Ada Ventures, the inclusive VC firm backing breakthrough ideas, announces Sam Eshrati, COO and Chief Engagement Officer at TechBBQ, as one of its 10 new business angels who will invest in Danish startups across economic empowerment, healthy aging, and climate equity.
Sam Eshrati, who’s been in the Danish startup ecosystem for the past seven years, started as a volunteer in the TechBBQ organization and has worked his way up from the ground, moving to Denmark as a British citizen with Iranian heritage.
As one of the main architects behind TechBBQ, Sam Eshrati has played a pivotal role in establishing TechBBQ as one of the must-attend tech and startup events in Europe.
“I’m super delighted to be able to contribute to the great cause of Ada Ventures. I’m impressed by the incredible spirit upon which the fund is built. Inclusivity, humanity, diversity, and prosperity for underprivileged and underrepresented communities and startup founders are among my main drivers and motivations in life,” says Eshrati.
“Luckily, I’m one out of 10 Danish business angels in the Ada Ventures program. It’s a privilege that I can connect with other peers to help make the right investments to the most relevant startup cases in the community.”
The angels who have been selected include former founders, community leaders, and tech operators. All were identified as having the right skills, networks and knowledge to make exceptional angel investors, but who may have otherwise found themselves facing economic, social, or other barriers to entry.
They also bring an inspiring and diverse array of new talent to the Danish angel investment community:
- 70% of the successful angels identify as women
- 40% identify as an ethnic minority in Denmark
- 50% come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
In 2023, 92.6% of Danish VC funding went to all-male teams, according to a recent report. Just 1.3% went to all-female teams. These all-female founded teams also raised smaller rounds- with average Seed and Series A rounds 52.5% smaller — and the data shows that they also find it harder to secure follow-on funding.
Organizations supporting Ada Ventures in the launch and delivery of the Danish Ada Ventures’s Angel program are Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), TechBBQ, Startup Aarhus, and Unconventional Ventures.
In the UK, the program has proved extremely effective in championing a new generation of Angel investors and diverse founders.
“We have been blown away from the number and quality of the applications,” says Matt Penneycard, Co-Founding Partner at Ada Ventures.
He continues: “We were so pleased to have an equal number of men and women applying for the program, as well as around 40% of applicants who identify as an ethnic minority in Denmark. This shows the true diversity and breadth of talent that the Danish tech scene has to offer.
“From this cohort of exceptional talent, we had the tough task of whittling it down to just ten and we’re thrilled to announce the successful angels today. I can’t wait to collaborate with them as they uncover the next generation of tech talent in the region.”
Key Facts About the Program
The 10 angels get access to a pool of up to DKK 6.9 million DKK. During the next year, they can make up to five separate investments of DKK 200,000 across in Danish companies climate equity, economic empowerment and healthy aging. Cohort size: up to 10 Danish Ada Angels. The pool will be available for the cohort Danish Ada Angels to invest with cheques of 200,000 DKK (approximately £20,000) per investment / company.
As well as the investment capital, the team at Ada Ventures will also be providing training and ongoing support to the new Angels
Sam Eshrati from TechBBQ joins a diverse group of angel investors at Ada Ventures.
The Full List of Danish Ada Angels
- Phaedria Marie St. Hilaire – Former Scientific Researcher and Corporate Director, NED Startup Advisor and Co-Founder of ProWoc – Professional Women of Colour Denmark
- Sam Eshrati – COO and Chief Engagement Officer at TechBBQ and LGBTQ+ advocate
- Ana Andonovska – Founder of Even Founders and a former investor at CVC fund
- Hadiyah Mujhid – CEO and Founder of HBCUvc, co-author of “Black Founders at Work” and former scout at Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Ellen de Bever – Scaling and GTM expert with experience across the UK, Germany, Sweden, USA, and NL. Founding member of Atlas by Decision Makers network.
- Jakob Knutzen – CEO and Co-founder of Butter , superconnector and former Managing Director with Lion & Lion
- Charlene Putney – Ex-Google, Ex-Meta, co-founder of AI personalization startup Write With LAIKA, and videogame writer
- Katja Meyer – Former COO and CPO at UPCYCL
- Carl Johan Rising – Data scientist and former Director of Data at Too Good to Go
- Kathya Singh – Scaleup operator and coach with experience helping startups define a path for revenue growth and retention
Spencer Hulse is the Editorial Director at Grit Daily. He is responsible for overseeing other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and covering breaking news.
