Comparison · 9 material differences
BLCK VC vs Level 20
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 BLCK VC
Black venture capital investors, plus Black operators and recent graduates seeking to move into investing roles
Networking organization
Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
What the records say
- Geographic restriction: BLCK VC: No published geographic restriction; Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe.
- Industry restriction: BLCK VC: No published industry restriction; Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry.
- Annual dues: BLCK VC: Not publicly disclosed: no membership dues are published; BLCK VC is funded by corporate sponsors and donations; Level 20: £0 a year.
Side by side
| BLCK VC | Level 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 2018 (Founded in 2018 by Sydney Sykes, then at New Enterprise Associates, and Frederik Groce, then at Storm Ventures; both now serve as board co-chairs) | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | Eight chapters across North America: Atlanta, Boston, the DMV (Washington DC area), Los Angeles, the Midwest, New York City, San Francisco and Toronto | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed: BLCK VC does not publish a community or member count on its public pages | 7,250as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | 8 | 13 |
| Primary audience | Black venture capital investors, plus Black operators and recent graduates seeking to move into investing roles | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles |
| Typical member | Members are Black investors working in venture capital, alongside participants in the organisation's pipeline programmes: operators training to become angel, scout or venture investors, and candidates preparing for entry-level analyst, associate and senior associate roles. | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. |
| Qualification | ||
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete an online form linked from the Get Involved page and, once accepted, join the community's Slack portal. The three programmes (Black Venture Institute, Breaking into Venture and the Scout Network) have separate intakes. No sponsorship, interview or committee review is described publicly. | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: no eligibility criteria or acceptance data are published | Not publicly disclosed for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed: no membership dues are published; BLCK VC is funded by corporate sponsors and donationsverified September 2026 · source ↗ | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry", Annual Review 2025verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | Not publicly disclosed: no fees are published for the Black Venture Institute, Breaking into Venture or the Scout Networkverified September 2026 | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. |
| Membership term | Not documented | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Chapter events run by volunteer leads in eight cities and regions, plus programme cohorts and community activity on Slack | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions |
| Peer forums | Slack-based member portal plus city and regional chapters; cohort-based programmes run separately | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Virtual, Cohort-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Not documented | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: BLCK VC · Level 20