AMA with Ashley Balla, Halogen VC | Consumer Technology & B2B Startups
Join us for an intimate, high-impact conversation with Ashley Balla, Partner at Halogen Ventures. This is a rare opportunity for early-stage consumer founders to hear directly from one of the most active US investors in female-founded businesses — and to understand what it really takes to get on the radar of a top-tier American consumer fund.
Meet Ashley Balla
Ashley Balla is a Partner at Halogen Ventures, where she co-leads investments and operations. Since 2017, Balla has played a pivotal role on the Halogen team, collaborating with Founding Partner Jesse Draper to develop Halogen and invest in the next generation of trillion-dollar consumer technology and B2B startups.
Balla is deeply passionate about identifying and collaborating with exceptional entrepreneurs and teams who are driving innovation and building technology companies that will revolutionise our way of life, experiences, connectivity, and communication for future generations.
About Halogen Ventures
Halogen Ventures is a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm investing in early-stage consumer technology and B2B companies led by female and co-ed founding teams. Founded in 2015 by Jesse Draper — a fourth-generation venture capitalist and the first solo female GP in Los Angeles — Halogen has built a 100% female-founded portfolio of 100+ companies, including six unicorns and notable exits such as Eloquii (sold to Walmart), This is L (sold to P&G), and Squad (acquired by Twitter).
Now deploying from its $30M Fund III, Halogen is leaning into what it calls the "Future of Family" — a $7.5 trillion market opportunity spanning childcare, education and EdTech, FamTech, child and youth services, and the digital workplace — while continuing to back standout female founders across consumer technology more broadly. With LPs including Innovate Alabama, Fenwick's Fund of Funds, Candace Nelson (Sprinkles), and Mike Evans (Grubhub), Halogen sits at the centre of the US consumer ecosystem and is one of the most relevant funds on the planet for founders building for modern families and consumers.
A Note on Geography
Halogen is a US fund and invests primarily in companies with a US footprint or clear US go-to-market path. This session will be especially valuable for founders who already have US customers, US incorporation, or active plans to expand stateside. That said, Ashley's insight into what's resonating with American consumer investors right now is essential listening for any early-stage consumer founder — the US market sets the tempo for the category globally, and understanding how a top-tier US fund evaluates deals is sharpening for anyone building in this space.
Why Attend?
This session is designed for pre-seed and seed founders building consumer technology, B2B solutions for families and households, or products serving the Future of Family economy who want a "behind-the-curtain" look at how a leading US consumer investor thinks. Ashley will share insider knowledge on:
The US Consumer Landscape: What's actually getting funded in consumer tech right now — and where Halogen sees the biggest white space.
The Future of Family Thesis: Why childcare, FamTech, and household infrastructure are one of the largest underinvested opportunities in venture, and what Halogen looks for in this space.
Cracking the US Market: What international founders need to demonstrate to be credible to American investors — and the most common missteps to avoid.
What Halogen Backs at Pre-Seed and Seed: Stage, check size, traction signals, and the qualitative bar founders need to clear.
Building a 100% Female-Founded Portfolio: Lessons from a decade of investing exclusively in women — what separates the founders who break out from the ones who don't.
The Format
We are keeping this warm and interactive. After a brief briefing on what she's watching right now, the floor is yours. Come prepared with your questions on US fundraising, consumer positioning, and how to stand out in one of the most competitive — and opportunity-rich — markets in the world.
5 mins: Welcome & Framing
10 mins: Ashley on current US consumer VC trends & shifts
25 mins: Open Q&A (Your floor)
5 mins: Closing advice for founders
Secure Your Spot
To keep the conversation meaningful and allow for direct interaction, spaces are limited so register early to avoid disappointment.
Brought to you by The 200bn Club - Lead Partner of Breakthrough Founders