EQT Ventures Announces Promotion and New Hire

EQT Ventures, a European-based investment firm managing over €1.2 billion (equivalent to $1.4 billion USD), has revealed the advancement of Laura Yao to the position of partner. Concurrently, the firm announced the recent appointment of Anne Raimondi, previously the Senior Vice President of Operations at Zendesk, as an operating partner.

Firm Locations and Yao’s Role

Headquartered in Stockholm, EQT Ventures maintains additional offices in London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg. Yao is stationed in the firm’s U.S. office located in San Francisco, having worked there for three years before her promotion. She emphasizes that the firm prioritizes candidates with practical operational experience, as they can readily connect with the founders of the startups they fund.

“Our objective is to collaborate with the most ambitious and innovative founders across Europe and the U.S., functioning as the type of investors we ourselves would have valued when we were in their position,” Yao stated.

Yao’s Entrepreneurial Background

Prior to joining EQT Ventures, Yao was a co-founder of The PhenomList, a startup established in 2011.

Raimondi’s Focus on Portfolio Support

While Yao concentrates on identifying new investment opportunities, Raimondi’s responsibilities center on supporting the firm’s existing portfolio companies. She specializes in assisting B2B SaaS businesses with crucial aspects of startup development, including go-to-market strategies, organizational structure, executive recruitment, and overall company building.

“I joined earlier this year in an operating role, focusing on collaborating with founders of our portfolio companies as they experience growth and scaling,” Raimondi explained.

The Underrepresentation of Women in Venture Capital

Despite progress, female partners like Yao and Raimondi are still uncommon within the venture capital landscape. A Crunchbase report from last April indicated that only 3% of investors are women, and over two-thirds of firms lack any female partners.

EQT’s Commitment to Diversity

EQT Ventures distinguishes itself with a balanced 50/50 gender ratio among its employees. Yao joins Ashley Lundstrom as a full partner, alongside Raimondi’s role as an operating partner. The company currently comprises six full partners and is actively working to ensure its investment team mirrors the diversity of both the organization and the broader population.

A key component of Raimondi’s role involves advising startups on cultivating diverse and equitable organizational structures. Both she and Yao recognize the importance of EQT Ventures leading by example.

She explained that successful startups, when developing products, begin with a hypothesis, establish measurable targets, and then iterate based on testing and learning.

Building an Inclusive Company Culture

She asserts that the same iterative approach should be applied to building a diverse and inclusive company. This begins with clearly defining what diversity and inclusion entail and establishing metrics to track progress.

“Progress towards diversity goals is evaluated, and the company is held accountable for commitments. Improvements are identified if goals aren’t met, and continuous measurement of the employee experience across multiple dimensions – including diversity and a sense of belonging – is essential,” Raimondi said.

Positive Workplace Environment

Both women express satisfaction with their company’s commitment to inclusivity, evidenced by their own career advancement. Yao describes the organization as collaborative and egalitarian, fostering an environment where open communication is encouraged and hierarchy is minimized. “It’s a comfortable place for a woman to work; I immediately felt welcomed and valued,” she added.

EQT’s Investment Portfolio

The company’s investment portfolio spans startups in both the U.S. and Europe, with EQT Ventures positioning itself as a facilitator between these two regions. Notable investments include bug bounty platform HackerOne, website building technology Netlify, and quantum computing company Seeqc.

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