Golden Seeds – Encouraging Growth

With more than 170 accredited investors, and locations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco, the network of angel investors known as Golden Seeds is dedicated to investing in start-up, or seed, companies led by women. In addition to financial investing, either directly or via a managed fund, Golden Seeds members invest their time and expertise. In this way, business women are supported both financially and intellectually, to grow their companies to the benefit of themselves, employees and the economy of the country. Sectors supported by Golden Seeds include technology, consumer products, life sciences and software.

In providing a platform for high net worth individuals to invest in start-up companies, Golden Seeds embraces four core values, that of being trustworthy, innovative, collaborative, and respectful. Trustworthiness calls for operating with a high degree of transparency, while at the same time treating information supplied by collaborative partners as strictly confidential. Under the Innovative banner, Golden Seeds seeks out business leaders with innovative and creative thinking, motivated to provide value into the future. Collaboration is encouraged and facilitated between investors, co-investors, entrepreneurs, advisors, strategic partners and clients. Respect for the rights of all parties is promoted.

Golden Seeds was established in August 2004 as an angel investing group, but later shifted focus to specifically assisting women in business. Statistics from a US Department of Commerce analysis on 2001, reveal that in the decade reviewed, women have been the major driving force behind business creation. It was noted that, since 1992, the number of businesses owned by women increased by 16 percent, while revenues from those businesses showed a 33 percent increase. When taking into consideration that the number of all firms in the US grew by 6 percent for the same period, with revenues increasing by 24 percent, clearly women are taking the lead.

While not being sector specific, Golden Seeds is most definitely gender specific, as the organization supports what it believes to be the “untapped economic capability of female entrepreneurs.” Stock market listed companies all had to start somewhere, and with the support of Golden Seeds and angel investors, there is little doubt that companies started and run by women have the potential to create jobs and investor opportunities which could boost the economy significantly.