Slauson & Co.
Slauson & Co. is a Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 that invests at pre-seed and seed in US SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies led by underrepresented founders. The firm manages approximately $175 million across two funds and operates the Friends & Family accelerator program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Slauson & Co. does
Slauson & Co. is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 and headquartered in Los Angeles by co-founders Austin Clements (former TenOneTen Ventures investor, founding Chair of PledgeLA, Knight Foundation board member, Morehouse/NYU Stern) and Ajay Relan (founding partner at Queensbridge Venture Partners, founder of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen and the #HashtagLunchbag movement). The firm invests at pre-seed and seed stages in US-based SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies whose founders use lived experience as a competitive advantage, with a stated focus on Black, AAPI, Latinx, and women-led startups. It backs 35+ active portfolio companies spanning fintech, health tech, EV, housing, logistics, beauty, food tech, and AI-enabled verticals.
The firm's products are its two venture funds and its accelerator program. Fund I closed at approximately $75 million in 2021, backed by Google, Meta, Twitter, PayPal, and Ron Conway. Fund II closed at $100 million in September 2024, scaling deployable capital by roughly a third. The Friends & Family accelerator is a 12-week virtual program that provides capital (escalating from $20K initially to $150K in the 2024 cohort and $300K in the 2026 cohort), tactical programming, and network access to selected founders, co-developed with nonprofit partner Grid110 and connected to PledgeLA. The 2026 cohort selected 6 companies from 720+ applicants.
Revenue is generated through traditional VC fund management economics — management fees on committed capital (~$175M AUM) and carried interest on successful exits. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The operating team is lean at seven people across investing, platform, programs, and content functions. As a community-led and direct-to-consumer investment platform in the underrepresented-founder segment, Slauson & Co. monetizes through institutional LP-backed funds rather than through product or subscription pricing.
Slauson & Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slauson & Co.
- Legal name
- Slauson & Co.
- Website
- https://slauson.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slauson & Co. is a Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 that invests at pre-seed and seed in US SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies led by underrepresented founders. The firm manages approximately $175 million across two funds and operates the Friends & Family accelerator program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slauson & Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where Slauson & Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slauson & Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fund Management: Slauson & Co. manages venture capital funds (Fund I $75M, Fund II $100M) for limited partners, earning management fees and carried interest on successful exits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fund II - $100 million venture capital fund |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Friends & Family Accelerator 2026 - $300K investment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Slauson & Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slauson & Co. is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies at the pre-seed and seed stages through Fund II ($100M) and also runs the Friends & Family accelerator, a 12-week virtual program that invests $150,000–$300,000 in selected founders alongside tactical programming and network access. The firm is mission-driven around economic inclusion and centers lived experience as a competitive advantage for founders it backs.
Product overview
Slauson & Co. is an early-stage venture capital firm offering a unified investment and accelerator platform. The firm operates Fund II, a $100 million VC fund investing in pre-seed and seed stage companies, alongside the Friends & Family accelerator program which provides $150,000-$300,000 in funding with tactical programming and network access. The portfolio spans SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech categories across diverse verticals including fintech, health tech, EV, housing, logistics, beauty, and food tech.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Friends & Family Accelerator: A 12-week virtual accelerator program that provides early-stage founders with $150,000-$300,000 in investment, tactical programming, and access to a network of successful entrepreneurs, investors, and operators.
Products and services
- Friends & Family Accelerator A 12-week virtual accelerator program that provides $150,000–$300,000 in funding to selected early-stage founders, alongside tactical programming and access to a network of successful entrepreneurs, investors, and operators. It is targeted at underrepresented founders building SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies.
- Fund II ($100M venture capital fund) A $100 million early-stage venture capital fund managed by Slauson & Co. that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage innovative technology companies (SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech categories) led by founders using their lived experience as a competitive advantage. Limited partners include major technology companies.
- Fund I ($75M inaugural venture capital fund) Slauson & Co.'s inaugural $75 million venture capital fund, launched in 2020, that invested in early-stage technology companies with a focus on founders using their lived experience as a competitive advantage. Backed by major technology companies and notable Silicon Valley investors.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fund II raised $100 million in 2024, demonstrating institutional backing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Slauson & Co.
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Slauson & Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Slauson & Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Grid110coreGrid110 is a nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship programs to underrepresented founders in Los Angeles. Slauson & Co. partners with Grid110 on the Friends & Family accelerator program.
- PledgeLAcorePledgeLA is the nation's largest city-wide initiative to promote diversity in the LA tech community. Austin Clements serves as founding Chair of PledgeLA, connecting Slauson & Co. to the LA tech ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Slauson & Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Unusual Ventures: Early-stage VC investing in enterprise and consumer companies, with explicit commitment to diversity among partners and portfolio. More established firm with similar mission orientation.
- Kapor Capital: Oakland-based early-stage VC with explicit focus on closing gaps of access and opportunity for underrepresented founders. More established, larger fund size, and broader portfolio than Slauson.
Direct peers
- VamosVentures: Los Angeles-based early-stage VC focused on Latinx and other underrepresented founders. Geographic and demographic overlap with Slauson, and explicitly named in Slauson team backgrounds.
- MaC Venture Capital: Diversity-focused early-stage VC founded by former Cross Culture Ventures and M Ventures principals. Similar pre-seed/seed focus and explicit mission of investing in underestimated founders.
- Backstage Capital: Arlan Hamilton's early-stage VC fund focused on underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+). Most directly comparable to Slauson in mission, stage focus, and accelerator program model.
- Harlem Capital Partners: Early-stage VC firm investing in minority and women founders, with similar mission alignment to Slauson. Comparable fund size range and focus on diversifying venture capital.
- Concrete Rose Capital: Seed-stage fund investing in Black, Latinx, and women founders. Directly comparable thesis, stage, and demographic focus as Slauson & Co.
- Precursor Ventures: Pre-seed/seed focused VC investing in software, hardware, and consumer products. Comparable stage focus, though Precursor is not explicitly diversity-mission aligned.
Others
- TenOneTen Ventures: LA-based early-stage VC firm where Slauson co-founder Austin Clements previously worked. Geographic and stage overlap, and direct talent pipeline connection to Slauson.
Emerging players
- XRC Ventures: Early-stage VC and accelerator focused on retail and consumer technology. Stage and category overlap with Slauson's consumer tech focus; explicitly named in Slauson team backgrounds.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slauson & Co. social profiles
Digital presenceSlauson & Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slauson & Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Slauson & Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slauson & Co. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments86 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slauson & Co.
What does Slauson & Co. do?
Slauson & Co. is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in SMB SaaS and Consumer Tech companies at the pre-seed and seed stages through Fund II ($100M) and also runs the Friends & Family accelerator, a 12-week virtual program that invests $150,000–$300,000 in selected founders alongside tactical programming and network access. The firm is mission-driven around economic inclusion and centers lived experience as a competitive advantage for founders it backs.
Is Slauson & Co. a public or private company?
Slauson & Co. is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Slauson & Co. founded?
Slauson & Co. was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slauson & Co. based?
Slauson & Co. is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slauson & Co. make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management.
Who are Slauson & Co.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Unusual Ventures and Kapor Capital. Direct peers are VamosVentures, MaC Venture Capital, Backstage Capital, Harlem Capital Partners, Concrete Rose Capital and Precursor Ventures. TenOneTen Ventures is listed as an others. XRC Ventures is listed as an emerging player.
Does Slauson & Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slauson & Co..
What industry is Slauson & Co. in?
Slauson & Co.'s product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.