đź’Ą Announcing The GP-LP Matching Tool!
Enabling social capital access for underestimated founders and fund managers
A year ago, Josh and I launched the Startup-Investor Matching Tool with the goal to help address the startup-investor social capital gap, get underestimated and underrepresented founders connected with investors, and watch them get funded. Happy to report that we’ve seen success (more on this below), and so now (right this moment), we’re launching the GP-LP Matching Tool to get underestimated and underrepresented fund managers intros to LPs (more below)!
Underestimated founders: founders who can build unicorns but are looked over because they don’t fit the stereotypical Silicon Valley mold
Startup-Investor Matching Tool Success
We measure success by the intros we make between underestimated founders and investors. The bonus is the capital raised and the relationships made. Through the tool, we’ve seen 2K+ founders submit, 610+ investors sign-up, we’ve made 1.1K+ introductions and seen 27 checks written with a total value of nearly $4M.
Fun fact #1: All investors and founders on the Startup-Investor Matching Tool submit their own information. The tool is 100% opt-in.
Fun fact #2: All matches and intros are handled via email. No login required.
Yes, the tool was featured in Crunchbase, FastCo, Forbes, and Techcrunch but that’s not the coolest thing about it. Our favorite thing about the tool is that it works because it’s community-driven. Josh and I put the time into building the tool and making intros but nothing could happen without a community of giving and kind founders, funders, and friends who share the tool, talk about it, use it, and put their money into companies founded and led by underestimated founders. We believe underestimated founders will produce outsized returns… because underestimated people are not charity! We’re savvy business people working to build generational wealth.
Special shout-out to the funds who are progressive and were supportive from the start: Backstage Capital, Harlem Capital, TMV (Trail Mix Ventures), Chingona Ventures, WXR, Earnest Capital, Hustle Fund, Spero Ventures, Susa Ventures, Upfront, and so many more.
đź’Ą CALL TO ACTIONS for Startup-Investor Matching Tool đź’Ą
🙌🏽 Join the tool as a founder or investor here.
📢 Spread the word: tell your journalist friends to write about the tool, write about it in your newsletters, or tweet this click-to-tweet message.
🙏🏽 Become a patron on Patreon here. We’d love to bring on someone to help with your money!
GP-LP Matching Tool
Okay. So, we have the Startup-Investor Matching Tool going and now we’re launching (right now) the GP-LP Matching Tool. Why? Well, as some of you may know, I’m the Co-founder and GP of The Community Fund. This position has allowed me to first-hand understand that the social capital gap in the startup-VC ecosystem stems beyond the startup-investor spectrum. Yeah. There are palpable social gaps when you look at VC fund managers and I want to do something about it.
GP: a general partner, those who own and manage a venture capital fund
LP: a limited partner, those who invest in venture capital funds
Underestimated GPs: Underestimated GPs are those who can build funds that will return alpha but are looked over because they don’t fit the stereotypical Silicon Valley mold (or the equivalent in other geographies).
Underrepresented GPs: Underrepresented GPs include but are not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQ+, non-ivy grads, non-elite employers, and non-wealthy individuals.
What the tool will do: the GP-LP Matching Tool will serve as a platform to introduce underestimated and underrepresented fund managers to LPs. We also hope to see many of them build great relationships and eventually get funded!
Why are Josh and I taking on the GP-LP Matching Tool project? The reason why this tool is happening is that we’re bullish that this will work (thanks Startup-Investor Matching Tool’s success for giving us the confidence) but also because of the positive reactions I heard from the Transact Global and Global Women in VC family, the largest community of female fund managers and investors, and the encouragement from Beezer (Sapphire), Sara (Recast), Erin (Pivotal), Heran (Ilumen), Ed (First Close Partners / Lowenstein Sandler), Samir (Allocate), and Sahil (Gumroad).
Special shout-out to those who have raised their hand to champion the GP-LP Matching Tool: Jessica (Hannah Grey), Soraya (TMV), Sophia (The Bridge Conference), Olga (Improve), Shayna (Supply Change), Leslie (Female Founders Alliance), LĂ©oni (Kinetik), Cat (TVC), Kals (i2i), Ariana (Conscience), Kinga (Experior & European Women in VC), Eric (Hustle Fund), Mac (Rarebreed), David (Versatile), Rick (Equal), Maren (January), Melissa (The Community Fund), Claire (Magma), Pam (All Raise), Eva (Fika), Kelly (Finclusive), Gesche (Dreamers & Doers), Gayatri (Advaita & She-VC) and many more.
