Close Menu
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI
  • Apps
  • Crypto
  • Security
  • Startups
  • TechCrunch
  • Venture

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

Apple TV+ Price is up 30% per month at $12.99

August 21, 2025

YouTube Music celebrates 10 years with new features that help you compete with Spotify

August 21, 2025

Strictlyvc at atrupt 2025: Inside the LP track

August 21, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI

    OpenAI seeks to extend human lifespans with the help of longevity startups

    January 17, 2025

    Farewell to the $200 million woolly mammoth and TikTok

    January 17, 2025

    Nord Security founder launches Nexos.ai to help enterprises move AI projects from pilot to production

    January 17, 2025

    Data proves it remains difficult for startups to raise capital, even though VCs invested $75 billion in the fourth quarter

    January 16, 2025

    Apple suspends AI notification summaries for news after generating false alerts

    January 16, 2025
  • Apps

    Apple TV+ Price is up 30% per month at $12.99

    August 21, 2025

    YouTube Music celebrates 10 years with new features that help you compete with Spotify

    August 21, 2025

    Google's AI mode will be expanded globally with new agent functionality added

    August 21, 2025

    Now you can talk to Google photos and edit them

    August 20, 2025

    Google announces Fitbit's new AI-powered individual health and fitness coaches

    August 20, 2025
  • Crypto

    Your next customer is destroying the 2025 Expo floor

    August 19, 2025

    Crypto Company Gemini File for Winklevoss Twins IPO

    August 16, 2025

    North Korean spies pretending to be remote workers have invaded hundreds of businesses, CloudStrike says

    August 4, 2025

    Telegram's Crypto Wallet will be released in the US

    July 22, 2025

    Indian Crypto ExchangeCoindCX confirms $44 million stolen during hack

    July 21, 2025
  • Security

    Explain why hackers who exposed the North Korean government did that

    August 21, 2025

    Device searches at US borders hit record-breaking records, new data show

    August 20, 2025

    Listen and record all conversations “Always On” Harvard Dropout launches AI smart glasses

    August 20, 2025

    New Zero-Day startup offers $20 million for a tool that can hack your smartphone

    August 20, 2025

    US spy chief says the UK has removed demand for apple backdoors

    August 19, 2025
  • Startups

    7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

    March 24, 2025

    AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

    March 24, 2025

    20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

    March 22, 2025

    Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

    March 21, 2025

    Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

    March 21, 2025
  • TechCrunch

    OpenSea takes a long-term view with a focus on UX despite NFT sales remaining low

    February 8, 2024

    AI will save software companies' growth dreams

    February 8, 2024

    B2B and B2C are not about who buys, but how you sell

    February 5, 2024

    It's time for venture capital to break away from fast fashion

    February 3, 2024

    a16z's Chris Dixon believes it's time to focus on blockchain use cases rather than speculation

    February 2, 2024
  • Venture

    Procuring multiple rounds of venture capital could be wrong for your startup

    August 21, 2025

    Strictlyvc at atrupt 2025: Inside the LP track

    August 21, 2025

    Even Rogers and Max Haot will take part in the Space Stage in 2025

    August 20, 2025

    YC backed garage raises $13.5 million to help firefighters buy equipment

    August 20, 2025

    y combinator alum sre.ai raises $7.2 million for devops ai agent

    August 20, 2025
TechBrunchTechBrunch

Slauson & Company Raises $100 Million Fund II, Proving Appetite for Inclusion Continues

TechBrunchBy TechBrunchSeptember 4, 20244 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


Venture capital firm Slauson & Co. has closed a second fund of $100 million, a big increase from its initial $75 million fund.

“We're investing in everyone,” Ajay Lelan, a partner at Slauson & Co., told TechCrunch, adding that the firm wants to include all perspectives in its products and services. The firm's initial portfolio includes e-commerce platform The Folklore Group and food logistics company Prado. “We're investing in a way that is more reflective of the changing demographics of the country.”

