Collaborative Fund
{{Short description|American venture capital firm}}
{{Infobox organization
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| logo = Collab Fund Logo 2022.svg
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| type = Venture capital
| headquarters = New York City, New York, United States
| key_people = Craig Shapiro (Founder and Managing Partner)
Andrew Montgomery (Partner)
Guy Vidra (Partner)
Morgan Housel (Partner)
Sophie Bakalar (Partner)
| image_size =
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| founded = 2010
| founder = Craig Shapiro
| products = Investments
| website = {{URL|collabfund.com}}
}}
Collaborative Fund is a venture capital firm that provides seed and early stage funding to consumer industry and climate technology companies.{{cite web|last1=Field|first1=Anne|title=A New Fund For Tech Growth Companies Focused On Collaboration|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2014/08/15/a-new-fund-for-tech-growth-companies-focused-on-collaboration/#1fb1cdb07c8f|website=Forbes}}
Firm
Founded in 2010 by Craig Shapiro, the firm is based in New York City, New York, with approximately $1B of assets under management.{{cite web|last1=Lynley|first1=Matthew|title=Collaborative Fund raises $100M for its fourth fund|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/29/collaborative-fund-raises-100m-for-its-fourth-fund/|website=TechCrunch|date=29 May 2018 |publisher=AOL Inc}} The firm closed its fourth flagship fund for $100 million in 2018. In 2022, it launched the Shared Future Fund, which invests in climate technology. The firm raised its sixth flagship fund, valued at $125 million, in 2024, completing the process in 90 days.{{cite web| url = https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/10/after-hits-like-reddit-and-scopley-collaborative-fund-easily-raised-a-125m-fund-to-tackle-climate-health-and-food/ | publisher = TechCrunch |title = After hits like Reddit and Scopely, Collaborative Fund easily raised a $125M fund to tackle climate, health and food| accessdate= 23 January 2025}}
With around 25 full-time employees, the firm is active in the food, healthcare, climate technology, and consumer industries. Since its founding, it has invested in over 300 companies and achieved nearly 60 successful exits, including Kickstarter, Lyft, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Reddit. The firm has helped fuel the growth of over 24 unicorns and IPOs.
Notable investments include Sweetgreen, Beyond Meat, and Scopely, which was acquired by Savvy Games Group for $4.9 billion.{{cite web | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/salad-chain-sweetgreens-tech-focus-helps-push-valuation-to-1-6-billion-11569008888 |publisher = The Wall Street Journal | title = Salad Chain Sweetgreen’s Tech Focus Helps Push Valuation to $1.6 Billion
| accessdate = 23 January 2025}} The firm's approach focuses on backing companies that are "doing good" while achieving returns, with early investments often yielding exponential growth – for instance, investments under $10 million in companies like The Farmer's Dog have grown to billions.{{cite web | url = https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-farmers-dog-on-pace-for-800-million-in-sales-looks-for-fresh-capital | publisher = The Information | title = The Farmer’s Dog, on Pace for $800 Million in Sales, Looks for Fresh Capital| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}
In 2016, economics journalist Morgan Housel joined the firm as a partner and content creator, producing articles and podcasts. The firm has launched or spun out specialized funds, including Collab+Currency (focusing on the blockchain).{{cite web | url = https://fortune.com/2016/08/30/motley-fool-collaborative-fund/|publisher = Fortune | title = Meet the Motley Fool Who Just Joined a VC Firm| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}
Partnerships
In 2014, Collaborative Fund launched a $10 million joint investment vehicle with Line, a Japanese messaging service.{{cite web|last1=Alden|first1=William|title=Line, a Japanese Messaging Service, Teams With New York Venture Fund|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/line-of-japan-teams-with-new-york-venture-fund-to-make-investments/?_r=0|website=The New York Times|date=18 July 2014 }}
In 2016, Collaborative Fund partnered with Sesame Workshop to form a $10 million joint fund, Collab + Sesame, to invest in startups focused on education, health, and social welfare for children.{{cite news|last1=Haggin|first1=Patience|title=Sesame Street Seed Fund Launches With $10 Million|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2016/02/01/sesame-street-seed-fund-launches-with-10-million/|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=2 February 2016 |publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc}} The joint fund has invested in startups like the educational platform Yup Technologies.{{cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/18/sesame-streets-vc-fund-makes-its-first-investment-in-tutoring-app-yup/ | publisher = TechCrunch | title = Sesame Street’s VC fund makes its first investment in tutoring app Yup| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}
In 2022, the firm partnered with fashion designer Stella McCartney to launch the Collab SOS fund, a $200 million sustainability fund.{{cite web | url = https://march8.com/articles/stella-mccartney-helps-launch-200mn-sustainability-fund | publisher = March8| title = Stella McCartney helps launch $200mn sustainability fund| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}
In 2023, it acquired a stake in Korean venture capital firm Sopoong Ventures to expand into Asia.{{cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/06/collaborative-fund-backs-koreas-sopoong-ventures-to-grow-its-footprint-in-asia/ | publisher = TechCrunch | title = Collaborative Fund backs Korea’s Sopoong Ventures to grow its footprint in Asia| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}
=Harvard Wyss Institute=
In 2023, the firm partnered with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, investing $15 million to create the Laboratory for Sustainable Materials Research and Innovation. In 2024, this partnership developed the Sensory Nature-Inspired Fact Finder of Indoor Air (SNIFFIA), a hand-held air quality sensor modeled after mammalian olfactory sensors.{{cite web | url = https://www.fastcompany.com/91206418/harvard-researchers-designed-an-air-quality-sensor-inspired-by-dogs-noses | publisher = Fast Company | title = Harvard researchers designed an air quality sensor inspired by dogs’ noses| accessdate = 23 January 2025}}