FAQ
Startup-Investor Matching Tool
- Is this tool for investors and founders only in the US? No. This is a global tool.
- What type of founders should submit? Any early-stage startup that is for-profit and aims to become a unicorn.
- What kind of investors should join the tool? All early-stage investors are welcome (e.g., VCs, angels, scouts). Angels must be accredited.
- Does it cost anything? No. It’s free because we want to see underestimated and underrepresented founders funded. But we welcome sponsors to help us maintain the tool and one day hire someone to help us.
- If, as a founder, I submit my company, when will I hear back about intro requests? You will not hear back unless there are investor intro requests.
- Will you publish or share investor information? We do not publish investor information nor do we provide lists of investors. We only share basic investor information (e.g., name, fund name, email, personal URL) when making introductions to individual founders.
- How can I become a sponsor? You can become a patron on Patreon here.
- Where can I learn more about the creators of the GP-LP Matching Tool? You can find our LinkedIn profiles here and here or check out our Twitter handles @lolitataub and @josh_taub.
GP-LP Matching Tool
- Is this tool for GPs and LPs only in the US? No. This is a global tool.
- How do you define an underestimated and underrepresented GP? Underestimated GPs are those who can build funds that will return alpha but are looked over because they don’t fit the stereotypical Silicon Valley mold (or the equivalent in other geographies). Underrepresented GPs include but are not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQ+, non-ivy grads, non-elite employers, and non-wealthy individuals.
- What type of funds should you submit to the tool? Any GP can submit, regardless of fund structure.
- Can brokers apply to be part of the tool? No.
- What types of LPs should join the tool? Any (e.g., family office, institutional). If you’re an individual you must be accredited.
- Does it cost anything? No. It’s free because we want to see underestimated and underrepresented GPs/fund managers get connected with LPs. But we welcome sponsors to help us maintain the tool and one day hire someone to help us.
- If, as a GP, I submit my fund, when will I hear back about intro requests? You will not hear back unless there are LP intro requests.
- Will you publish or share LP information? We do not publish LP information nor do we provide lists of LPs. We only share basic LP information (e.g., name, email, personal URL) when making introductions to individual GPs.
- How can I become a sponsor? You can become a patron on Patreon here.
- Who can see a GP’s deck? A GP’s deck will only be shared with LP matches.
- What constitutes a GP-LP match? There’s a match when an LP’s thesis aligns with a GP’s fund.
- Where can I learn more about the creators of the GP-LP Matching Tool? You can find our LinkedIn profiles here and here or check out our Twitter handles @lolitataub and @josh_taub.
- How can I update or remove my deck if it changed? GPs will be able to update their fund’s profile via the unique submission confirmation link.
- Is the GP-LP Matching Tool a fundraising platform? No. We are matching GPs and LPs to make introductions. Though, we do hope GPs and LPs find synergies and grow old together.
- Can I sponsor the GP-LP Matching Tool? Yes. You can sponsor the tool on Patreon here. Thank you in advance for helping us keep the tool on and free!
Resources
Emerging managers
- Ariana Desiree Thacker | Raising a 1st fund, during a pandemic 101
- David Teten | Syllabus for how to launch, manage, and invest a VC fund
- Jaclyn Freeman Hester | Hard questions GPs need to be prepared for
- Kauffman Fellows | Venture fund portfolio construction
- Lolita Taub | Orgs and programs for emerging fund managers
- Nikhil Basu Trivedi | Venture partnerships vs solo capitalists
- Protocol | GPs raising via equity crowdfunding
- Samir Kaji | LP List
- The Bridge | The state of emerging fund managers, why we’re outperforming and more
- Winter Mead | Sharing your track record
- Recast Capital | Emerging Fund Manager Enablement Program
- Elizabeth Yin | How I raised my $11.5M VC Fund
- NVCA | NVCA Resources (LP Office Hours)
LPs
- Beezer | LP trends
- Campden Wealth / SVB | Main reasons which motivated the family office to invest through VC funds
- Cendana | LPs invest in nano funds
- Lolita Taub | Top reasons LPs invest in emerging fund managers
- Oper8r | Analysis: The LPs That Invest In Emerging Micro-VCs (Update)
- Preqin | Reasons to co-invest with micro-fund managers
- Sriram Krishnan | Emerging fund manager trends
- Welly Sculley | Framework: Not All LPs Invest In Emerging VCs For The Same Reasons
- Winder Mead | Analysis: How family offices are investing into VC
