Astia, a US-based adviser to women-led growth companies, has given its awards to three venture capital firms that have been most active in supporting start-ups in this area.
Alloy Ventures won the Diversified Portfolio award, which goes to the firm with the greatest percentage of investments in female chief executives (CEOs) or founders; New Enterprise Associates received the Shattered Glass award as the US firm with the greatest number of investments in female CEOs; and Draper Fisher Jurvetson took home the Breaking The Barriers award for having the greatest number of investments in companies with a woman founder.
The awards were judged based on venture capital investment in the 2009 investment year, as provided by data provider Dow Jones VentureSource.
For innovation, Astia gave a further three awards to CEOs.
Jenny Zeszut, founder and CEO of Scout Labs, which has been acquired by Lithium Technologies, picked up the Technology Innovators award; Ryan Phelan, her peer at DNA Direct, which was acquired by Medco Health Solutions, took the Life Science Innovators award; and Pam Contag, founder and CEO of Cygnet Biofuels, picked up the Clean Tech Innovators award.
Astia provides mentoring to its entrepreneurs and the two winners in the final category were Eghosa Omogui and Barbara Tallent.
Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia, said: "The Annual Awards are our opportunity to recognize exceptional business innovators, as well as the individuals who devote themselves to the success of entrepreneurs."