What if bias in Venture Capital wasn’t a problem but part of the solution?
Sophie Heijenberg has seen firsthand how bias shapes the investment world. From navigating bias as a young woman in finance to rethinking how VC firms invest, Sophie proves that venture capital can and should be different.
Key Takeaways from the episode
Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode:
💡 Not every great founder checks the right boxes
💡 Funding women is everyone’s business
💡 Networks open doors
Ready to hear how Sophie is taking venture capital beyond bias? Listen now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or Amazon. Or hit the play button below👇.
Taking Venture Capital Beyond Bias with Sophie Heijenberg | Ep. 92 – Women Disrupting Tech
Join the Women Disrupting Tech Community
One of the important things about changing the funding landscape is access to the right communities. That’s why I’m building The Women Disrupting Tech Community.
The Women Disrupting Tech Community is a growing community driving inclusion in tech by providing founders and leaders with access to insights, role models, and real-world strategies for success.
Enter your email below to join the community today.
- Key Takeaways from the episode
- Join the Women Disrupting Tech Community
- The Magic in This Episode 🪄
- The Two Zero-Cost Ways to Support Women Disrupting Tech
- What stands out
- About Sophie Heijenberg
- About No Such Ventures
- About Women in VC NL
- Your Opinion Matters!
- What’s coming up?
- More episodes like this?
The Magic in This Episode 🪄
Sophie Heijenberg, investor at No Such Ventures, is on a mission to rethink how funding works. She has been the only woman on a trading floor, walked into meetings where she was mistaken for the assistant, and now makes investment decisions that challenge the status quo.
Here are three magical insights from our conversation:
✅ Diversity in investment is not about charity but about smart business.
Sophie and her team at No Such Ventures look beyond rigid checklists to back high-potential founders others might overlook.
✅ Change requires collective effort.
Supporting female founders is not just a women’s issue. It takes investors of all backgrounds to make funding truly inclusive.
✅ Representation drives results.
Sophie actively seeks out female founders because she knows that more women in VC means more women getting funded. The best ideas don’t always show up in traditional networks. Sometimes, you have to go looking for them.
Ready to hear how Sophie is taking venture capital beyond bias? Listen to episode 92 on Spotify by clicking the button below.
The Two Zero-Cost Ways to Support Women Disrupting Tech
Want to help make inclusion in tech the norm by 2032? Here’s how:
- Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Better yet, leave a rating or review from one up to five stars on Spotify or Apple. You’ll help other people discover the podcast and help me improve.
- Share the podcast with friends, family, and co-workers. This way, you give the women disrupting tech the platform they need to make it happen. Use the buttons below to share.
What stands out
Sophie Heijenberg is proof that VC can and should be different. While listening to her story, three moments stood out to me:
1. The Subtle Ways Women Are Still Undermined in Business
About seven minutes into our conversation, Sophie shares that some founders still ask her when they will meet a partner. Even though she is the one making the investment decision.
This moment is a perfect example of unconscious bias in action. Even when women hold decision-making power, they are often assumed to be junior. Instead of backing down, Sophie confidently asserts her position.
2. The biggest misconception people have about the startup world.
When we talk about Sophie’s work in educating other women about venture capital, we land on the misconceptions that she faces. Many women still see the startup ecosystem as an alpha male space. A world shaped by tech bros like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
But Sophie highlights a different reality. Most founders in her portfolio are genuine people who are passionate about what they are building. They are not just creating businesses. They are shaping diverse and inclusive teams.
3. The mindset shift that VC needs
“We are still living in a society that’s rating people based on years of experience instead of the value that they actually add. Yeah, that’s just shitty and something that we hopefully will change over time.”
So many investors overlook talent simply because someone does not fit the traditional mold of mandates and checklists. Real change starts with rethinking what makes someone ‘qualified’. It requires VCs to look at grit and passion. To see uniqueness as an asset, not a risk.
🎧 Ready to discover the rest of the magic in this episode? Tune in to the episode on Apple Podcasts using the button below.
Or click the image with the quote to watch the episode on YouTube.
“We’re still living in a society that is rating people based on years of experience, instead of the value that they add.”
Sophie Heijenberg, Venture Capital Investor at No Such Ventures.
About Sophie Heijenberg
Sophie Heijenberg is a venture capital investor at No Such Ventures, where she challenges traditional investment models to fund high-potential founders regardless of background.
With a career spanning finance, private equity, and strategy consulting, she brings a fresh perspective to VC by looking beyond rigid checklists and embracing a more flexible, founder-first approach.
Sophie is passionate about closing the gender gap in venture capital, and she actively builds networks of female investors and mentors women looking to break into the industry. You can connect with Sophie on LinkedIn.
About No Such Ventures
No Such Ventures is a VC form that offers an alternative to the rigid, passive investment approach that prevails across Europe. They fund software first companies in the EU in the seed and series A stages. All employees participate in their investments with their own money to ensure that they have skin in the game. To learn more, visit their website or follow them on LinkedIn.
About Women in VC NL
Women in VC NL is a vibrant and empowering community dedicated to fostering connections, collaboration, and career growth amongst women in the venture capital industry in the Netherlands. The community has around 500 members, including 100 female investors. You can learn more about them on LinkedIn.
Your Opinion Matters!
What is one outdated assumption in venture capital or startup funding that you think needs to change?
1️⃣ Only founders with a certain background (elite schools, big-name companies) deserve funding.
2️⃣ Women-led businesses are a ‘diversity play’ rather than a smart investment.
3️⃣ Startups need to act like traditional ‘tech bros’ to succeed.
4️⃣ Other, share your thoughts in the comments!
Tell me what you think in the comments. There are no wrong choices here.
And if you would like to suggest a guest or a theme for the podcast, please let me know via email or send a DM on LinkedIn.
What’s coming up?
So, now you’re wondering about the magic we’ve got coming up, right?
First, Esther Bisschop is our guide on her journey from being an employee to employer to founder to investor. It’s a journey of reinvention.
After that, in episode 94, we continue the role models in VC as Michelle Ter Laak is my guest to discover what VC will look like 5-10 years from now.
So, stay tuned for more inspiring stories on Women Disrupting Tech!
Until we meet again in the next episode, keep being awesome.
More episodes like this?
If you want to listen to other episodes that explore the world of Venture Capital, you can check out the following three episodes:
– In episode 73, Fleur van Leijsen shares how she developed conversation starters that lead to a more equal investment climate. This episode is in Dutch.
– In episode 41, Lumo Labs’ Sabine Schoorl reveals how she is using curiosity to find exceptional founders with exceptional impact.
– In episode 14, Adine Tjeenk Willink breaks down her recipe for more diversity in the startup ecosystem. and spoiler alert: quotas are not on the list.
Women Disrupting Tech | The Podcast 
1 Comment