Crunchbase Introduces Diversity Spotlight

June 23, 2020 — Crunchbase announced the upcoming beta release of  Diversity Spotlight.  According to Jager McConnell, CEO of Crunchbase, Diversity Spotlight will give companies the opportunity to showcase the diversity within their own businesses. McConnell detailed the benefits of using this new tool in a blog posted below. He notes that users will be able to “analyze trends and search Crunchbase using diversity as a filter.”

McConnell writes: 

After decades of underfunding and centuries of systemic discrimination, Black founders, Black CEOs, and Black-led venture firms are only beginning to get the attention they deserve. Venture capital partners like Ha Nguyen are inviting Black and Latinx CEOs to reach out to them directly. VCs like Bryce Roberts are asking their peers to commit to making more diverse investments. And, CEOs like Tiffani Ashley Bell are calling for VCs to “make the hire, send the wire.”

One major challenge they all face is how to connect eager VCs and CEOs. Posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogs help raise the visibility of Black-led companies, but they are ephemeral and not scalable. The startup world needs a central place where the two sides can meet for fundraising, building relationships, or mentorship.

Crunchbase is uniquely positioned to be that meeting place. That’s why we’ve focused our resources on centralizing and highlighting data about companies with diverse leadership and the investors who fund them. Introducing: Diversity Spotlight.

(Hey, Riana Lynn, thanks for the push.)

Diversity Spotlight data on Crunchbase

Later this summer you’ll be able to view and search by diversity data in Crunchbase using our beta Diversity Spotlight features. Entrepreneurs will be able to highlight diversity on their own company profiles. Investors will be able to create visibility into the diversity of their portfolios. Users will be able to analyze trends and search Crunchbase using diversity as a filter.

We’ve partnered with several VC firms and diversity advocates to collect diversity data, but we believe that we’ve only scratched the surface. We will need our user community to contribute their company’s diversity data to complete the picture.

We have three main goals for Diversity Spotlight:

1. Discovery: Raise awareness for companies with diverse founders looking for funding; and, firms that invest in diversity
2. Analysis: Show data that illustrates diversity funding trends
3. Accountability: Offer transparency into investment firms’ diversity funding activities

To read the full blog, visit https://about.crunchbase.com/blog/new-crunchbase-diversity-spotlight/

About Crunchbase