What WOCstar Fund does

Wocstar Capital, LLC is a privately-held, New York-based venture capital and education firm founded in 2015 by Gayle Jennings-O'Byrne. It operates an integrated platform comprising four entities: Wocstar Fund (early-stage VC investing in diverse tech entrepreneurs with a female-forward thesis), Wocstar Academy (capital-readiness training for founders and investors via workshops and mentorship), Wocstar Media (creative-economy investments through the Media Fellows program), and the Wocstar Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accepts monthly and one-time donations starting at $20 and $100 respectively. The firm's investment portfolio includes 7 active companies (Samba TV, Hemster, Re-Nuble, FilmHedge, Infinite Objects, Possip, Moment.ai), 4 disclosed exits (Audigent acquired by Experian, Flow, Sports Innovation Lab, Uncharted Power), and 1 prior investment (Zero Grocery).

The firm monetizes primarily through venture capital fund returns from equity exits, supplemented by grant support from Pivotal Ventures and other foundations targeting systemic underinvestment in female fund managers, plus donations to its Media Foundation. CEO Gayle Jennings-O'Byrne, a former JPMorgan M&A banker, is the primary deal-sourcing and brand asset, with recognition from the New York Times, Forbes 50 Over 50, and Business Insider. Deal flow is sourced through a JotForm application, the Academy alumni network, and direct founder outreach, while distribution and brand-building run through the 'VC's Off the Record' podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and earned media (PIX11, CBS News, NYT, Forbes, Crain's). The Academy curriculum covers strategic capitalization, valuation and terms, campaign execution, and investor cultivation for founders, with a parallel investor track. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and is preparing an asynchronous online Academy extension.

Name

WOCstar Fund

Legal name

Wocstar Capital, LLC

Website

https://wocstar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wocstar Capital is a New York-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in diverse and female-founded tech entrepreneurs through Wocstar Fund, while operating Wocstar Academy for capital-readiness training and Wocstar Media for creative-economy investments, supported by a 501(c)(3) Media Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Private Equity

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Early-stage venture capital
• Founder education programs
• Creative economy investment
• Diverse founder funding
• Capital readiness training

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Fund Returns (Exits): Wocstar Fund generates returns through equity investments in early-stage tech companies. Successful exits include Sports Innovation Lab, Uncharted Power, Audigent (acquired by Experian), and Flow, which have returned investor capital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

WOCstar Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund that makes equity investments in innovative, diverse, and female tech entrepreneurs building transformative companies across critical industries. The firm supplements its investments with Wocstar Academy (capital-readiness training and investor education), Wocstar Media (creative economy investments and the Media Fellows program), and the Wocstar Media Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting artists and creators).

Product overview

Wocstar Fund operates as a unified venture capital platform with multiple integrated offerings: the core Wocstar Fund provides early-stage investment in diverse tech entrepreneurs; Wocstar Academy delivers capital-readiness training for founders and investors through workshops and mentorship; Wocstar Media focuses investment on the creative economy; and the Wocstar Media Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) supports diverse artists and creators through the Media Fellows Program. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting diverse entrepreneurship from funding through education to media representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wocstar Fund: Early-stage venture capital fund that invests in a new generation of innovative and diverse tech entrepreneurs
• Wocstar Academy
• Wocstar Media
• Wocstar Media Foundation
• VC's Off The Record

Products and services

• Wocstar Fund Early-stage venture capital fund that invests in innovative and diverse tech entrepreneurs with a female-forward mindset, targeting transformative companies in critical industries. Active portfolio includes Samba TV, Hemster, Re-Nuble, FilmHedge, Infinite Objects, Possip, and Moment.ai; exited investments include Audigent (acquired by Experian), Sports Innovation Lab, Uncharted Power, and Flow.
• Wocstar Academy Educational program that trains founders and investors on the mechanics of capital raising, storytelling, valuation, campaign execution, investor cultivation, asset class mastery, diligence frameworks, and portfolio strategy. Delivered via curated workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and a peer community, with a self-paced online platform (Wocstar Online Academy) coming soon.
• Wocstar Media Investment vehicle for the creative economy that backs creative entrepreneurs in media and entertainment with capital and strategic support, including the Media Fellows program supporting artists and creators.
• Media Fellows Program Fellowship program that supports artists and creative entrepreneurs (e.g., film directors, producers, theater artists) with funding and development opportunities to amplify diverse voices in media and entertainment.
• Wocstar Media Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that accepts monthly (starting at $20) and one-time (starting at $100) donations to fund fellowship programming and creative initiatives. Accepts cash, grants, cryptocurrency, real estate, stocks, and other assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple successful exits including Audigent (acquired by Experian) and Flow, returning investor capital
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LOHAS ADVISORSsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOHAS ADVISORS is a stated supporter of the Wocstar Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports creative entrepreneurs and media fellows. LOHAS ADVISORS provides advisory support for the foundation's charitable mission.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pipeline Angels: Network-driven angel group focused on funding and training women and non-binary entrepreneurs. Comparable to Wocstar's Academy-plus-capital model for diverse founders.
• BBG Ventures: An early-stage fund backing female and diverse founders in tech. Comparable in stage and inclusion-led thesis to Wocstar Fund's core investment approach.
• Backstage Capital: VC fund focused on underrepresented founders including women, people of color and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to Wocstar's mission and target market.
• Female Founders Fund: Early-stage VC focused on female-founded companies across consumer, enterprise and health. Direct peer because it invests at the same stage into women-led startups with a similar thesis to Wocstar Fund.
• Chingona Ventures: Early-stage fund investing in underestimated, primarily female and Latinx founders. Comparable stage and thesis, with similar founder-led brand profile to Wocstar.
• New Voices Fund: Early-stage fund investing in women of color founders. Directly comparable to Wocstar's focus on underrepresented founders and community-driven sourcing.
• Halogen Ventures: Early-stage fund investing in consumer-tech companies led by founders of color, with a focus on Black and female founders. Closely aligned with Wocstar's diversity thesis and stage.
• SoGal Ventures: A global, female-led early-stage venture fund backing diverse founders. Highly comparable in stage, thesis and founder-led brand similar to Wocstar's positioning.
• Plum Alley: A female-focused investment platform offering curated deal access and education to investors backing women-led companies. Comparable in the female-forward LP/founder ecosystem play.

Broad incumbents

• Pivotal Ventures: An investment and incubation company founded by Melinda Gates. Provides foundational grant capital to Wocstar and is a broader ecosystem player funding diverse managers and founders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Wocstar
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcpzz0ps3xDkmWyl4nvGxiQ
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/Wocstar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intent-manifesto
• Instagraminstagram.com/wocstarfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments10 records

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

Frequently asked questions about WOCstar Fund