While it’s been observed that the pandemic dampened overall labor force participation rates for women and had a disproportionate negative impact on both female founders and investors, women have also made important gains over 2021, especially in the world of VC. According to a recent Pitchbook report , female-founded companies shattered the previous annual deal value record in just the first three quarters of 2021, and outperformed the broader market when it comes to exit size and timing. What’s more, the number of US-based female check writers has increased by nearly 3.5% since 2019, with women now holding 15.4% of GP positions – while there is much more progress necessary in this area, it's clear that change is being slowly enacted across the industry.

Last year’s Midas List honored twelve of these leading VCs who have delivered exceptional returns following smart bets on some of the most exciting startups around the world. We are encouraged by the staying power of these women,and hope their leadership is a sign of continued industry progress. We’re pleased to spotlight these women and their activity over the last year that helped secure their place on the Midas List once again.

Kathy Xu
Capital Today
Founding Partner

Key investments: BOSS Zhipin, Dianping, Meituan, Three Squirrels, Chehaoduo Group, Mafengwo, Liangpin Puzi, Xiaozhu, NOME

Kathy Xu founded Capital Today in 2005 and has since made a name for herself as“China’s Queen of Venture Capital.” The more than 25-year venture veteran was an early investor in JD.com,which went public in 2017 and was valued at $59 billion in 2018, as well as Three Squirrels Snack Food, Bestore Snack Food Chain, and MeituanDianping, all of which have gone public in recent years.

Xu’s venture firm Capital Today saw consistent gains across its portfolio in 2021,with community shopping platform Xingsheng Youxuan reaching a $4 billion valuation following a $2 billion funding round. She also made her first investment in robotics,jointly leading Gaussian Robotics’ Series C alongside Softbank’s Vision Fund.