Program · Scout Program
Ada Ventures Scout Program
Ada Ventures Scout Program is Ada Ventures' scout program offering access to VC funding for underrepresented communities.
- Application state
- Accepting
Overview
What Ada Ventures Scout Program offers
What Ada Ventures Scout Program is
The Ada Ventures Scout Program is one of the most distinctive and well-documented scout networks in European venture capital, designed explicitly to fix the diversity problem in VC deal sourcing. Founded in 2018 by Francesca "Check" Warner MBE and Matt Penneycard, Ada Ventures is a London-based pre-seed and seed-stage fund that invests in "the best, not just the best-connected." The scout program launched alongside the fund in 2019 with approximately 10 scouts and has since grown to nearly 100 members. The majority of scouts are leaders of minoritized groups in UK tech and venture capital, including founders, operators, community leaders, and ecosystem builders who are embedded in networks that traditional VC firms cannot easily access. The program's diversity impact is exceptional and quantified. Ada Ventures' scout network has helped the firm invest in 10x more female founders and 6x more Black founders than the average UK VC.
Operational profile
Program status and context
Program status describes the program itself. Application availability and deadlines remain separate.
- Operational status
- Active
- Program type
- Scout Program
- Host organization
- Ada Ventures
- Last reviewed
- March 16, 2026
What Scout program means
A scout program is a structured venture-capital program that recruits external people to help a fund discover, refer, evaluate, or sometimes invest in early-stage startups.
Open the glossary entryTerms and economics
Published program terms
- Investment
- $1,000,000
- Stipend
- $5,000
- Price
- Free
- Compensation
- Hybrid
Compensation and economics
Compensation is a hybrid model. If Ada invests in a company referred by a scout, the scout receives a GBP 5,000 finder's fee plus 10% of the fund's carried interest on that specific investment. The carried interest is only payable if the investment generates a 5x return and the fund is paying carry.
Focus and fit
Who the program is for
Program thesis
The Ada Ventures Scout Program aims to address the diversity gap in venture capital by empowering leaders from underrepresented communities to champion founders and operators in their networks. The program focuses on investing in diverse founding teams and ensuring that the best ideas, regardless of the founders' connections, receive the support they need.
Eligibility
No specific professional experience requirements are publicly stated; the key criterion is embeddedness in underrepresented founder networks.
Selection approach
Open application via the Ada Ventures website. Scouts are individuals who are leaders in communities underrepresented in UK tech and venture capital. The program explicitly targets people who can champion founders and operators in their communities and help them access VC funding.
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- United Kingdom
- Audience
- Founders · Operators
Format and cadence
How participation works
- Presence
- Remote
- Main location
- London, United Kingdom
- Cohort size
- 100
- Engagement
- Part Time
Delivery model
The program operates fully remote, allowing scouts to work from anywhere while engaging with the Ada Ventures community.
Participation expectations
The program requires a part-time commitment from scouts, allowing them to balance other professional responsibilities.
Availability and engagement
Application timing and route
- Application state
- Accepting
- Admissions
- Open
Published timeline
The program is ongoing with a rolling cohort cadence, continuously adding scouts.
Application considerations
Applicants should demonstrate their embeddedness in underrepresented founder networks and their ability to champion diverse founders. Highlight any relevant community leadership or involvement in tech and venture capital.
Value and support
What participation may provide
Publicly described support is context, not a guarantee of current delivery or future benefit.
What participants may receive
Participants receive a GBP 5,000 finder's fee per successful referral (if Ada invests), plus 10% of the fund's carried interest on that specific deal. Additional benefits include direct access to an institutional VC fund, ability to champion founders in underrepresented communities, participation in Ada's scout community, and visibility in the UK pre-seed ecosystem.
Outcomes and track record
What the public record shows
Historical activity and reported outcomes provide context, not a guarantee of future results.
Reported outcomes
The scout program has produced measurable diversity outcomes: 10x more female founding teams, 6x more Black founding teams, and 2x more other underrepresented ethnic group founding teams invested in compared to UK averages.
Common questions
Program details at a glance
Ada Ventures Scout Program is published in Upseed as a scout program program hosted by Ada Ventures. Upseed treats the Program and its host Organization as separate records so each can have its own status and sources.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 16, 2026
Known limits
Terms, deadlines, and application states can change. Confirm current details at the published destination before acting. Upseed does not yet classify every Program destination as official.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official representative of this program or its host.