Claire England

Fund(s): FemTech, Food & AgTech
Location: Austin

Claire England is a veteran investor and startup advisor, who has cultivated more than 20 years of leadership, strategy, and operations experience in venture investing, entrepreneur ecosystems, and social impact organizations. She serves as a Partner in two Portfolia funds: the Food & AgTech Fund and the FemTech Fund, the nation’s first VC fund dedicated to investing solely in women’s health and wellness innovation. Claire recently joined VC3 DAO as a Genesis Member and Governance Committee Co-Chair. In addition, she is also a Kauffman Fellow, a prestigious post-graduate executive leadership program for top venture capitalists and innovation leaders worldwide.

From 2014 to 2019, she directed Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN), a large investing community of family offices and high-net-worth individuals, of whom she recruited at least 40 percent. She led CTAN into a global model of early-stage investing, with its first IPO exits and an ROI exceeding the U.S. average for VC returns. CTAN became the #1 most active angel group in the U.S. for the first time in its history, deploying a record $14 million annually. Claire's efforts to build an exceptional investor community and achieve best-in-class founder sourcing, due diligence, and deal leadership drove more than $74.4 million in funding for 115 companies, from pre-seed to pre-IPO stages.

Previously, she was Executive Director of RISE, which was pivotal in developing Austin’s entrepreneur ecosystem into what it is today and which Forbes recognized as a “Must-Attend Conference for Entrepreneurs.” She also created international startup and investor projects, delivering exclusive programming for clients such as SXSW Interactive. She established her passion for fostering innovation as a startup’s first full-time employee.

Claire serves on St. Edward’s University’s Business School Board of Advisors and as a mentor for Kauffman Fellows and startup accelerators, such as Techstars. She has volunteered on numerous advisory committees for entrepreneurial and investing organizations, such as Angel Capital Association, Startup America, and World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. She speaks at innovation conferences and leads workshops in the U.S. and internationally.

In 2018, she received the Kauffman Fellows Leadership Award, and she was a 2013 Finalist for Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power Award. Claire graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Mass Communication–Public Relations and a minor in Music–Cello and Vocal Performance from Texas State University and was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society.