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Gaingels

The Leading Venture Investment Syndicate representing the LGBTQ community and its allies

Burlington, VT, USA

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Description

Gaingels is the leading global venture investment syndicate and venture capital firm dedicated to representing the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Based in Burlington, Vermont, it is one of the world's largest diversity-aligned investment syndicates, with over $1 billion deployed into more than 2,600 investment rounds as of 2025. 

Gaingels is stage-agnostic and participates in funding across the entire business lifecycle: 

  • Early Stage: Frequently co-invests in Seed and Series A rounds.
  • Growth & Late Stage: Actively participates in Series B through Pre-IPO rounds for established companies.
  • Portfolio Profile: Its massive portfolio includes over 70 unicorns, such as Databricks, Epic Games, and MasterClass. 
  • Application Method: Founders can engage Gaingels through referrals from their network of 4,000+ members or via top-tier venture capital leads.

Eligibility

  • Founder Profile: Gaingels invests in companies with LGBTQIA+ founders or C-suite leaders.
  • Inclusive Companies: They also invest in companies with diverse and underrepresented leadership (women, minorities, etc.) or established firms resolved to build more inclusive teams.
  • Investment Standards: They are a major supporter of the Diversity Term Sheet Rider Initiative, aimed at increasing access for non-traditional check write

Process

  • Founder Intake: While primarily a co-investment syndicate that follows lead VCs, founders can contact them via Gaingels.com to share their vision for inclusive team building.
  • Investor Membership: For those looking to join as investors, the onboarding process is continuous and takes approximately one week, involving an online form, KYC checks, and a 30-minute introductory call. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  1. Strategic Capital: Access to co-investment capital alongside leading institutional VCs in competitive, oversubscribed rounds.
  2. Diverse Talent Pipeline: Assistance in identifying and recruiting diverse talent for C-suite and board leadership roles.
  3. Board Access Program: Help for companies to source and seat diverse board members and advisors (over 60 seated to date).
  4. Global Network: Connectivity to a community of 4,000+ industry leaders, operators, and entrepreneurs for mentorship and business development.
  5. Job Board Exposure: Portfolio companies list open roles on one of the largest diversity-aligned job boards in venture capital, featuring over 10,000 live roles.