Amplified Sciences among recent female-led companies supported by VisionTech
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Indianapolis-based angel investment group VisionTech is putting its support behind a pair of women-led startups at a time when female-led founders are seeing a decline in capital contributions.
Forty-five VisionTech investors wrote a combined $338,000 in checks supporting two such female-led businesses: West Lafayette-based Amplified Sciences and Minneapolis-based Pelvital.
Of that, $165,000 was awarded to Amplified Sciences, a life sciences diagnostics company with operations in Purdue Research Park. Specifically, Amplified Sciences’ research focuses on early detection of pancreatic cancer.
VisionTech emphasized in a recent news release its support for companies like Amplified Sciences this year specifically which has seen $1.7 billion less invested in female-led businesses as compared to 2022. VisionTech cited a mid-July report from TechCrunch.
“It may be a down year elsewhere for investing in female-led startups,” VisionTech Executive Director Ben Pidgeon said in a news release. “But that’s definitely not the case with VisionTech Angels.”
Acknowledging the gaps, Amplified Sciences CEO Diana Caldwell said that research shows female leaders are often asked different questions by would-investors. For example, she said, men may be asked about potential gains whereas women might be asked instead about losses.
“I know many life sciences female founders who are rockstar builders of teams, incredibly creative when solving problems, know how to surround themselves with diverse teams and listen to them, and are always planning ahead for Plan B and C,” Caldwell said. “And, when it comes to capital raises, perhaps we are more familiar with how much one can raise with ‘bake sales’ and therefore get really creative when fundraising.”
Amplified Sciences was also awarded a National Cancer Institute grant of $400,000 this summer to support its work. In 2021, the company was named to the Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School’s Most Fundable Companies list.
More information about VisionTech angel investing is available on the organization’s website at visiontech-partners.com/investors/focus.