DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)

Data security and privacy

Board composition

Climate action

Depending on a company’s products/services, business model, geographic location, etc., certain factors will be more important than others.

However, there are four factors we believe are non-negotiable and, therefore, the most material issues for tech companies at all stages:

• DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
• Data security and privacy
• Board composition
• Climate action

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)

Despite being widely discussed in recent years, the significant DEI gaps in the tech sector will only have a negative impact, putting companies that don’t find a way to build diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces and company cultures at a competitive disadvantage, particularly with respect to:

• Attracting and retaining talent
• Attracting capital: ****Investors’ interest in this important issue is growing as they come to accept that diversity does, in fact, drive corporate value. In addition, as the ESG lens is increasingly applied to VC firms by their current and potential LPs, the diversity of VC portfolios is rising as a key issue. As a result, VCs are increasingly looking for opportunities to invest in diverse founder teams.

Why DEI is so important: more data and insights