October 1, 2024 – Halifax, NS, Canada – Today, Sandpiper Ventures announced the addition of finance and tech entrepreneur Lauren Ledwell as Investment Principal. Lauren was previously CEO of discoverygarden, a technology company that provides digital asset management and preservation solutions to institutions and governments internationally. Lauren is also former Managing Partner of the inaugural Women’s Equity Lab Atlantic Fund 1 and is now an LP in Fund 2. She is active in the Canadian innovation ecosystem through several mentorship and advisor roles with CDL, FORA, PEI IT Alliance, and as a delegate of the Banff Forum. She is an Angel investor with Women’s Equity Lab, Sandpiper Ventures and Hustle Fund.

Lauren spent much of her career in financial services and worked to lead large-scale digital transformation and innovation efforts at both RBC and Manulife. She co-founded a machine learning company (a CDL Quantum alumnus) and remains passionate about experimenting with big ideas and emerging technology. On maternity leave, Lauren led the effort to successfully help bring a New Zealand-based formula company to Canada.

She is Board Chair of the PEI IT Alliance and an active volunteer with Junior Achievement.

“Lauren’s breadth of experience is nothing short of impressive. Her drive to build diversity in the innovation economy and identify the companies of the future makes her an ideal fit for Sandpiper. The world needs big thinkers like Lauren – we are looking forward to having her on the journey with our founders, partners and fellow investors,” states Cathy Bennett, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Sandpiper Ventures.

Sandpiper Ventures and Women in Venture Capital

• Female-only-founded startups received just 2% of all venture capital (VC) dollars in 2023. (Pitchbook)

• Women working in analyst, senior analyst, and associate roles make three to 13 percent less than their male counterparts in median salary. Bonus-wise, female analysts also make 43 to 46 percent less than men, while associates earn the same. (Canadian Women in VC)

• Female-founded teams experienced slightly higher growth, at 39.2%, compared with 33.3% for the broader VC population. (Pitchbook)

• Female entrepreneurs receive $0.8M CAD while male counterparts receive $2.1M CAD.

• Women founders have received just 6.9% of venture dollars in climate tech in Q1, according to Crunchbase, which is down from 8.9% in 2022. (Tech Crunch)

• Women are twice as likely to spend substantial time on DEI. (McKinsey US)

• Women tend to create businesses based on the identified social problems and the confirmed ecological challenges. (Sustainability)

• Women founded firms hire 2.5 times more women than all-men founded firms. (HBR)

About Sandpiper Ventures

As one of the first all-women GP led funds in Canada, Sandpiper Ventures (www.sandpiper.vc) is a seed stage venture capital fund based on the east coast of Canada. Sandpiper invests exclusively in women-led Canadian tech companies, with at least one woman in a C-level position with meaningful ownership. With deep industry experience and expansive networks, Sandpiper’s management team and advisors provide access to unique deal flow and an operator’s lens to support portfolio companies to effectively scale. Sandpiper is co-founder of Canada51, a nationwide movement to radically increase women’s participation in the innovation-driven economy. Sandpiper closed their inaugural Fund 1 at an oversubscribed $20M in August, 2022. To learn more, visit Sandpiper.vc and follow @Sandpiper_VC on Instagram or on LinkedIn.