Obama uses White House 'Demo Day' to call for more diversity in technology industry

President wants Silicon Valley to employ more women, ethnic minorities and veterans

US president Barack Obama has used a White House ‘Demo Day' for startups to call for more diversity within the technology industry.

Obama's comments come a day after it was revealed that Intel is paying double referral fees of up to $4,000 for successful women and minority hires as the company looks to diversify its workforce.

A White House statement said the Demo Day represents "part of the President's Startup America initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation".

According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House used the Demo Day to call on the technology firms of Silicon Valley to commit more resources to hiring women, ethnic minorities and veterans and to provide more support to firms founded by under-represented groups.

Obama told event attendees that only three per cent of venture-backed companies have been founded by a woman, while only one per cent have a black founder.

"The next Steve Jobs might be named Stephanie or Esteban," Obama said.

The Demo Day was used to showcase how American citizens of any age, race or gender can innovate using technology. The president used the particular example of one of the attendees, Ramona Pierson, a former marine who was hit by a drunk driver at age 22. She was subsequently in a coma for 18 months then woke up to find she was blind and had to relearn how to walk. The experience led to her found Declara, a company that suggests customised learning tools based on a user's internet activity.

The company has since attracted over $32m in funding and now employs 65 people and Obama pointed to it as being a good example of how anyone can be a technology entrepreneur.

"When Ramona was in that nursing home I don't think anyone would have imagined she would be a candidate to be a significant entrepreneur," he said.