female-founded venture capital funds to know - and the popular women-led startups they've invested in

Founders Kara Weber and Lizzie Francis believe that diversity — whether it be of gender, race, or beliefs — is the backbone of a successful business. That's why they started Brilliant Ventures, an LA-based fund that invests capital (and time, experience, and ideas) into diverse founders ripe to become industry disruptors. In their portfolio you can find popular direct-to-consumer brands like Parachute, a brand that makes high-quality home essentials at accessible prices, and Tamara Mellon, a brand from the co-founder of Jimmy Choo that's redefining luxury by offering high-quality, trendy footwear at direct-to-consumer prices.

Read our reviews about:

• Parachute

You've probably heard of a lot of the brands that early stage venture capital firm Forerunner Ventures has invested in. This San Francisco-based fun was founded by Kirsten Green, and is made up of a team that is majority women. The fund is focused on investing in industry disruptors, including companies with business-to-business and business-to-consumer offerings. Their portfolio includes the likes of sneakerhead destination Stadium Goods, men's health and preventative care startup Hims, sustainable women's fashion brand Reformation, and the modern travel favorite Away.

Read our reviews about:

• Hims
• Away
• Reformation

SoGal Ventures takes pride in its title as the first female-led millennial venture capital firm. The fund, founded by Pocket Sun and Elizabeth Galbut, invests in seed-stage companies with diverse founding teams across the U.S. and Asia. The SoGal global community is thriving, with over 40 chapters across the world where local entrepreneurs and investors connect to work with, inspire, and learn from one another. Their portfolio includes cruelty-free makeup and skincare brand Winky Lux, technical womenswear brand ADAY, and customized haircare startup Function of Beauty.

Read our reviews about:

• ADAY
• Function of Beauty

Statistics show that female founders experience greater successes than their male counterparts, but traditional VC doesn't reflect this fact. The Female Founders Fund was founded by Anu Duggal to break this cycle. The fund invests in impactful women-led startups across e-commerce, web-enabled products and services, marketplaces, and platforms. Some of their portfolio standouts include Billie, a direct-to-consumer shave and body brand for women, Primary, e-commerce brand that makes high-quality, affordable kids clothing, and Eloquii, an online fashion brand that serves plus-size shoppers.

Read our reviews about:

• Eloquii
• Billie
• Primary