Hi everyone,

As we wrap up February, it feels like the venture ecosystem is already moving at full speed. From major AI funding rounds to new programs supporting inclusive founders, the momentum across tech and venture is undeniable.

February is often the month where the year’s themes start to emerge — where investors double down on sectors they believe in and founders begin shaping the companies that will define the rest of the year.

This week we’re highlighting a founder building meaningful change, a program supporting diverse entrepreneurs, an investor helping founders refine their story, and a few of the deals that defined the month.

Let’s dive in ✨

🗂️ This Week’s Agenda

• 👩‍💼 Founder Feature
• 💡 Program Spotlight supporting diverse founders
• 🎬 Event Feature: Show Her The Money• 💗 Wrapping up the month together
• 🎤 Investor Feature
• 📅 Upcoming Event + Opportunities
• 📊 Top 3 Venture Deals from February
• 💗 Wrapping up the month together

💗 Summit Recap

This weekend, 400 women came together at Harvard University for the Girls Into VC Summit, and we are still taking it all in.

Thank you to our community. To the speakers who shared their stories openly, the founders and investors who leaned into real conversations, the sponsors who backed our vision, the volunteers who made every detail seamless, and the attendees who showed up ready to learn and connect, you made this day what it was.

What stood out most was the generosity in the room. Women staying after sessions to mentor, exchange contacts, offer advice, and create opportunities for one another. That spirit is the heart of Girls Into VC.

We are so grateful to be building this alongside you. Thank you for believing in access, ambition, and each other.

👩‍💼 Founder Feature

Kimberley Taylor — Founder & CEO of Loop

This week we’re featuring Kimberley Taylor, founder and CEO of Loop, a delivery management platform helping businesses optimize logistics and last-mile delivery.

Kimberley originally developed Loop’s core route-optimization technology while studying Chemical Engineering, applying the classic “Travelling Salesman Problem” to real-world delivery networks. What began as a university project evolved into a platform now powering millions of deliveries each month, helping companies reduce costs, streamline routes, and improve delivery visibility.

Beyond building the technology, Kimberley has also been a strong advocate for women in STEM and technology leadership, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in innovation.

Why we love highlighting Kimberley:
Her journey shows how a technical insight — paired with entrepreneurial vision — can turn a complex logistics problem into a scalable company.

💡 Program Spotlight

Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures

Morgan Stanley runs one of the most impactful programs supporting diverse founders through its Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Initiative.

The program works with early-stage startups building solutions in areas like:

• climate and sustainability
• financial inclusion
• healthcare innovation
• equitable access to technology

Participants receive capital access, mentorship, and strategic guidance from leaders across Morgan Stanley’s global network.

Why this matters:
Despite progress, underrepresented founders still receive a small fraction of venture funding. Programs like this help bridge that gap and support founders building companies that address real societal challenges.

Apply Here!

🎬 Event Feature

🎥 Show Her The Money

This week we’re highlighting the documentary Show Her the Money.

The film tackles a powerful reality: women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding.

Through the stories of leading female investors and founders, the documentary demystifies how venture capital works and highlights women backing entrepreneurs building companies that will change the world.

The message is simple but powerful:

Money is power — and women need access to capital to achieve true equality.

Watch or rent the film here:
https://showherthemoneymovie.com/watch/

🎤 Investor Feature

Steve Walsh — Hands On Angel

This week’s investor spotlight is Steve Walsh, known as “The Hands On Angel.”

Over the past eight years Steve has:

• had 6,000+ conversations with founders
• backed nearly 70 startups
• helped founders raise over $1.4B in capital

Through Hands On Angel, Steve works directly with early-stage founders to refine their capital strategy, pressure-test positioning, and connect with the right investors. He cares deeply about backing female founders and expanding access to capital!

His philosophy is simple:

Help founders raise smarter, not just faster.

Pitch Lift

Steve is also behind Pitch Lift, a live startup show where founders have 30 seconds in an elevator to pitch their company — no slides, no deck, just clarity.

The goal: help founders master concise storytelling and sharpen their investor narrative.

Together, Pitch Lift and Hands On Angel create a powerful pipeline for founders — from learning how to pitch clearly to developing the strategy needed to raise venture capital.

📅 Upcoming Events

🥙 Liberty Ventures Houston Lunch & Meet-Up

Join an intimate Houston lunch and meet-up hosted by Liberty Ventures and supported by Archbridge Institute, bringing together investors, founders, and executives for meaningful conversation and connection. The event offers a relaxed, private setting designed to help members build relationships, exchange ideas, and grow their networks within the startup and venture ecosystem. Attendance is limited and requires individual approval, with lunch included for registered guests.

🔗 Event link: https://luma.com/ybu2utx5

If you attend the lunch, you can use code:

GIVC for $30 off your ticket.

🗣️ Let’s Talk Finance: Women in Finance Happy Hour!

Saturday, March 14th, @ 5:00 pm

New York, NY

🔗 Event link: https://partiful.com/e/kwENjuBcgpGgXh3AzjKZ 

Let’s Talk Finance is hosting a happy hour for women in finance! This is a space meant to connect women across the industry and build relationships outside of a work setting. Join us for a fun evening to unwind over drinks with ambitious, thoughtful women shaping the future of finance.

💻️ Opportunities

• Venture Forward opened the scholarship application for Cohort 22 (June 2026) of VC University! Candidates are invited to learn more and apply by next Friday, March 6.

• UBS Project Female Founder: a year-long online initiative designed to equip early-stage female entrepreneurs with the tools, insights, and connections needed to scale their businesses.

• Ladies Who Launch: Small Business grants for women and non-binary entrepreneurs.

📊 Top 3 Venture Deals in February

February saw huge momentum in venture funding, especially across AI, robotics, and infrastructure.

Here are three notable deals:

1️⃣ OpenAI — $110B funding round
A historic round backed by investors including Amazon, SoftBank, and Nvidia pushed OpenAI’s valuation to roughly $840B, reflecting massive investor appetite for AI infrastructure.

2️⃣ Apptronik — $520M robotics funding
The humanoid robotics startup raised $520M to scale production of its “Apollo” robots designed for logistics and manufacturing industries. ()

3️⃣ Axelera AI — $250M AI chip round
The European semiconductor startup secured $250M to expand production of energy-efficient chips designed to run AI outside large data centers.

Taken together, these deals show where venture capital continues to concentrate: AI infrastructure, robotics, and the compute powering the next generation of software.

💗 Wrapping Up February

As we close out February, one thing is clear: venture is evolving quickly.

Capital is flowing into transformative technologies, new programs are opening doors for underrepresented founders, and communities like this one continue to grow stronger every week.

Whether you’re a founder, aspiring investor, or simply curious about the startup world, we’re grateful you’re part of the Girls Into VC community.

March is already shaping up to be an exciting month.

See you next week 💗

— The Girls Into VC Team