Have you ever heard the term "assault and battery?" Battery is hitting someone. Assault doesn't have to include physical contact to be a crime, it just has to include action that demonstrates an attempt to harm or threaten.

It's true that there are a lot of things that a creep VC could say to a female founder that would be creepy, that would be harassment, that should probably get him fired, but wouldn't be criminal.

But if he makes a creepy statement while physically blocking the woman from exiting the room, or approaches her in a gropey manner but doesn't make contact, that's still assault. Probably not something he would get convicted for unless it was caught on video, but nevertheless...