How Venture Capital Can Unlock Underrepresented Entrepreneurial Talent: The Time4 Fund

Venture capital funds can unlock underrepresented entrepreneurial talent by expanding founder networks, investing beyond traditional hubs, and combining capital, mentorship, and community support to help diverse founders build scalable startups.

The Time4 Fund: Expanding Access to Venture Capital

Time4 is a venture capital fund designed to support entrepreneurs across France whose backgrounds or locations fall outside traditional venture capital networks.

The fund recently announced its first closing of €50M, with a target of €100M, marking a major step toward supporting a new generation of founders.

Time4 is built through a unique alliance between:

• daphni
• Les Déterminés
• Live for Good
• HEC Paris (academic partner)

Together, these organizations combine venture expertise, incubation experience, deep ecosystem knowledge, and strong national networks.

Why Venture Capital Needs More Diversity

Time4 was created around a core conviction: the greatest risk in venture capital is homogeneity.

Entrepreneurial talent exists everywhere, but traditional venture capital often concentrates investment in the same locations, networks, and founder profiles.

As a result, many founders remain underfunded, including those based in:

• Rural territories (ZRR)
• Underserved neighborhoods (QPV)
• Non-traditional or atypical entrepreneurial backgrounds

Time4 aims to uncover and support this overlooked talent pool.

Investing Beyond Traditional Startup Networks

Time4 is not positioned as a social initiative but as a strategic investment approach.

By identifying founders outside traditional venture capital pipelines, the fund seeks to discover high-potential companies and create new entrepreneurial role models.

This strategy expands the reach of venture capital and strengthens the long-term resilience of the startup ecosystem.

Building a More Representative Startup Ecosystem

France is home to a vast pool of entrepreneurial talent that remains largely untapped.

By investing beyond traditional venture capital circles and supporting founders with strong mentorship and networks, Time4 aims to connect capital with overlooked talent.

The goal is simple: help build the next generation of startup champions and a more representative innovation ecosystem.