Expanding Access to Funding isn’t Charity. It’s a Good Business Model.
We created RevUp Capital after working as traditional equity investors, frustrated by how startup investing was massively over-indexed for outsized exits and huge valuations that most companies simply will not achieve.
That myopic obsession with “unicorn hunting” leaves a large and valuable asset class out of reach for investors…and thousands of founders in the funding lurch. When it came to the distribution of VC funding, we don’t have the wrong companies. We have the wrong tools.
We designed RevUp to produce investor returns. BUT, we also believed that expanding the tool kit for early stage investing was one of the most powerful ways to create positive impact through entrepreneurship.
For us, taking this approach isn’t philanthropy. It’s a good business model. And, we think about impact in three ways:
1. Investing Everywhere
Many reports show that ~80% of VC funding flows to just four states: California, New York, Massachusetts and Texas. While we are thrilled to have active investments in all of those markets, we are proud to support founders who build beyond major Venture Capital hubs, where the economic impact they create has outsized impact on the community. 68% of RevUp companies are based outside of these top-tier markets.
2. Investing Beyond Unicorns
Expanding the toolkit for early stage investing has never been more urgent. We cannot limit entrepreneurship—and all it brings to the world—to companies that exclusively track to the VC-model for hunting unicorns. There are thousands of companies that have significant growth potential even if they are unlikely to achieve the huge valuations or outsized exits needed to be considered “VC-backable.”
These companies produce excellent results for investors and products / services the world wants and needs. That these companies are led by founders with grit, creativity, and extraordinary commitment to making the world a better place is icing on the cake! These companies outperform their non-diverse peers and we proud to be even a small part of their journey.
3. Backing Founders Who Build Without the Perks of Privilege
It’s well established that VC funding goes to a very narrow sliver of entrepreneurs. Our companies are often led by diverse operating teams that defy those stats:
60% of RevUp companies are C-Suite diverse
51% of RevUp companies are women-led
35% of RevUp companies led by founders of color
That some of our founders have become RevUp investors themselves brings the purpose of our work full circle.
Impact and Profit
The work presented in our 2025 Impact Assessment offers a short summary of how we pursue impact with profit. These results are not an end point. But, we think it’s a strong start.
We're excited to continue our work at RevUp with our newest fund, the Athena Growth Fund 2025. (Please note: Fund 2025 can only accept investment from accredited investors*. )
We can’t end this post without offering a huge thank you to our investors. From the earliest days to the most recent fund, your support has been the gasoline on this fire. Thank you for all you do! 🔥❤️🏆
If scanning a PDF of the assessment isn’t your jam, RevUp Partner Melissa Withers made a short video that hits the high notes:
Want to learn a little more about what investors miss out on when they focus only on unicorns? Check out this video from RevUp Managing Partner Melissa Withers:
Want to learn more about how we select companies for investment? Jump over to our Founders page.
More About RevUp Capital
RevUp Capital invests in B2B and B2C companies that are revenue-driven and ready to double down on growth. We deploy cash and capacity to help companies grow from $1-3M to $10-30M, quickly and efficiently, using a revenue-based model. Companies enter our portfolio with $500K-$3M in revenue, a strong growth rate, and a team that’s ready to scale. Our typical investment range is $300K-$500K.
More at www.revupfund.com