The problems women in tech face are well documented. But what happens when the tech itself causes problems for women? Facebook’s ad policies were called out for being biased against women’s health in 2015. After interviewing founders from multiple femtech startups, VentureBeat has found little has changed in the three years since.
Going public is a key milestone for a private company and a time-honored way to raise capital. But from the underwriting process to the legalese-filled SEC filings, the road to an initial public offering (IPO) is a long one. Among the many decisions a company has to make before initiating an IPO, choosing which stock exchange to list on should be relatively straightforward. In the U.S., for example, the traditional options are Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Yet, with a new stock exchange — IEX — on the rise and more direct forms of listing, going public today isn’t as clear-cut as it used to be.
The conversation around sexual harassment is gaining momentum in Silicon Valley — and so it should. With Uber battling sexual harassment allegations and Binary Capital dealing with its dirty “open secret”, the narrative is taking a rough turn. In light of these recent events, the question becomes: How should women navigate the predatory jungle of Silicon Valley?
The market is flooded with products tailored to the needs of men: viagra, penis enlargement pills, fitness apps, and more. But a new sector dedicated to women is emerging. Femtech, or female technology, is tickling the curiosity of hungry venture capitalists who are beginning to sniff an opportunity like bloodhounds. Those who think of femtech as a niche market should look at the data: It concerns 49.5 percent of the world’s population.
If you haven’t heard about the Ellen Pao trial, then you’re probably living in a remote silo somewhere in Antarctica. Her sex discrimination case against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers went viral in 2015 when the court ruled in the firm’s favor. Since then, Pao has been a fervent advocate of diversity and inclusion in Silicon Valley, launching Project Include, which is now officially registered as a nonprofit.