Techstars is a global startup accelerator founded in 2006, headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. It provides a supportive environment for entrepreneurs through various programs, including mentorship-driven accelerators, startup programs, and corporate innovation partnerships. Techstars connects founders with a vast network of mentors, investors, and industry experts to foster company growth. The organization operates multiple accelerator programs worldwide, focusing on diverse sectors such as mobility, retail, and social impact. It also manages a venture capital fund that invests in innovative technology companies at early stages. With over 1,000 companies in its accelerator portfolio, Techstars has developed a reputation for nurturing successful startups across various markets, helping them scale and achieve significant valuations.
Insight Partners is a global private equity and venture capital firm established in 1995, specializing in growth-stage investments in software, internet, and data services companies. With over $20 billion in assets under management, the firm has invested in more than 300 companies worldwide. Insight Partners emphasizes a hands-on approach to collaboration, leveraging the expertise of its team to foster significant growth and success for its portfolio companies. The firm promotes a culture that views growth as a pathway to opportunity, positioning itself as a trusted partner in the software industry.
Index Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 1996, with offices in London, San Francisco, and Geneva. The firm specializes in high technology and life sciences, focusing on early-stage to growth-stage startups. Index Ventures partners with entrepreneurs across various sectors, including communications, e-commerce, gaming, healthcare, and fintech, aiming to transform innovative ideas into successful global businesses. Notable companies in its portfolio include Adyen, Deliveroo, Dropbox, and Slack. The firm typically invests between €0.05 million and €72.61 million, with a preference for minority stakes and board representation. Index Ventures primarily targets investments in Europe and the United States, while also collaborating with local venture capitalists to enhance its reach.
Accel is an American venture capital firm founded in 1983 by Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz, with a focus on seed, early, and growth-stage investments in technology-driven companies. With offices in Palo Alto, San Francisco, London, India, and China, Accel invests globally in sectors such as big data, software, digital media, cloud technologies, mobile technology, and consumer services. The firm has over three decades of experience in supporting entrepreneurs and has backed numerous successful companies, including Atlassian, Dropbox, Facebook, and Spotify. Accel's investment strategies are tailored to local markets, and it aims to empower entrepreneurs to create category-defining businesses that contribute to the growth of next-generation industries.
East Ventures is an early-stage, sector-agnostic venture capital firm founded in 2009, with offices in Tokyo, Singapore, and Jakarta. The firm has invested in over 170 companies across Southeast Asia, with a strong emphasis on Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is recognized as a pioneer in the Indonesian startup ecosystem, being the first investor in notable unicorns such as Tokopedia and Traveloka. East Ventures' diverse portfolio includes prominent companies like Mercari, Ruangguru, and Fore Coffee. In 2018, the firm established a growth-stage fund called EV Growth to provide further support to startups in the region. East Ventures has garnered accolades for its consistent performance, being named the most active investor in Southeast Asia and Indonesia, as well as a top-performing VC fund globally by various industry observers. The firm primarily targets investments in technology, consumer web, fintech, and mobile sectors, typically investing between $0.1 million and $0.5 million in early-stage ventures.
Collaborative Fund, founded in 2010 by Craig Shapiro in New York, is an investment firm that focuses on supporting creative entrepreneurs in technology and media. The fund emphasizes two primary themes: the rise of the creative class and the shift toward collaborative consumption. These themes highlight the growing importance of values in consumer and employment decisions, as well as the transition from a hyper-consumption economy to one centered on collaboration. Collaborative Fund seeks to be a key source of capital and strategic support for businesses that aim to innovate and positively impact society. The fund has attracted investments from notable figures, including individuals with backgrounds in media and entrepreneurship, further enhancing its potential to influence the future of business and daily life.
Rockstart is an accelerator and venture capital firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with additional offices in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Bogotá, Colombia. The firm specializes in supporting early-stage startups across four primary sectors: Energy, Health, AgriFood, and Emerging Technologies. Rockstart offers intensive programs that provide startups with access to capital, office space, and a network of mentors, partners, and investors. Its initiatives include customized programs that foster collaboration between startups and established companies, driving opportunities for co-creation and investment. Since its inception, Rockstart has invested in over 230 startups, helping them raise more than €90 million and create over 700 jobs. The firm emphasizes a structured six-month program that includes workshops on various business topics, culminating in a Demo Day where entrepreneurs present their ventures to potential investors and partners. Additionally, Rockstart has developed specialized programs such as Rockstart AI and Rockstart Impact Nepal to cater to specific markets and entrepreneurial needs.
Tiger Global Management is an investment firm established in 2001 and headquartered in New York, with affiliate offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangalore, and Melbourne. The firm focuses on both private and public markets, seeking to achieve superior risk-adjusted returns for its investors over the long term. Its investment strategy emphasizes fundamentally oriented opportunities primarily in the global Internet, technology, telecom, media, consumer, and industrial sectors. In private equity, Tiger Global targets growth-oriented companies with a ten-year investment horizon, while its public equity strategy relies on thorough due diligence to identify long-term trends. The firm prioritizes values such as integrity, intellectual honesty, continuous improvement, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence and long-term thinking.
SV Angel is a San Francisco-based investment firm founded in 2009, specializing in seed and early-stage investments primarily in internet software and financial technology. The firm adopts a portfolio approach to investing, often funding over 100 companies annually, and typically invests between $25,000 and $100,000 per company. Unlike traditional venture capital firms, SV Angel does not take board seats, allowing for a broader range of investments. In addition to financial backing, SV Angel offers advisory services to its portfolio companies, assisting with business development, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic guidance. Over the years, SV Angel has supported numerous successful startups, leveraging a robust network to facilitate growth and opportunities for its clients.
Seaport Capital, founded in 1997, is a lower middle market buyout firm that invests in communication infrastructure and services, business and information services, and media companies. They typically invest $10 to $30 million of equity capital in companies with EBITDA between $3 and $15 million, aiming to maximize return on capital. Seaport works with founders and entrepreneurs seeking a collaborative institutional partner to provide financial and operational resources for growth and strategic execution. They focus on creating valuable companies with talented management teams and are long-term investors dedicated to generating high investment multiples. With substantial industry expertise and extensive investing experience, Seaport develops winning strategies and leverages relationships and resources to achieve them. Based in New York, Seaport Capital seeks control positions and board representation in its portfolio companies and prefers equity investments in private companies with market capitalizations between $10 million and $200 million.