A lot has changed since Slauson & Company partners Lelan Clements and Austin Clements launched their venture fund in 2020.

At the time, the duo had one thing in mind: back early-stage founders focused on SaaS and consumer technology. They didn't have to focus on Ivy League or Silicon Valley grads; they could be any founder, many of whom came from underrepresented backgrounds. The firm eventually closed Fund I for $75 million (surpassing its $50 million target and with participation from investors including Ron Conway) and backed 38 companies, most of which were led by people of color and at least half were led by women.

Fast forward to now, and Slauson & Co. has doubled down on its mission of inclusivity in fundraising, with limited partners appearing to back the company.

Clements and Lelan said they spent nearly a year raising the second fund, given the venture downturn and how a fund focused on social impact (or anything other than AI) has recently become harder to pitch. They met with hundreds of investors and signed with about 40. In fact, Fund II has fewer limited partners than Fund I, despite the larger amount. Lelan said the biggest change is in corporate initiatives, which made up about a third of the firm's Fund I but fell out of favor in 2024.

“We expected that in some ways the pendulum might swing the other way because the tides have shifted,” Clements said, referring to the current climate of less support for minority founders.

Clearly, the key was to prove the company's theory works, and to make limited partners want to back it regardless of social conditions. “What we really wanted was for people to see the merit of what we could accomplish and the opportunities we were pursuing,” Clements continued. “And that seemed to resonate with people.”

Highlights in Slauson & Co.'s portfolio include The Folklore Group, which recently announced the closing of a $3.4 million seed round, and Pressed Roots, which announced it raised a $3.1 million seed round from investors earlier this year.

On the bright side, the duo is pleased to see more institutional investors invest in Slauson & Co. in this round. Corporate-led investments made up less than 1% of Fund II, but many of the fund's other original investors have returned. Relan said Fund I achieved all of the goals they said they had. “We achieved our target ownership. We invested at the pace we committed to,” he continued. “We stuck to our guns and wanted to be very disciplined, and I think that's paid off with the LPs.”

Fund II expects to write checks of $500,000 to $2 million and lead most of the rounds. We will make 30 investments from this fund over the next three years and reserve capital for follow-on rounds. Investing from Fund II has already begun.

Clements and Lelan have always said they seek out oceans of overlooked opportunities for the next generation of founders to seize. Since starting their venture capital firm, they've launched accelerator programs, hosted summer camps for their portfolio companies, and built a network of organizers and investors to help founders.

“We say there's a Slauson Street in every major city across the country, and we want to build a brand and a company that represents those communities,” Lelan said. And if they do their job right, “our hope is that people who have a lot more financial resources than us and don't necessarily have the same interests as us will see the economic opportunity and start fishing in the same waters.”



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Procuring multiple rounds of venture capital could be wrong for your startup

August 21, 2025

Strictlyvc at atrupt 2025: Inside the LP track

August 21, 2025

Even Rogers and Max Haot will take part in the Space Stage in 2025

August 20, 2025

YC backed garage raises $13.5 million to help firefighters buy equipment

August 20, 2025

y combinator alum sre.ai raises $7.2 million for devops ai agent

August 20, 2025

Discover how developer tools are shifting rapidly in Disrupt2025

August 19, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Reviews
Editors Picks

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Tech Brunch, your go-to destination for cutting-edge insights, news, and analysis in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cryptocurrency, Technology, and Startups. At Tech Brunch, we are passionate about exploring the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Our Picks

Apple TV+ Price is up 30% per month at $12.99

August 21, 2025

YouTube Music celebrates 10 years with new features that help you compete with Spotify

August 21, 2025

Strictlyvc at atrupt 2025: Inside the LP track

August 21, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

© 2025 TechBrunch. Designed by TechBrunch.
  • Home
  • About Tech Brunch
  • Advertise with Tech Brunch
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.