What Astia Angels does

Astia is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation operating a global investment platform focused on high-growth, women-led companies solving problems in health, climate, and prosperity. Founded in 2000 as the Women's Technology Cluster and rebranded to Astia in 2007, the firm operates a multi-stage Expert Sift screening methodology (Criteria, Operations, Industry, and Investor Screens) executed by a volunteer network of 6,000+ advisors across every continent. The proprietary process claims an 11% startup failure rate for graduates versus a 65–74% broader-market rate.

The core product stack comprises three integrated assets: (1) Astia Fund I, a venture fund launched in 2021, (2) the Astia Angels direct-investment program (2013–2023, $33M deployed across 62 companies, 13 exits), and (3) the Astia Connect Platform — a Salesforce-backed online portal where entrepreneurs submit applications and advisors conduct evaluation. Quarterly Astia Venture Showcases connect screened companies with accredited investors, functioning as a deal-distribution venue.

Revenue is generated through venture capital returns (carried interest on exits) and management fees associated with Astia Fund I, supplemented by corporate sponsorships from JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Cisco, Salesforce, Wilson Sonsini, Perkins Coie, and others. The firm manages $65M+ AUM across 180+ investments and reports 9,187 portfolio jobs created. Astia is headquartered in San Francisco, has 51–100 affiliated personnel including a lean core team (CEO Sharon Vosmek, CFO Omar Ali, CIO Victoria Pettibone), and reaches its 25th anniversary in 2025 with positioning as a dedicated investment house for women-led companies.

Name

Astia Angels

Legal name

Astia

Website

https://astia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Astia is a nonprofit venture capital firm that invests in high-growth, women-led companies through a proprietary Expert Sift screening process powered by a global network of 6,000+ advisors, managing $65M+ AUM across 180+ portfolio companies in health, climate, and prosperity sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Angel investment network
• Women-led startup funding
• Startup screening services
• Nonprofit investment firm

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: Astia generates returns through successful portfolio company exits (acquisitions, IPOs). As a nonprofit organization, returns are distributed to limited partners and reinvested in the mission. Historical performance shows top quartile returns with $33M invested into 62 companies with 13 exits returning capital (2013-2023 period).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Astia Angels is the direct investment program of Astia, deploying venture capital into high-growth women-led companies through the proprietary Expert Sift screening methodology. The program invests across Health, Climate, and Prosperity sectors, supports portfolio companies with access to a 6,000+ global advisor network, and is complemented by the Astia Fund I venture fund and the Astia Connect Platform for application intake. From 2013 to 2023, Astia Angels invested $33M into 62 companies, achieving 13 exits and top quartile performance.

Product overview

Astia is a nonprofit venture capital organization that has evolved from its origins as the Women's Technology Cluster (founded 2000) into a comprehensive investment house focused on high-performing women-led companies. The core offering consists of Astia Fund I (the venture fund launched in 2021) and Astia Angels investments, supplemented by the Astia Connect Platform for application submission and the proprietary Expert Sift Process for screening companies. The Expert Sift uses a global network of over 6,000 advisors to evaluate startups through four stages: Criteria Screen, Operations Screen, Industry Screen, and Investor Screen. Astia Venture Showcases connect promising companies with accredited investors. The organization manages $65M+ AUM across 180+ investments, with a documented 11% failure rate among screened companies compared to 65-74% industry average.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Astia Angels: Direct investment program for women-led companies identified through the Expert Sift process, active from 2013-2023.
• Astia Fund I
• Astia Connect
• Expert Sift

Products and services

• Astia Fund I Astia's formal venture capital fund launched in 2021 that invests in high-performing women-led companies, providing direct investment alongside screening and advisory services to portfolio companies.
• Astia Connect Platform A collaborative online platform for the unbiased evaluation of potential investments, enabling connections between Astia Advisors and applicant companies; entrepreneurs submit applications and materials through this platform for Expert Sift screening.
• Astia Angels Investment Program Direct investment program deploying venture capital into women-led high-growth companies identified through the Expert Sift; from 2013 to 2023, $33M was invested into 62 companies with 13 exits returning capital and top quartile performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% failure rate for startups through Expert Sift vs 65-74% in broader market
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lowenstein SandlerminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing pro bono professional services (legal) to support Astia's mission.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosatiminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing legal counsel services to Astia. Rob Kornegay serves as Partner and Astia's Legal Counsel.
• Perkins CoieminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing pro bono professional services to support Astia's mission.
• ZoomminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing software donations to support Astia's operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Golden Seeds: Golden Seeds is one of the largest angel networks in the U.S. focused on investing in women-led companies. Like Astia, it provides capital, education, and a community-driven screening process — directly competing for the same entrepreneur pipeline and angel LPs.
• Pipeline Angels: Pipeline Angels is a network of individual investors focused on funding and supporting women and non-binary social entrepreneurs. It mirrors Astia's angel-investing-plus-network model and competes for similar founder deal flow and accredited angel members.
• Female Founders Fund: Female Founders Fund is an early-stage venture fund that invests exclusively in women-led companies. It competes directly with Astia Fund I on the same thesis (women-led founders) at the seed stage, with check sizes and brand recognition.
• BBG Ventures: BBG Ventures (now part of Known Holdings) is an early-stage fund that has invested exclusively in companies with at least one female founder since 2014. It competes with Astia on thesis, stage, and target entrepreneur profile.
• SoGal Ventures: SoGal Ventures is a global early-stage venture fund investing in diverse founding teams, with strong focus on women and people of color. It overlaps with Astia's thesis and global footprint but operates a more traditional for-profit fund structure.
• Halogen Ventures: Halogen Ventures is an early-stage venture fund investing in consumer tech companies led by founders of color and women. It competes with Astia on thesis and stage, with a more concentrated portfolio approach.
• Backstage Capital: Backstage Capital invests in startups led by underrepresented founders including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ founders. It competes with Astia for the same thesis-aligned deal flow at the seed stage.

Emerging players

• All Raise: All Raise is a nonprofit organization focused on increasing diversity in venture capital by supporting women investors and founders. While not a direct fund, it operates in the same ecosystem Astia serves and competes for mindshare and partnership attention.

Broad incumbents

• Republic: Republic is a private investment platform offering access to startup and crypto investments, including a strong focus on diverse founders. It provides an alternative capital path that overlaps with Astia's angel network, though at a much broader scale and with retail participation.
• AngelList: AngelList is the dominant platform for angel investing and rolling funds, providing infrastructure for both individual angels and emerging fund managers. It is a comparable ecosystem player that competes for the same deal flow and angel LP capital Astia serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AstiaAngel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/astiaglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments63 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Astia Angels