Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015. But the pace of change is decelerating and the COVID-19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty. New research published by the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research warns that the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people, or 8% of the total human population. This would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in thirty years, since 1990.
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More than 700 million people, or 10 per cent of the world population, still live in extreme poverty today, struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name a few. The majority of people living on less than $1.90 a day live in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 per cent—more than three times higher than in urban areas.
For those who work, having a job does not guarantee a decent living. In fact, 8 per cent of employed workers and their families worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2018. One out of five children live in extreme poverty. Ensuring social protection for all children and other vulnerable groups is critical to reduce poverty.
Female founders exit faster and have higher ROI
GEDI
FACTS
The Climate Crisis affects all of us, regardless of gender, race, age or creed. But vitally important decisions about how to address it through policy change (such as the COP26 gathering in Glasgow) or through investment, are being made mainly by men. Only 2.3% of venture capital funding goes to female founders, globally, down from an already embarrassing 3% last year. By failing to invest in women and diverse founders, you are missing out on innovative solutions for people and planet and demonstrably higher returns. Learn more about the superior results of diverse founding teams.
APPLY
GEDI stands for Gender Equity Diversity and Investments. Are you an ambitious startup with at least one female founder or member of the senior management team? Great! Our investment verticals are the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: Climate Action, Good Health and Well Being, and Quality Education. Investment stage has some flexibility with a preference for Pre Series A to Series A+. Please fill out the form and send in a pitch video or deck to ask for a video chat with a member of the GEDI team. If you are attending an event with us, please connect!
RETURNS
Are you an investor who wants the superior returns produced by diverse teams? Are you a company or nonprofit interested in partnering with the GEDI ecosystem? Submit a contact form and someone from the GEDI team will be happy to speak with you about how to get involved.
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For fellow VC's, feel free to use this form to reach out about joint investment opportunities or to learn more about our pledge to invest in the strongest female-led businesses and how we plan to measure our impact.
ABOUT GEDI
The vast majority of Planet Earth remains unexplored. That's an ocean of nutrients, chemical compounds and minerals - undiscovered. We have more shocking news: you haven't discovered half the population!
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Gender Equity Diversity Investments (GEDI) is a new VC firm, established by a team of expert and diverse investors, futurists, technologists, impact pioneers and global CEO's.
We are people with real-world experience at getting things done; things that matter, while generating strong financial returns. The GEDI community comprises over 200 market leaders and global experts, the source of our 600-strong proprietary deal pipeline.
The most pressing problems of this generation are global, so GEDI looks for companies with global market potential. Some of the strongest, strategic investment opportunities lie in climate, health, and education. An example of this is in the fast growing sector of personalized medicine and digital resources for mental health and well-being.
We visualize and track those objectives against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If those are new to you, check out the interactive list below.
COP26 Announcement
GEDI was announced at the November 2021 COP26 in Glasgow by Sophia Swire. Please enjoy a recording of the speech.
GEDI TEAM
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