We are two years in at The 81 Collection, and we are having a blast! We've discovered a white space that we feel uniquely qualified to pursue, and we are lucky to be surrounded by 80 fellow founders who have created $60 billion in value and 100,000 jobs. That's why we are growing our investment and portfolio teams, with our first opening here. We exist to lighten the load for the next generation of builders in the 81, so let us know if you'd like to play a role! Trillions of dollars of value are locked up in serious, unsolved problems across the 81% of GDP. Join us in choosing the harder path, supporting the right kind of businesses, and improving America.
The 81 Collection
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
Chicago, IL 1,357 followers
The Founders Fund for Unsexy Industries
About us
We are a collection of entrepreneurs who brought our offline industries online. Now, we're backing the next generation building across the 81% of U.S. GDP underserved by early-stage capital. We built companies in un-sexy industries, and it was lonely when we started. Most venture capitalists said our industries were too capital intensive, low margin, or difficult to scale. We were outsiders. Now, we can look back at the $60 billion of value created and the 30,000 employees whose financial trajectories we altered. The very qualities that made our businesses unattractive early are now our greatest strengths. Our entrenched assets serve as a barrier to entry, our higher-quality revenue inextricably ties to our customer’s daily needs, and our loyal employees who once made $20 per hour now make $100K per year. We chose the harder path, built the right kind of businesses, and improved America. A decade later, not much has changed in early-stage financing. We back early stage companies transforming boring trades, hard work, unpleasant spaces, and structural inequity. We know first-hand that exceptional humans can unknot these un-sexy industries. Now is the perfect time. California is out of water, a generation can’t afford a home, and our skilled tradespeople are in their fifties. Raw input, supply chain, and labor crises are silently cracking America’s infrastructure. Today, 19% of the U.S. GDP attracts more than 50% of early stage investing activity. 81% of the U.S. GDP is under-invested. Trillions of dollars of value are locked up in serious, unsolved problems across the 81%. Tackle a real, often very difficult problem. Use technology, cash flow, and a long-term mindset. America needs you to, and know that we exist to lighten your load.
- Website
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https://www.81collection.com/
External link for The 81 Collection
- Industry
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Chicago, IL
- Type
- Partnership
- Founded
- 2021
Locations
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Primary
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Chicago, IL, US
Employees at The 81 Collection
Updates
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Thank you to Sandra Guy and the Chicago Sun-Times for sharing how Pinch is creating incredible career opportunities for Nurse Practitioners like Theresa. "Alex Thiersch CEO of the American Med Spa Association said Pinch’s business model is viable, innovative and even disruptive." “People are thinking of [medical spa services] as preventative, and they’re talking about it, including on social media, rather than thinking of it as something to keep secret,” said Haley Kwait Zollo, partner at Starting Line. Link to full story in the comments.
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Trillions of dollars of value are locked up in serious, unsolved problems across the 81%. A big chunk of that relates to healthcare and HR. 110 million Americans struggle to pay for healthcare (avg. annual premium ~$22K for a family), and 1 in 4 Americans are now in healthcare debt. We are grateful to partner with Sasha Gribov, Gautam Kumar, and a16z Bio + Health as they help ordinary Americans navigate the convoluted healthcare system. Just last week, Milu worked with a family to modify a $6,000 bill to $0...and get a family's treatments covered for the year. If you are a self-insured employer looking to save on healthcare expenses while getting your employees higher-quality care, get in touch!
Excited to announce our funding led by a16z and official launch to help employers and employees save money on healthcare costs https://lnkd.in/ekYHt9v7
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2024!
Over the last 18 months, mature companies faced headwinds that cracked the infrastructure of the economy. Those crevices serve as great opportunities for entrepreneurs to build. This happens every recession, and thanks to Crain's for highlighting our optimism for this era. It's a great time to tackle some serious, unsolved problems (eg, labor shortages, onshoring of manufacturing, fixing the ROI on education). They represent trillions of dollars of locked up value.
Chicago private-equity firms ready to get back to building companies in 2024
chicagobusiness.com
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Emerging managers and emerging entrepreneurs are born in recessions!
Today, I'm heading to Rick Zullo's exciting Emerging Manager Summit (https://www.emcsummit.com/) to meet some of the best up-and-coming managers. And I keep thinking about this graph. An industry that started with founders helping founders has transformed into asset gathering. Funders & Founders have been quietly drifting apart. You only need $3M to start a company and generate cash flow, but $300B of dry powder needs a home. Assuming there are 100 meaningful companies each year, that is a 100x gap in supply and demand! Capital is officially a commodity. What isn't a commodity is purposeful, specialized capital. That's why I'm personally an LP in 35 emerging managers and will continue to back the asset class. The odds of successful creation have never been higher, and the headwinds that mature companies face today are tailwinds for entrepreneurs. I know times feel dark, but mark my words -- Great companies will be built this year and next year. If you're a founder, find your tribe and your emerging manager. Find a manager who deeply cares about you and knows your space. A new era is emerging! * These numbers are all approximate, but the points stand!
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