The firm deploys more than US$100 million through Launch With GS, funding historically underserved entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders.

In 2018, Goldman Sachs announced Launch With GS, a US$500 million commitment to invest in women-led companies and women investment managers. Within the first year, the firm deployed more than US$100 million toward this goal, and expanded Launch With GS to include businesses founded and led by Black, Latinx, and other entrepreneurs who have been historically underserved by the funding ecosystem.

Launch With GS is an investment strategy grounded in the view that diverse management teams make better decisions, outperform peers and drive strong returns. Through Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs aims to narrow investing gaps via three mutually enforcing activities: investing the firm’s balance sheet capital in companies with diverse and gender-balanced leadership; partnering with clients to invest in emerging investment managers; and creating an ecosystem to support and expand the pipeline of entrepreneurs and investors.

Goldman Sachs has long believed that the global economy is propelled by innovation, creativity and the sharing of diverse perspectives. This belief fueled the creation of 10,000 Women in 2008 and 10,000 Small Businesses in 2009, both of which have experienced enormous success. Launch With GS builds on Goldman Sachs’ thesis that fostering inclusivity makes sound economic sense and extends this to the firm’s core investing businesses.

This article was originally published as part of a series commemorating the 150th anniversary of Goldman Sachs' founding in 1869.