Gutter Capital
Gutter Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 in New York City that invests $3-5M at pre-seed and seed in software and AI-enabled businesses, while also operating the Elbow Grease accelerator program for mission-driven founders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gutter Capital does
Gutter Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 by Dan Teran and James Gettinger, headquartered in New York City. The firm invests at the pre-seed and seed stages in software and AI-enabled businesses that address affordability, economic mobility, and sustainability, deploying $3-5M per core investment and exclusively leading rounds. It maintains an active partnership model, taking board seats, mandating quarterly board meetings, and providing dedicated in-house recruiting resources alongside co-development of mission, vision, values, strategy, hiring plans, financial plans, and product roadmaps. Portfolio companies are reported to be twice as likely to progress from Seed to Series A and from Series A to Series B relative to baselines, per Carta data, and both prior funds rank in the top quartile of their vintages per Cambridge Associates benchmarks.
The firm operates three sequential investment funds (Fund I, Fund II, and Fund III closed at $75M in June 2026, tripling the prior fund size) and an accelerator program called Elbow Grease, launched in 2025 with sponsorship from Mercury and Orrick, providing $300,000 investments and a 10-week NYC residency to cohorts of up to 15 startups. The portfolio spans approximately 22 disclosed companies across Funds I and II, spanning consumer, climate, housing, fintech, AI infrastructure, and consumer brands. Business model revenue is derived from standard VC economics: management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on successful exits, with no direct charges to portfolio companies beyond equity dilution. Distribution is driven by thought leadership (podcasts, Medium essays, press), industry rankings (Business Insider Seed 100, Entrepreneur, Fast Company), and direct founder outreach via [email protected].
Gutter Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gutter Capital
- Legal name
- Gutter Capital
- Website
- https://gutter.cc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Gutter Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 in New York City that invests $3-5M at pre-seed and seed in software and AI-enabled businesses, while also operating the Elbow Grease accelerator program for mission-driven founders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gutter Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Early-Stage Investment
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Gutter Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gutter Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Management Fees and Carried Interest: VC fund revenue model consisting of management fees (typically 2% on committed capital) and carried interest (typically 20% of fund profits above the hurdle rate). Returns generated through successful portfolio company exits via acquisition or IPO.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Standard Investment: $3-5M deployed per core investment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Gutter Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gutter Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests $3-5M per core investment at pre-seed and seed stages, exclusively leading rounds and taking board seats in portfolio companies. The firm focuses on software and AI-enabled businesses founded by exceptional founders tackling affordability, economic mobility, and sustainability challenges. In addition to its three investment funds, Gutter Capital operates the Elbow Grease accelerator, providing $300,000 investments and a 10-week NYC residency to early-stage startup teams.
Product overview
Gutter Capital is a venture capital firm operating as a single-platform investment firm with three distinct investment funds (Fund I, Fund II, and Fund III) and one accelerator program (Elbow Grease). The funds deploy $3-5M per core investment at pre-seed and seed stages, exclusively leading rounds with board participation. The accelerator program provides $300,000 initial investments to early-stage startups. Gutter Capital focuses on software and AI-enabled businesses addressing affordability, economic mobility, and sustainability, with a track record where backed companies are twice as likely to progress from Seed to Series A and Series A to Series B.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Elbow Grease: Startup accelerator program operated by Gutter Capital, providing up to $300,000 investment and 10-week residency at NYC headquarters for early-stage companies. Second cohort accepting up to 15 companies in fall 2026.
Products and services
- Fund I Gutter Capital Fund I is the firm's first venture capital fund focused on pre-seed and seed stage investments in software and AI-enabled businesses, deploying $3-5M per core investment and exclusively leading rounds with board participation.
- Fund II Gutter Capital Fund II is the firm's second venture capital fund investing in pre-seed and seed stage software and AI-enabled companies, with portfolio companies including Allera, Besample, Dewey, Faraday, FarmEvo, Parcell, Rebuild, Recharged, RetailPath, Roble, Soundtrace, and Upkid.
- Fund III Gutter Capital Fund III is a $75 million venture capital fund representing tripled fund size since the firm's inception, focused on pre-seed and seed stage investments in software and AI-enabled businesses.
- Elbow Grease Accelerator Elbow Grease is a startup accelerator program operated by Gutter Capital based in New York City, providing $300,000 investment and a 10-week residency at Gutter Capital headquarters with mentorship and hands-on guidance. The second cohort accepts up to 15 companies, sponsored by Mercury and Orrick.
Quantifiable outcome
- Gutter-backed companies are twice as likely to progress from Seed to Series A and from Series A to Series B
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Gutter Capital
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gutter Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gutter Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gutter Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lerer Hippeau: NYC-based early-stage venture capital firm investing at seed and pre-seed stages in software and consumer businesses. Highly comparable to Gutter on stage, geography, check size, and active-investment approach.
- BoxGroup: NYC-based pre-seed and seed venture firm known for leading rounds and an active, founder-friendly investment approach. Directly comparable on stage focus, geography, and round-leadership style.
- Founder Collective: Early-stage venture firm investing at seed with checks typically in the multi-million range across software and AI-enabled businesses. Comparable stage, check size, and generalist thesis to Gutter.
- Eniac Ventures: NYC-based seed-stage VC investing in software and AI companies with lead-investor posture. Directly comparable on geography, stage, and lead-round strategy.
- Precursor Ventures: Pre-seed and seed-stage VC investing in software and consumer businesses with small check sizes. Closely comparable on early-stage thesis and founder-first approach.
- Contrary Capital: Early-stage venture firm investing in student and first-time founders with active support. Comparable on stage and focus on earliest-stage software opportunities.
Broad incumbents
- First Round Capital: Established seed-stage VC with a national footprint and extensive platform resources for portfolio companies. Comparable on stage focus and founder-support model but at significantly greater scale and AUM.
- Antler: Global pre-seed investor and accelerator with structured residency programs. Comparable on combining accelerator operations with seed investing and supporting founders at the earliest stages.
- SV Angel: Established seed-stage investment firm with broad portfolio support. Comparable on consistent seed-stage software investing, though operating at meaningfully larger scale.
Emerging players
- Harlem Capital: Early-stage VC with a mission-driven thesis focused on diverse founders and underrepresented markets. Comparable on thematic, mission-driven investing and seed-stage focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gutter Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gutter Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Gutter Capital subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Gutter Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gutter Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments56 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gutter Capital
What does Gutter Capital do?
Gutter Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests $3-5M per core investment at pre-seed and seed stages, exclusively leading rounds and taking board seats in portfolio companies. The firm focuses on software and AI-enabled businesses founded by exceptional founders tackling affordability, economic mobility, and sustainability challenges. In addition to its three investment funds, Gutter Capital operates the Elbow Grease accelerator, providing $300,000 investments and a 10-week NYC residency to early-stage startup teams.
Is Gutter Capital a public or private company?
Gutter Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gutter Capital founded?
Gutter Capital was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Gutter Capital based?
Gutter Capital is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gutter Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: management Fees and Carried Interest.
Who are Gutter Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup, Founder Collective, Eniac Ventures, Precursor Ventures and Contrary Capital. Broad incumbents are First Round Capital, Antler and SV Angel. Harlem Capital is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gutter Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gutter Capital.
What industry is Gutter Capital in?
Gutter Capital's product category is Venture Capital / Early-Stage Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.