CHICAGO, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origin Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in companies defining the Digital Native Economy, announced the closing of its fifth venture capital fund at $130 million. Origin Ventures V exceeded its initial target fund size of $100 million.
"Exceeding our fundraising target by such a wide margin, especially during a period when in-person meetings were largely impossible, is a testament to the conviction of our limited partners in the Origin Ventures team, investment thesis, and results," said Alex Meyer, a Managing Partner with the firm.
Consistently ranked among the best-performing venture firms based on realized returns, Origin Ventures invests in high-growth software, marketplace, and consumer businesses. The thesis-driven firm's previous investments include Grubhub (IPO), Cameo, Fountain, BacklotCars (acquired), 15Five, and Tock (acquired).
"Millennials and Gen Z are the first generations to have three things from a very young age — the internet, social media, and a smartphone. The way these digital natives live, work, and play has evolved. They now comprise more than 50% of the U.S. workforce, and command more purchasing power than previous generations. We continue to leverage behavioral differences to find high-growth B2B and consumer companies across several themes — such as the 'workplace of the future,' the 'creator economy,' and the 'circular economy' to name a few," said Brent Hill, one of the Managing Partners.
In addition, the firm announced that it will be among the first venture capital firms to have Partners in all four U.S. time zones. Prashant Shukla will be based in the Bay Area, and Scott Stern has relocated to the Washington, D.C., area. Origin Ventures already operates offices in Chicago and Salt Lake City, and will continue to invest across the U.S. and Canada. The firm has previously invested in 19 different technology ecosystems.
"Very similar to our portfolio companies, our firm had to adapt to a remote-first model over the past 18 months," said Managing Partner Jason Heltzer. "Our Salt Lake City presence — established several years ago — has helped identify a diverse set of investment opportunities aligned with our thesis. By expanding our presence to all four U.S. time zones, we are never more than 90 minutes from an elite team building a disruptive business. We think this is a real advantage for our fund."
Origin Ventures V has already closed several new investments, leading the Seed or Series A financings for high-growth companies, including:
- Blueboard — an experiential employee rewards and recognition provider
- Vivrelle — a membership club for luxury goods
- Veho — a "last mile" delivery platform leveraging gig economy drivers
- Lumanu — a payment platform for creators and brands
- Everee — a next-day payments provider for hourly and gig workers
Over the past 10 years, the firm has grown from $16 million to over $300 million in capital raised. Origin Ventures currently has 15 companies valued at more than $100 million, and two "unicorns" valued at over $1 billion.
About Origin Ventures
Origin Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with elite founding teams to build disruptive companies in the Digital Native Economy. The firm leads Seed and Series A investments in software, marketplace, and consumer businesses. Investment team members are all former entrepreneurs, operators, and engineers. With over $300 million AUM, current and previous investments include Cameo, Grubhub, Fountain, BacklotCars, 15Five, Apptentive, Ahalogy, Teem, Blueboard, Veho, and Vivrelle.
For more information, visit www.originventures.com.
Media Contacts
Jacquie Marshall Siegmund
jacquie@originventures.com
Related Files
Origin Ventures V - Press Release (3).pdf
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