Bright Ventures

Bright Ventures is a New York-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2014 by Founder and Managing Partner Lenore Champagne Beirne. Operating under The Bright Group umbrella, its guiding thesis is "investing in human potential," backing founders building toward an inclusive economy. The firm also runs an executive coaching and strategic advisory practice and community programs, including a Leadership Accelerator, providing GP-led leadership development to help founders align personal values with company growth alongside capital. Bright Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across fintech, digital health, and the future of work, with roughly 85% of its portfolio composed of diverse founders. Portfolio companies include Forerunner, ohai, Coreflux, Navit, Tandem, and OptionsMD (acquired), spanning the U.S. and Portugal. The firm's investment approach evaluates founders on team composition, openness to divergent perspectives, and inclusive business model design, prioritizing leaders who embed inclusion into their business models rather than screening on founder identity alone.