Interview with Gülsah Wilke, DN Capital’s newly appointed first female partner

DN Capital, the London and Berlin-based VC agency, this week introduced that it has employed its first ever feminine associate: Gülsah Wilke, an skilled COO, investor, founder and startup advisor.

She joins the agency seven months after a Sifted investigation into allegations of sexual harassment levied towards DN’s founder Nenad Marovac. 

DN and Marovac denied the allegations and commissioned legislation agency Withers to steer an unbiased investigation into office misconduct on the VC agency. DN mentioned that Withers findings “didn’t match” Sifted’s reporting and Marovac has now returned to work.

Wilke, founding father of the 2hearts neighborhood for folks working in tech with a migrant background, and former COO of healthtech Ada Well being, says she interviewed with a number of different funds in addition to DN, and “took her time” deciding the place to work. 

“I had an opportunity to enter a fund that’s proved itself as a really profitable fund, with nice LPs, and to point out this cash can be utilized by means of a feminine associate — who stands greater than anybody else within the German ecosystem for variety — to form the way forward for VC,” Wilke tells Sifted. 

“I wish to convey within the founders that aren’t being seen. I hope I could make an affect.”

The job to be accomplished

Wilke joins as associate and head of the agency’s German workplace. One other “tremendous good feminine rent” will be part of the group in September, she says. 

“There’s numerous room for enchancment within the German workplace, to make it a pleasant place to work from.”

Day-to-day, she’ll be “screening offers, connecting with the ecosystem, ensuring the model is being understood right here, having touchpoints with LPs and portfolio corporations”. 

She additionally desires to take a look at investments in areas DN hasn’t beforehand seemed into a lot, she says, like affect, training and digital well being. 

If she succeeds in her position, she says “DN’s portfolio will present the richness of our society — each second individual on earth is a lady, and each fourth individual in Germany has a migration background”. 

The DN group

Wilke started talking to the agency about 10 months in the past — earlier than Sifted’s investigation was printed.

She says: “It was vital for me that there was a full, unbiased investigation — and I acquired the outcomes.” She didn’t affirm to Sifted whether or not she acquired the total lawyer’s report — or DN’s abstract of the exterior legislation agency’s findings. 

“DN is among the most worldwide funds I’ve seen,” she says. “I’m impressed by the cultural variety inside DN — there are folks within the group from Germany, Iran, Lebanon, France, the US and the UK… I’ve by no means seen this density of individuals with two hearts [a migrant background]. 

“For me, as somebody who’s the granddaughter of Turkish immigrants, it’s stunning to see. Nenad’s mother and father additionally got here to Germany as immigrants, with nothing. This touched me loads. That is one thing that differentiates DN, particularly from many German VCs.” 

Wilke says she had no considerations about becoming a member of DN. 

“My judgement gave me a very good feeling once I spoke to each individual at DN,” she says.

“Consider me — these are a few of the most humble guys I’ve met. That is what’s vital for me.

“We want traders like [Marovac] who’ve accomplished profitable investments. He, as an individual and his expertise, is tremendous useful for the European tech scene.” 

Ladies in VC

“I’ve labored in so many male-dominated environments that I understand how to make my voice get heard,” she says.

“We would not have sufficient ladies in senior decision-making positions. What’s the answer? To say we received’t go in there. No — the answer is to dare and take step one.”