Sophie Winwood on Building unlock VC and Fighting for Women in Venture Capital
Sophie Winwood, co-founder of unlock VC, discusses her VC career & the integration of inclusion and empowerment in the VC industry.
Written by: Paige Bennett
Introduction
When Sophie Winwood first co-founded WVC:E in 2022, she had a vision that extended far beyond a single networking event. Today, that vision has evolved into unlock VC, an award-winning global platform serving over 1,000 women in venture capital — a dramatic expansion from the original community of 500 members.
"I feel motivated, fired up, and, to be honest, exactly the same as when I started this business," Winwood recently wrote in response to the recent DEI backlash in venture capital, including corporate policy changes at companies like Google, Meta, and Goldman Sachs.
We spoke with Sophie to learn more about her career path, how she got started as a VC investor, navigating industry challenges, championing diversity, and her long-term goals.
From Biochemistry Lab to VC Leadership
HubSpot for Startups: What initially sparked your interest in finance and investing?
Sophie: I studied biochemistry at the university, which really has nothing to do with financing or investing. I thought I wanted to change the world by curing cancer, but I found being in a lab really lonely and I was TERRIBLE at pipetting.
However, both my parents owned their own businesses growing up, so I had always been around entrepreneurs. So, I did the thing everyone does when they don’t know what to do after graduation — I joined Deloitte to do auditing, which I really didn’t enjoy and quickly moved into mid-market M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in banking and specialty finance. While I was there, I worked on one FinTech and one InsurTech deal and was like, “Cool, this is the future, I want to base my career on this.” After an amazing time at Innovate Finance, the industry body for UK FinTech, (where I was thrown into the FinTech startup ecosystem), I landed my dream job as an early-stage VC investor at Anthemis.
HSFS: How did you get started as a VC investor?
Sophie: I knew I wanted to work in VC when I was working in M&A and realized that rather than moving money around and working with incumbent companies, I wanted to be involved in wealth creation and fast innovative organizations. I went from wanting to change the world by curing cancer to wanting to change the world by finding and backing the next game-changing companies — that would create jobs, change the way we either live or work, and hopefully create health, wealth, and happiness for the economy at large.
Once I had transaction experience from M&A and startup experience from Innovate Finance, I started applying for jobs in VC — and it wasn’t easy. I was very lucky that Ruth Foxe Blader, a partner at Anthemis, took a chance in hiring me when I had no investing experience.
HSFS: How did you become acquainted with the many companies that you have invested in?
Sophie: Many different ways. Through my network, at events, through other investors, through startup programs, etc. That’s the most fun but also the most frustrating part about being a VC — you never know where your next deal will come from!
HSFS: How can you tell if a startup or small business has long-term growth potential? What do you look for specifically?
Sophie: For me, one of the key things I look for in a CEO is their ability to clearly and passionately articulate the big-picture vision and mission of the company. This is a key skill in recruiting the first employees, selling to the first customers, and getting the first investors on board. Outside of that, I look for some form of difficult-to-replicate competitive advantage — differentiated go-to-market, technical moat, or sector expertise, etc.
HSFS: How did you become acquainted with the many companies that you have invested in?
Sophie: Many different ways. Through my network, at events, through other investors, through startup programs, etc. That’s the most fun but also the most frustrating part about being a VC — you never know where your next deal will come from!
HSFS: How can you tell if a startup or small business has long-term growth potential? What do you look for specifically?
Sophie: For me, one of the key things I look for in a CEO is their ability to clearly and passionately articulate the big-picture vision and mission of the company. This is a key skill in recruiting the first employees, selling to the first customers, and getting the first investors on board. Outside of that, I look for some form of difficult-to-replicate competitive advantage — differentiated go-to-market, technical moat, or sector expertise, etc.
The Origins of unlock VC
What began as WVC:E (Women in Venture Capital: Europe) has transformed into something much larger. The organization's inaugural summit in 2022 at Station F in Paris brought together over 350 attendees and 55+ speakers from across Europe. But Winwood's vision extended beyond a single event.
The platform has since rebranded to unlock VC and now serves as a global community with over 1,000 members, including general partners, limited partners, VC investors, and angel investors. The organization has published industry-first research, including the maternity report "Investing in Women: The Untold stories of Women in VC," and offers specialized training programs, including a flagship Board Training Programme.
