Level Up Ventures
Level Up Ventures is Hearst's corporate venture capital arm that invests $300k average checks in pre-seed and seed-stage tech startups led by founders who have faced barriers to capital, coupling equity funding with access to Hearst's 360+ businesses, a Scout Network of Hearst employees, and a Mentor Network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Level Up Ventures does
Level Up Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Hearst Corporation, headquartered at Hearst Tower in New York City, that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage technology and tech-enabled startups led by founders who have experienced barriers to accessing capital. The firm writes an average check of $300,000 and positions itself as more than a financial investor by coupling capital with operational support drawn from Hearst's 360+ businesses, including access to Level Up Scouts (Hearst employees from units such as Fitch Ratings, Hearst Magazines, and Hearst Television) and a Mentor Network of external operators from organizations such as Google, Capital One, and Bank of New York.
The portfolio spans roughly 14 companies across Transportation & Mobility (iTruckr), Supply Chain & Logistics (Tensor9), Healthcare (Options MD, ConnectCareHero), FinTech (Greenshoe, LoanWell), Pet Health (Otis), Sports (BoxedUp), and Sustainability (Sortile, Sunthetics, ClearCOGS, Smartwiz), with several portfolio companies applying AI modalities including NLP and generative AI for SEC disclosures, computer vision for textile recycling, predictive analytics for restaurants and e-commerce, and process automation for logistics and lending. Additional offerings include the Venture Fellow Program for students pursuing venture careers, focusing on increasing representation among females and people of color.
As a corporate VC, Level Up's revenue model is investment returns rather than product sales: it deploys Hearst capital into early-stage equity and realizes outcomes through exits (one portfolio company, BoxedUp, has been acquired to date), follow-on funding rounds (e.g., Greenshoe, ClearCOGS in 2025), and strategic value-creation support. The firm is operated by a small core team of 1–10 employees led by Managing Director and Head Shashi Srikantan and Chairman Carlton J. Charles (also Hearst SVP of Treasury and Risk Management), with sourcing supplemented by direct startup submissions via the firm website, the Scout Network, the Advisory Council, and event participation such as Black Tech Week.
Level Up Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Level Up Ventures
- Legal name
- Level Up Ventures
- Website
- https://levelupventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Level Up Ventures is Hearst's corporate venture capital arm that invests $300k average checks in pre-seed and seed-stage tech startups led by founders who have faced barriers to capital, coupling equity funding with access to Hearst's 360+ businesses, a Scout Network of Hearst employees, and a Mentor Network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Level Up Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Level Up Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Level Up Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns and Portfolio Success: Level Up Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups. The firm provides $300k average check size in pre-seed and seed rounds, coupled with access to Hearst's resources and partner network. Returns are realized through portfolio company exits, follow-on funding rounds, and strategic value creation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | $300k average investment with full resource access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Level Up Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Level Up Ventures is a mission-driven corporate venture capital fund that provides $300k average pre-seed and seed-stage equity investments to high-growth technology and tech-enabled startups led by founders who have experienced barriers to accessing capital. Investments are coupled with access to Hearst's 360+ businesses, the Level Up Scouts network of Hearst employees, and a Mentor Network of diverse industry experts, plus warm introductions and go-to-market support at no additional cost to founders.
Product overview
Level Up Ventures is a mission-driven, sector-agnostic seed-stage investment fund associated with Hearst, focused on closing the wealth gap by investing in high-growth tech startups led by founders who have faced barriers to accessing capital. The fund offers a $300k average investment with a comprehensive support ecosystem including the Venture Fellow Program for aspiring venture capitalists, the Level Up Scouts Network of Hearst employees who mentor portfolio companies, and access to Hearst's extensive resources and partner network. The portfolio spans 14 active companies across diverse sectors including Transportation & Mobility (iTruckr), Supply Chain & Logistics (Tensor9), Sports, Healthcare (Options MD, ConnectCareHero), FinTech (Greenshoe, LoanWell), Pet Health (Otis), and Sustainability (Sortile, Sunthetics, ClearCOGS), with select companies applying AI capabilities such as NLP for SEC disclosures, computer vision for textile sorting, predictive analytics for molecule development, and process automation for commerce and logistics operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Level Up Ventures Investment Fund A mission-driven investment vehicle providing $300k average pre-seed and seed-stage equity investment to high-growth tech and tech-enabled startups led by founders who have experienced barriers to accessing capital, coupled with access to Hearst's 360+ businesses and partner network resources.
