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LaunchCapital

LaunchCapital is focused on entrepreneurs at the seed stage. With a permanent base of capital, the question for us isn’t how you get to the next metric that VCs want to hear, it’s how you build a great business.

New Haven, CT, USA

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Description

LaunchCapital is a seed-stage venture capital firm that operates as the venture arm of Pritzker Vlock Family Office. Founded in 2008, the firm is known for taking a "long-term, founder-first" approach, providing high-conviction capital to early-stage entrepreneurs without the rigid exit timelines typical of traditional institutional funds. 
  • Seed & Series A: This is the firm’s core focus. They specialize in being a "first institutional partner" for founders who have a working product and early evidence of market pull.
  • Post-Revenue Focus: While they occasionally invest in pre-revenue companies with exceptional technical founders, they typically prioritize startups with initial commercial validation.
  • Method: Founders can engage through the LaunchCapital website or via professional referrals from their network of operators and co-investors.
  • Materials: A pitch deck that emphasizes the founder's unique insight and the company's scalability is required.
  • Direct Outreach: The firm is active in the New York, Boston, and New Haven tech ecosystems and frequently meets founders at regional innovation events. 
  • Rolling Basis: LaunchCapital evaluates and invests in companies year-round.

Eligibility

  • Sectors: SaaS, Fintech, Digital Health, Consumer Tech, and Marketplace models.
  • Geography: Primarily focused on the Northeast United States (specifically New York, Boston, and New Haven), but they invest selectively across all North American hubs.
  • Founder Profile: They look for "tenacious" founders who are building for the long term. 

Process

  1. Direct Screening: The investment team reviews submissions for market size and technical defensibility.
  2. High-Trust Diligence: Their process focuses heavily on founder references and the "grit" of the leadership team.
  3. Flexible Terms: Because they are backed by a family office, they can offer more flexible structures than standard VC funds, often prioritizing long-term alignment over immediate "markup" cycles.
  4. Operational Support: Post-investment, they provide active support in board governance, strategic hiring, and preparing for subsequent funding rounds. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  1. Patient Capital: Access to funding from a firm that is not constrained by a 10-year fund cycle, allowing for longer-term growth strategies.
  2. Strategic Mentorship: Direct advisory from a team of experienced investors and former operators.
  3. Family Office Network: Indirect connectivity to the broader Pritzker Vlock network of industries and corporate partners.
  4. Board Guidance: Professional governance support to help transition from a "startup" to a "scale-up."