Venture Accelerator Launches Dedicated Track to Address Tech’s Gender Funding Gap
SAN FRANCISCO – November 26, 2025 – Horizon Labs Accelerator today announced the launch of a dedicated track for women-led technology startups, directly confronting the venture capital industry’s persistent gender funding disparity. The program will select 12 early-stage companies annually, providing grant capital, strategic mentorship, and a peer-driven evaluation model designed to prepare founders for institutional investment.
The initiative arrives as research continues to highlight systemic barriers facing female entrepreneurs. According to industry data, all-women founding teams receive just 2.4% of U.S. venture capital funding—a figure that has remained stagnant for three decades despite growing awareness. This gap translates to an estimated $4 trillion in missed economic opportunity, as diverse founding teams consistently demonstrate superior returns. The Horizon Labs program specifically targets seed-stage startups building solutions in economic mobility, healthcare access, and educational technology.
The 16-week accelerator distinguishes itself through Village Capital’s peer-selected investment model, where cohort participants—not external judges—determine which two ventures receive $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding. This approach democratizes capital allocation and builds evaluation skills among founders. Each company develops a personalized milestone plan using AI-powered tracking tools that benchmark progress against 40 proven metrics from idea validation to Series A readiness. The curriculum covers customer discovery, unit economics, go-to-market strategy, and investor storytelling, with specialized modules on navigating bias in fundraising conversations.
Program benefits include weekly one-on-one mentorship sessions with seasoned investors from firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock Partners, direct introductions to Horizon’s network of 600+ institutional limited partners, and specialized workshops on financial modeling, customer acquisition, and leadership development. The hybrid format combines virtual programming with three intensive in-person summits in San Francisco, eliminating relocation barriers for primary caregivers. Founders also receive $100,000 in cloud credits from Google Cloud and legal support from Wilson Sonsini.
“Our data shows female founders reach key performance indicators 30% faster when equipped with collaborative capital tools and technical resources,” said Horizon Labs CEO Jennifer Walsh. “This track isn’t about charity—it’s about correcting market inefficiency. We’re building an alternative pipeline that investors can trust because these companies have been vetted by their peers and rigorously benchmarked.” Walsh previously led product at Stripe and co-founded two venture-backed companies before launching Horizon Labs in 2019.
The accelerator builds on proven models like Springboard Enterprises, whose 930+ alumnae have raised over $61 billion in capital, and digitalundivided, Accelerator Announces Dedicated Track for Female Founders in Tech which has supported Black and Latinx women founders in securing $47 million in funding. Horizon Labs aims to facilitate $100 million in follow-on funding for its Women Founders Cohort graduates within three years. Applications opened today for the inaugural cohort, which begins March 2026. Eligible startups must be U.S.-based, tech-enabled, have an MVP, generate less than $100,000 in annual revenue, and have raised less than $1.5 million in equity capital.
About Horizon Labs Accelerator
Founded in 2019, Horizon Labs Accelerator supports early-stage technology ventures addressing systemic inequities. The firm has backed 85 startups through its general track, with alumni raising $210 million in seed and Series A funding. Horizon Labs operates from offices in San Francisco and Austin, partnering with corporations, foundations, and institutional investors to democratize access to venture capital. The organization is a founding member of the Diversity VC standard and has committed to publishing diversity metrics for all portfolio companies.
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