Private Capital in Tech: Untapped Potential for Impact
Open MIC | December 2023
Two sources of private capital - venture capital and private equity - play critical roles in the overall economy of the tech sector. This has traditionally been a blind spot for corporate accountability advocates.
The high degree of leverage that private capital actors hold over the tech sector at its most formative stages presents a high impact opportunity to shift the negative drivers that are impeding these actors from becoming leaders in responsible tech.
To spur this shift, foundations can help reform the culture of private market tech finance by investing in responsible ventures and funds; supporting campaigns and engagements targeting key players in the private capital ecosystem; funding initiatives that equip private capital actors and startups with the knowledge and tools they need to address risks to digital rights; and bolstering legal and policy reform initiatives that aim to redress the negative incentives that undermine transparency and accountability in private capital.
