What RSE Ventures does

RSE Ventures, LLC is a New York-based private investment firm founded in 2012 by Stephen M. Ross (chairman of Related Companies and owner of the Miami Dolphins) and Matt Higgins (CEO, also a Miami Dolphins vice chairman and recurring Shark Tank investor). The firm describes itself as "part investor, part incubator," combining growth capital with hands-on operational resources — including marketing campaign development, real estate strategy execution, and access to stadium/event venues — to scale companies at inflection points across seed to growth stages.

The firm's portfolio spans four verticals. Consumer brands (Food & Lifestyle) include restaurant and CPG holdings such as Momofuku, Milk Bar, Magnolia Bakery (acquired outright in 2021), &pizza, Bluestone Lane (lead investor, 2018), Fuku (David Chang's chicken sandwich concept targeting 80 locations by 2030), Magic Spoon, Banza, MSCHF, Atomo, Lola, and Brooklyn Dumpling Shop. Sports & Entertainment holdings include the International Champions Cup (140 million viewers built from concept), the Drone Racing League, Breakaway Music Festival (13-stop 2026 season, Series B at nine-figure valuation in March 2026), Action Network, and Performance Drone Works. Media & Marketing holdings include VaynerMedia and Derris. Technology holdings include Resy (sold to American Express for $200-250M), Skout Secure Intelligence (Oxford Solutions rebranded after a $30M 2018 acquisition), NextVR, Assembly OSM, and earlier-stage bets. The firm also operates a venture-studio-style initiative called Latitudes (launched June 2026 with Juxtapose and Related Ross) to build technology companies in the South Florida corridor, targeting defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and maritime.

The business model is an investment firm revenue structure, not a software product business. Returns are generated through equity investments in portfolio companies, with deal terms negotiated bilaterally and not publicly disclosed. The firm has no public revenue, AUM, or fee schedule disclosure and does not offer a public product or API. Distribution of capital is sales-led: founders and intermediaries reach the firm via [email protected], while the team deploys directly from network referrals and the Matt Higgins Shark Tank pipeline.

Name

RSE Ventures

Legal name

RSE Ventures, LLC

Website

https://rseventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RSE Ventures is a New York-based private investment firm founded in 2012 by Stephen M. Ross and Matt Higgins that combines growth capital with operational resources to scale consumer brands, sports, entertainment, media, and technology companies at inflection points.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity / Venture Capital

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Security & Defense / GovTech Growth Equity (FSANACAN)

Keywords

• Private investment firm
• Venture capital investing
• Growth capital funding
• Incubation services
• Portfolio company scaling

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Portfolio Company Equity: RSE Ventures generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, providing capital in exchange for ownership stakes. The firm supports companies from seed through growth stages and benefits from value creation at exit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

RSE Ventures is a private investment firm that invests growth capital in early-to-growth-stage companies across sports and entertainment, media and marketing, consumer (food, beverage, lifestyle), and technology. It combines capital with operational resources — including marketing campaign development, real estate strategy, and access to venues such as Hard Rock Stadium — to help founders scale businesses at inflection points. The firm has incubated and invested in companies such as Momofuku, Milk Bar, Magnolia Bakery, &pizza, Bluestone Lane, VaynerMedia, the International Champions Cup, and the Drone Racing League.

Product overview

RSE Ventures is a private investment firm operating as both an investor and incubator. Rather than a unified tech product, RSE Ventures' 'offering' is its investment platform combined with strategic resources and network access to help portfolio companies scale. The firm's portfolio spans multiple categories including Sports & Entertainment (International Champions Cup, Drone Racing League), Consumer Brands (Momofuku, Milk Bar, Magnolia Bakery, &pizza, Bluestone Lane, Fuku, Breakaway), Media & Marketing (VaynerMedia, Derris), and Technology (Performance Drone Works, Resy, Skout Cybersecurity). Each portfolio company operates as an independent brand with its own products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSE Ventures Investment Platform Private investment and incubation platform providing growth capital (seed through growth stages) combined with operational support — including marketing campaign development, real estate strategy, and access to venues such as Hard Rock Stadium — to portfolio companies across sports & entertainment, media & marketing, consumer (food, beverage, lifestyle), and technology sectors.
• Latitudes Company-Building Initiative Company-building initiative co-founded with Juxtapose and Related Ross to incubate and launch technology companies in South Florida's tech corridor, focused on industries where Florida ranks as a top-five state: defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and maritime.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 million viewers for International Champions Cup soccer tournament
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• JuxtaposeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026RSE Ventures co-founded Latitudes with Juxtapose and Related Ross to build technology companies from the ground up in West Palm Beach and across South Florida. The initiative focuses on industries where Florida ranks as a top-five state: defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and maritime.
• Related RossflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Related Ross (Stephen Ross's company) partnered with RSE Ventures and Juxtapose to launch Latitudes, a company-building initiative in South Florida's tech corridor between New York and South Florida.
• REEF TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuku (RSE portfolio) partners with REEF Neighborhood Kitchens for delivery-only operations in Miami/Fort Lauderdale and NYC locations.
• Keith LeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media restaurant influencer with 20M+ followers invested in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop alongside RSE Ventures through a multi-year partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crosscut Ventures: Early-stage VC investing in consumer, commerce, and technology. Comparable to RSE at the seed-to-Series A stage of consumer/tech investing.
• Maveron: Consumer-only venture firm originally backed by Starbucks founder Howard Schultz. Comparable to RSE in single-anchor-capital structure, consumer focus, and brand-building orientation.
• Stripes Group: Growth equity investor in consumer and technology companies with operating-partner support. Directly comparable to RSE in stage (growth), verticals (consumer/tech), and value-add operating approach.
• Greycroft: Multi-stage venture firm with deep consumer and media-tech portfolios (Bumble, Allbirds, Venmo). Highly comparable to RSE across consumer/tech thesis, stage range, and emphasis on brand-led growth.
• Lerer Hippeau: Seed- and early-stage VC investing across consumer, media, and technology. Comparable to RSE in stage mix, consumer/media vertical focus, and founder-led brand orientation.
• Lead Edge Capital: Growth-equity firm investing in technology and consumer businesses with a single LP base (single family office origin). Comparable to RSE's growth-stage orientation and concentrated, operationally-involved model.
• Forerunner Ventures: Consumer-focused early- and growth-stage venture firm with a portfolio of iconic consumer brands (Glossier, Bonobos, Warby Parker). Directly comparable to RSE in stage, vertical focus on consumer/lifestyle, and emphasis on brand-building founders.
• Juxtapose: Venture studio that co-founded the Latitudes initiative with RSE and Related Ross. Comparable to RSE's evolving thesis around ground-up company building rather than purely minority investing.
• Brand Foundry Ventures: Venture firm focused exclusively on emerging consumer brands with operational and retail support. Closely comparable to RSE's consumer brand building approach, including Momofuku, Milk Bar, and Magnolia-type deals.

Others

• Roc Nation: Sports and entertainment company with investment arm spanning athletes, brands, and media. Comparable to RSE's sports & entertainment vertical and use of celebrity/influencer networks (analogous to Matt Higgins's Shark Tank profile).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RSEventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rse-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments57 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RSE Ventures