The press release announcing the joining of Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen and Sabine Schoorl as Senior Partners for the upcoming LUMO Rise Fund is extremely modest about the importance of diversity. Ninety percent of the message is about the vast experience and outstanding qualities of both new colleagues; only in the very last paragraph does some pride resound from the founders about the impetus this gives to the much-needed diversity in the sectors in which LUMO Labs operates.
- LUMO Labs appoints Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen and Sabine Schoorl as Senior Partners for the LUMO Rise Fund, emphasizing their expertise and the enhancement of diversity.
- Despite not setting specific gender diversity quotas, LUMO Labs has achieved notable diversity in its portfolio, with 40% of start-ups having women co-founders, significantly above the European average.
- The new LUMO Rise Fund aims to invest in start-ups that improve personal and environmental well-being, with a planned €100 million for investments.
It is a choice as understandable as it is striking: of course, quality will always prevail, but if there is one fund manager worthy of pride in what it has accomplished for diversity, it is LUMO Labs. The recent presentation of the ‘corporate inclusion award’ at the Fe+Male Tech Heroes Awards Show is just one proof. “For our current fund, we have not set quotas or made other policies about gender diversity within the teams we invest in, but we did make quality agreements,” says co-founder Sven Bakkes bluntly. Nevertheless, few companies or funds can match LUMO Labs’ contribution to promoting diversity in the tech industry.
Two guys from Brabant
Bakkes only has to point to the numbers for that: “If you look at our current portfolio, you will see that approximately 40% of the startups we have invested in have women as (co-)founders. This does not surprise us, but if you compare it to the European average of less than 2%, it is striking, to say the least. Andy and I are different personalities, but from the outset, we knew we didn’t need two more guys from Brabant as new partners.”
Even for an investor who values impact through emerging technologies above all else, a healthy emphasis on diversity can be part of the ultimate performance. That this happens even without concrete commitments to gender diversity only makes the outcome stronger. In short, the choice of the LUMO Labs founders to expand the partner team with two women confirms their belief that diversity within investment funds leads to better decision-making and more innovation.
With the appointment of Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen and Sabine Schoorl, LUMO Labs strengthens the partner team with core expertise in digital security, compliance, impact methodologies, diversity, and the sustainability of the built environment and cities.
LUMO Labs Rise Fund
The new LUMO Rise Fund will invest in start-ups with technology applications that empower people to take better care of themselves, each other, and their environment, improve individuals’ quality of life and well-being, and alleviate increasing pressure on healthcare, social services, and the planet.
LUMO Rise Fund’s first investments are expected in mid-2024; the intended amount of capital available to the fund for investment and mentoring is approximately €100 million. Current partners and founders of LUMO Labs, Andy Lürling and Sven Bakkes, will remain actively involved.
“With the arrival of Dagmar and Sabine, we bring in additional knowledge, experience, and new perspectives that will help the team even better to select and guide tomorrow’s game-changers,” says co-founder Andy Lürling. “Their networks and years of experience scaling technology companies are an excellent fit for the phase we are entering. Their sector knowledge is highly relevant to us with respect to expanding our investment focus towards Digital Security on the technology side. In addition, it helps expand towards climate and sustainability solutions for urban areas.”
Urbanization
Sabine Schoorl sees her role, among other things, in the world’s sustainability challenge. “The increasing degree of urbanization combined with rising CO2 emissions in the built environment and the sustainability task create gigantic challenges within existing structures and systems. There is a huge need for innovative solutions for making residential space available, greening and electrification, for smarter transportation and mobility systems, efficient water and waste management, and renewable energy generation and distribution. Opportunities, capital, and guidance for start-ups with applications based on new technologies that can contribute to these are vital.”
Dagmar Ravenswaay Claasen was already involved with LUMO Labs as a member of the Advisory Board. “My joining as Senior Partner of LUMO Rise Fund has been a deliberate choice to be able to structurally give promising impact-driven startups with innovative technology applications more momentum and direction. The growth of LUMO Labs over the past period and the team’s diligence towards their portfolio companies and investors suits me. Sven and Andy’s drive and entrepreneurship are infectious, as is their determination that financial return and social return on investment in emerging technologies should go hand in hand.”
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