The Helm
The Helm is a New York and London-based early-stage venture firm that invests exclusively in companies founded by women through its Fund II and Angel Syndicate, while providing portfolio support via a job board, talent network, and editorial platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Helm does
The Helm is a New York City and London-based early-stage venture firm that invests exclusively in companies founded by women, operating through two primary vehicles: a structured venture fund (Fund II, successor to Fund I launched in 2018) and an Angel Syndicate membership program. The firm sources deals, performs diligence, and provides portfolio support across a diverse set of sectors including electric vehicle charging (itselectric), aerospace (Venus Aerospace), food technology (Rebellyous Foods), climate/carbon removal (Opna), fashion/textiles (Simplifyber), financial literacy (Realworld), and women's and maternal healthcare (Mahmee, Tia, Oova). The Helm generates revenue through management fees and carried interest on Fund II plus Angel Syndicate co-investment activity, typical of venture fund economics; financial figures are not publicly disclosed.
Beyond capital deployment, The Helm operates a portfolio support platform including a Getro-powered Job Board and Talent Network that connects job seekers and professionals with portfolio companies, and publishes The Helm Review, an editorial platform covering women's health, investing, and female founders. The firm is led by a small core team: Founder and General Partner Lindsey Taylor Wood, COO and General Partner Julie Weber (also acting as interim CFO since Fund I), and Partner Olivia Fleming, who leads the sustainability vertical and manages the angel investor network. The Helm's go-to-market relies on direct outreach to female founders, referrals from existing portfolio companies, content marketing through The Helm Review, and earned media coverage in outlets such as Fortune, Forbes, Vogue, and Elle. The firm's investment thesis is anchored in the structural funding gap — women receive approximately 2% of all venture capital — and the outperformance data point that female-founded startups deliver twice as much per dollar invested compared to all-male-founded teams.
The Helm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Helm
- Legal name
- The Helm Asset Management
- Website
- https://thehelm.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Helm is a New York and London-based early-stage venture firm that invests exclusively in companies founded by women through its Fund II and Angel Syndicate, while providing portfolio support via a job board, talent network, and editorial platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Helm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital Investment Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where The Helm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Helm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Returns (Carried Interest): The Helm generates returns through carried interest on successful portfolio exits, typical of VC fund structures. Fund II and angel syndicate investments target early-stage female-founded companies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Helm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Helm is an early-stage venture capital firm that deploys capital into game-changing companies founded by women through two core products: Fund II, a structured venture fund for institutional investors, and an Angel Syndicate membership that enables individual investors to co-invest in the firm's deals. The firm also provides portfolio companies with ecosystem support, including a job board, talent network, and The Helm Review editorial platform, and applies a gender-lens investing thesis targeting the underserved segment of female founders who receive only 2% of all venture capital.
Product overview
The Helm is an NYC and London-based early-stage venture firm offering two primary investment products: Fund II (a structured venture fund) and an Angel Syndicate membership, both focused on investing in game-changing companies founded by women. The firm also operates a job board and talent network (powered by Getro) to support its portfolio companies, along with The Helm Review editorial platform. The core offering centers on providing capital and ecosystem support to female-founded startups through direct fund investment and angel co-investment opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fund II (Fund Investment Platform) Structured venture capital fund that deploys capital into early-stage women-founded companies; LPs commit capital to Fund II and participate in the economics (carried interest) of the portfolio.
- Angel Syndicate Membership Membership-based angel investing network that enables individual investors to co-invest alongside The Helm in female-founded startups, providing curated deal flow, due diligence support, and access to the firm's ecosystem.
- Portfolio Job Board Talent recruitment platform (powered by Getro) connecting job seekers with The Helm's portfolio companies, featuring openings across portfolio firms including Tia, Venus Aerospace, Rebellyous Foods, and others.
- Portfolio Talent Network Professional networking platform connecting talent with portfolio companies, operated through Getro's talent network system to support hiring across The Helm's portfolio.
- Founder Funding Application Online application portal for female founders seeking investment from The Helm's Fund II or angel syndicate; the entry point for deal-flow sourcing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Female-founded startups deliver twice as much per dollar invested compared to companies founded by all-male teams
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Helm
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Helm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Helm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Helm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Backstage Capital: Early-stage VC focused on underrepresented founders including women, with a similar mission-driven, thesis-led approach to investing.
- Female Founders Fund: NYC-based early-stage venture fund that invests exclusively in female-founded companies, sharing The Helm's gender-lens thesis, geography, and stage focus.
- SoGal Ventures: Global venture firm and founder network investing in diverse, often female-led startups across stages, operating a similar dual fund-and-community model.
- BBG Ventures (now Everywhere Ventures): Seed-stage fund historically focused on female founders, later broadening to generalist pre-seed; comparable in stage and mission orientation.
- Pipeline Angels: Angel investing network and training program specifically for women and non-binary investors backing female founders, similar to The Helm's angel syndicate offering.
Emerging players
- Portfolia: Investment platform offering venture funds targeted at female-led and impact-oriented investors and founders, with overlapping gender-lens thesis and LP base.
- Kapor Capital: Early-stage VC focused on startups closing gaps of access and opportunity, including for women and underrepresented founders; comparable in stage and impact orientation.
- Impact America Fund: Early-stage VC investing in companies solving social and economic problems in America, often backing female and diverse founders with a similar thesis-driven approach.
Regional players
- Ada Ventures: UK-based early-stage fund investing in overlooked founders including women, comparable as a London-headquartered gender- and diversity-focused peer with overlapping geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Anthemis (Female Innovators Lab Fund): Larger fintech-focused investment platform that co-manages gender-focused venture vehicles; comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping gender-lens LP activity.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Helm social profiles
Digital presenceThe Helm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Helm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Helm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Helm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments50 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Helm
What does The Helm do?
The Helm is an early-stage venture capital firm that deploys capital into game-changing companies founded by women through two core products: Fund II, a structured venture fund for institutional investors, and an Angel Syndicate membership that enables individual investors to co-invest in the firm's deals. The firm also provides portfolio companies with ecosystem support, including a job board, talent network, and The Helm Review editorial platform, and applies a gender-lens investing thesis targeting the underserved segment of female founders who receive only 2% of all venture capital.
Is The Helm a public or private company?
The Helm is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Helm founded?
The Helm was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Helm based?
The Helm is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Helm make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Returns (Carried Interest).
Who are The Helm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Backstage Capital, Female Founders Fund, SoGal Ventures, BBG Ventures (now Everywhere Ventures) and Pipeline Angels. Emerging players are Portfolia, Kapor Capital and Impact America Fund. Ada Ventures is listed as a regional player. Anthemis (Female Innovators Lab Fund) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Helm have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Helm.
What industry is The Helm in?
The Helm's product category is Venture Capital Investment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.