Looking ahead, unlock VC is planning a three-day summit for October 13-15, 2025, in Paris, expected to bring together over 400 investors. The previous year's event saw 40% of attendees stating it was their favorite event of the year.
HSFS: Tell us about unlock VC. What is it and what motivated you to establish it?
Sophie: WVC:E initially began as an idea and a desire for greater integration and empowerment of women in venture capital in Europe and beyond.
Later, WVC:E became an event with the 2022 Paris Summit which brought together more than 350 women from 12 European countries at Station F. With more than 55 speakers and 15 keynotes, workshops, and panels, the WVC:E Summit covered the most important topics in venture capital. And it wasn’t just a one-time event, the Summit marked the birth of a dynamic community of women in VC that continues to grow today as unlock VC.
HSFS: What steps are you taking to integrate inclusion and empowerment in the VC industry in Europe?
Sophie: unlock VC’s mission is to help make venture capital (actionably) more inclusive, more integrated, and more empowering! We’re developing the resources, education, and community to link like-minded VCs.
percent of GPs that are women
percent of assets managed by women
percent of assets managed by men
Navigating Industry Challenges and Advocacy
Winwood's career has coincided with significant challenges in the venture capital industry, but she remains optimistic.
Her advocacy for diversity in venture capital has become more urgent given recent industry developments. She highlights stark statistics: only 16% of general partners are women in Europe, managing just 9% of total assets under management, compared with 91% managed by male GPs.
HSFS: What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a VC investor?
Sophie: The hardest thing about VC is the long feedback cycles — you only really know you are a good investor 7-10+ years after having made an investment. This can lead to some serious imposter syndrome! So having a great support network of other investors and colleagues is really important.
HSFS: What is your current take on the growth of the investment industry? Are there certain types of companies that VC investors like yourself should target?
Sophie: We are currently in the hardest fundraising environment in a decade. Increasing interest rates, a tightening of capital availability, and a general recessionary environment have all caused a very difficult environment for startups.
VCs are focused on companies that are solving real pain points, and that has a line of sight to profitable unit economics and sustainable growth trajectories. All that being said, I’m extremely optimistic about what’s to come — the last recession saw the start of many of the biggest companies today, and I am sure we will see the same this time around.
HSFS: How does the VC industry in Europe compare to the U.S.?
Sophie: The U.S. VC industry has historically been viewed as having a more international network, bigger financing rounds, better valuations, and more interesting exit opportunities in comparison to its European counterparts. However the gap is definitely closing, and I think more and more U.S. and European investors are collaborating to the benefit of both.
HSFS: What do you see for the future of FinTech and InsurTech?
Sophie: I am very hopeful that the continued themes of embedded finance, of everything becoming a FinTech, and verticalized FinTech, means that the importance and value of FinTech will continue to expand. However, my hope is that I will not be able to predict the next big innovation — because that’s where things get exciting.
Looking Forward: Sustained Optimism Despite Headwinds
Despite recent corporate policy changes and what she describes as "the DEI backlash in VC," Winwood remains committed to her mission. Moving forward, Winwood has plans for both ambition and consistency: to continue making great investments, supporting portfolio companies, and eventually achieving these goals from a partner position.
Her journey from a biochemistry lab at Oxford to leading a global platform for women in venture capital illustrates the unpredictable paths that can lead to entrepreneurial success. But perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates how personal conviction can drive transformational change.
As Winwood continues to build unlock VC and shape the future of venture capital, her story serves as both inspiration and roadmap for founders looking to create lasting impact in their industries. Her evolution from investor to platform builder shows that sometimes the most important companies emerge not from a desire to follow a predetermined path, but from recognizing what the world needs and having the conviction to build it.
Join the next unlock VC Summit
Unlike other industry events, the unlock VC Summit carefully curates attendance to ensure the right balance of established leaders and rising innovators, while maintaining the quality of connections.
Last year, over 400 women in venture capital came together, with 40% of attendees stating it was their favourite event of the year!
We only have a limited number of Early Bird tickets, and last year they sold out!
Author: Paige Bennett
Paige is a freelance editor and writer with nearly a decade of professional experience covering marketing, sales, and lifestyle content. Her work appears on the main HubSpot blogs, Business Insider, Better Homes & Gardens, Reader's Digest, and more. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University, specializing in gender studies and sustainability. Fun fact: as of this writing, she has sustained a 1,200+ day meditation streak (we can only imagine what her Duolingo streak must be!)
