Investments
Entrepreneurs are the visionaries, hustlers and operators who build valuable startups and impact the world. By creating aligned incentives with entrepreneurs, our vision is to reshape the way startups are built, scaled and monetized.
This means we take a different approach to investing. The current VC model is not always advantageous to entrepreneurs. The wrong metrics are celebrated and entrepreneurs end up in a hamster wheel of funding cycles that limit optionality.
Our goal is to work with entrepreneurs and help them find their own path that is what’s right for the long-term growth of their company. That growth will be in the best interest of our investors.
It’s why we know our model works.
Defendify co-founders Andrew Rinaldi (left) and Rob Simopoulos (right)
So what do we look for?
Here’s our investment thesis (approach/criteria):
- We invest in markets and people with a “market-in” approach
- Strong industry and/or technology founder(s), preferably repeat founder, seeking Go-to-Market (GTM) and growth help
- Business-to-business (B2B) and scalable subscription-based revenue models (SaaS)
- Recurring revenue that is repeatable, scalable, sustainable and poised for growth and scale
- Up and down the stack – infrastructure, developer tools, cyber security, platforms, vertical SaaS
- Tech laggard markets ripe for disruption
- Opportunity to scale across global market
It should be noted that all of these rules can and will be broken for the right entrepreneurs and startups.
We want to hear from you!
As Investors
Up to $20M
Invested Annually
12 – 20
Transactions per year
$500k – $1.5M
Per Investment
Looking to invest?
We are able to be so focused on our entrepreneurs because we run a syndicate model in which we take no management fees. Our primary investment vehicle is our core investment partner syndicate. This is made up of a diverse group of high net worth individuals, family offices, and institutions who want access to a unique asset class and our strong deal flow, which has been cultivated over the past 15 years working in tech. Our investment partners invest alongside our own capital.
Since it is an evergreen syndicate model and not a fund, we are always looking for new investors to join. Some of the details include:
- Invest in six month cohorts
- Aim to participate in 10-20 transactions per year
- Bi-annual reporting included with one annual in person investment partner meeting
- Access to the York IE market data and analytics platform for market intelligence, deal tracking and investor relations
We’re really proud of the companies we’ve invested in and instead of any flashy marketing language, we think these companies speak for themselves.
Interested in joining our core investment partner syndicate?
New to early stage investing?
That’s great too. We also run the largest SaaS syndicate on AngelList, which makes it really easy to get started.
Being an angel investor is an exciting and attractive venture. Being on the ground floor as a company grows can be both personally and financially rewarding. That’s why angel investing should be, at least, a small portion of everyone’s investment portfolio.
TECHWOMEN INVEST
We want to see more women in leadership positions, board seats and advisory roles across the technology industry.
That’s why we’re elevating opportunities for female investors.