Companies that use Level Up Ventures
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Level Up Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability16 records
Level Up Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record.
- Level Up ScoutsLevel Up Scouts are Hearst employees who voluntarily share their time, expertise, and professional networks to help portfolio companies succeed. They are critical to the Level Up program and include professionals from Fitch Ratings, Hearst Magazines, Hearst Television, and other Hearst business units.
- Level Up Mentor NetworkThe Mentor Network is a group of highly engaged experts from diverse backgrounds who offer their experiences to help portfolio companies succeed. Mentors include professionals from Google, Capital One, Bank of New York, and other organizations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Level Up Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- HBCUvc: Venture capital fund-of-funds and talent network supporting Black and Latinx investors and founders emerging from HBCUs. Highly comparable mission-driven focus on closing the wealth gap through VC access, with complementary fund-of-funds structure.
- Pipeline Angels: Network of angel investors focused on women and non-binary founders, often co-investing with VCs. Comparable diversity-focused mandate at even earlier stage with angel syndicate structure.
Broad incumbents
- Google Ventures (GV): Alphabet's venture arm with broad stage and sector coverage. While substantially larger and stage-different, comparable CVC model with corporate parent providing distribution advantages to portfolio companies.
- Salesforce Ventures: Strategic CVC arm of Salesforce with broader stage range and check sizes, providing enterprise distribution to portfolio companies. Comparable CVC structure and corporate resource leverage model, though focused on enterprise/Salesforce ecosystem fit.
Direct peers
- HearstLab: Hearst's other CVC arm, focused on women founders. Operates the same parent-company-backed model with similar average check sizes, mentor networks, and Hearst corporate resource access — directly comparable structure and mission alignment.
- 645 Ventures: Early-stage VC with explicit thesis on diverse founding teams. Comparable pre-seed/seed stage focus and underrepresented founder mandate, with larger fund size and broader LP base.
- Kapor Capital: Oakland-based early-stage fund investing in tech startups closing gaps of access and opportunity for underrepresented communities. Comparable impact-driven, diversity-focused seed-stage mandate.
- Valor Ventures: Atlanta-based VC fund investing in Black, Brown, female, and LGBTQ+ founders. Comparable seed-stage, diversity-focused mandate with similar average check sizes and sector-agnostic approach.
- Harlem Capital Partners: Early-stage VC focused on investing in Black and Latino founders. Highly comparable thesis on diversifying venture capital access, pre-seed/seed stage focus, and mission-driven mandate. Differentiated by independent (non-CVC) fund structure.
- Backstage Capital: VC fund dedicated to investing in underrepresented founders including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ founders. Comparable early-stage, mission-driven thesis targeting underserved founder demographics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Level Up Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceLevel Up Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Level Up Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Level Up Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Level Up Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments25 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Level Up Ventures
What does Level Up Ventures do?
Level Up Ventures is a mission-driven corporate venture capital fund that provides $300k average pre-seed and seed-stage equity investments to high-growth technology and tech-enabled startups led by founders who have experienced barriers to accessing capital. Investments are coupled with access to Hearst's 360+ businesses, the Level Up Scouts network of Hearst employees, and a Mentor Network of diverse industry experts, plus warm introductions and go-to-market support at no additional cost to founders.
Is Level Up Ventures a public or private company?
Level Up Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Level Up Ventures founded?
Level Up Ventures was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Level Up Ventures based?
Level Up Ventures is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Level Up Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns and Portfolio Success.
Who are Level Up Ventures's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are HBCUvc and Pipeline Angels. Broad incumbents are Google Ventures (GV) and Salesforce Ventures. Direct peers are HearstLab, 645 Ventures, Kapor Capital, Valor Ventures, Harlem Capital Partners and Backstage Capital.
Does Level Up Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Level Up Ventures.
What industry is Level Up Ventures in?
Level Up Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.