1855 Capital Partners
1855 Capital Partners is a State College, PA-based seed and early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2016, investing in Penn State University-affiliated startups across IT, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersState College, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 1855 Capital Partners does
1855 Capital Partners is a Pennsylvania-based seed and early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2016 and headquartered in State College, PA, in close proximity to Penn State University Park. The firm invests in startups with ties to Penn State—drawn from current faculty, staff, students, and a 600,000+ member alumni network—across information technology, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare/medical devices. Although privately owned and not directly affiliated with Penn State, 1855 Capital leverages deep community roots, including Penn State's role as a limited partner, to source, mentor, and capitalize early-stage companies. The firm manages two vehicles: the original 1855 Capital Fund I ($10 million, deploying $100K-$500K per company) and the newly formed Keystone Innovation Fund II ($30 million, deploying $250K-$750K), the latter operated as a strategic alliance with White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.
The firm's investment approach is operator-led, headed by Managing Director Matt Rhodes, a former CEO of Teranetics (where he raised $45M) and President of Conexant Systems (a $1B+ semiconductor business). 1855 Capital has invested approximately $7 million across 15 portfolio companies to date and reports attracting over $75 million in co-investment capital at a 10:1 leverage ratio, approaching $100 million in total investment mobilized across the portfolio. Two portfolio exits are disclosed: Bliley Technologies (acquired by KYOCERA AVX in October 2023) and Data Inventions.
Revenue is generated through the standard venture fund model—management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on successful exits. Distribution is direct: the firm engages Penn State faculty, students, alumni, and partner organizations (including Ben Franklin Technology Partners) to source deals, and typically leads or co-leads investment rounds. The portfolio spans sectors and stages from cognitive training technology (Reflexion) and agricultural nutrient management (Phospholutions, Croptix, 5Metis) to materials science (spotLESS Materials, Magnitude Instruments), data analytics (Daasity), and edtech (TEAMology), reflecting a broad sector mandate anchored to Penn State's research output.
1855 Capital Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1855 Capital Partners
- Legal name
- 1855 Capital Partners
- Website
- https://1855capital.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 1855 Capital Partners is a State College, PA-based seed and early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2016, investing in Penn State University-affiliated startups across IT, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
1855 Capital Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where 1855 Capital Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- State College
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
1855 Capital Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Returns: Generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups, primarily exiting via acquisitions. Revenue comes from capital gains on successful portfolio companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Seed and Early Stage Investment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
1855 Capital Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
1855 Capital Partners is a privately owned and operated seed and early-stage venture capital fund that invests in startups with ties to Penn State University. The firm manages 1855 Capital Fund I (a $10 million fund with $100K-$500K investments) and the Keystone Innovation Fund II (a $30 million partnership with White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners with $250K-$750K investments) targeting information technology, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare/medical devices sectors.
Product overview
1855 Capital Partners operates as a venture capital firm managing two investment funds: the 1855 Capital Fund I ($10 million seed/early-stage fund) and Keystone Innovation Fund II ($30 million fund in partnership with White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners). The firm focuses on Penn State University-affiliated startups across information technology, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare/medical devices sectors. Their investment strategy centers on companies with identifiable core technological competencies, scalable business models, and management teams, with typical investment sizes ranging from $100K to $500K for Fund I and $250K to $750K for Keystone Fund II.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 1855 Capital Fund I A $10 million seed and early-stage venture capital fund providing $100K to $500K investments to Penn State-affiliated startups in sectors including information technology, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare/medical devices. Expected ownership share of 10%-50% per portfolio company.
- Keystone Innovation Fund II A $30 million venture capital fund in partnership with White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners, investing $250K-$750K per company in early-stage technology companies across Pennsylvania.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10:1 investment leverage - portfolio companies have attracted over $75M in co-investment capital against ~$7M invested by the fund
Companies that use 1855 Capital Partners
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
1855 Capital Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
1855 Capital Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- White Rose VenturescorePartner in Keystone Innovation Fund II, a $30M capital alliance combining networks, deal flow, and operational expertise of White Rose Ventures, 1855 Capital, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners to invest $250K-$750K per company in Pennsylvania early-stage technology companies.
- Ben Franklin Technology PartnerscoreKey partner in Keystone Innovation Fund II. Ben Franklin Technology Partners is Pennsylvania's most active pre-seed investor, providing early-stage funding, business and technical expertise, and access to statewide resources for portfolio companies.
- Cove FundminorEarly-stage seed fund associated with UC Irvine that brought Daasity to 1855 Capital's attention. The Cove Fund model informed the design of 1855 Capital's university affinity fund structure.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
1855 Capital Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Innovation Works: Pittsburgh-based seed-stage investor and one of the most active early-stage funds in Pennsylvania. Comparable as a regional PA seed investor with deep ties to a research university (Carnegie Mellon, Pitt), though at significantly larger AUM.
- Dreamit Ventures: Philadelphia-based early-stage venture fund with a healthcare/enterprise focus. Comparable as another Pennsylvania-based early-stage investor, though not university-affiliated and historically broader in sector focus.
- Central PA Angel Network: State College, PA-based angel investor network that frequently co-invests in the same central Pennsylvania startups that 1855 targets. Comparable geography and deal-flow overlap.
Direct peers
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners: Pennsylvania's most active pre-seed investor, providing early-stage funding and business/technical expertise. Co-GP in Keystone Innovation Fund II with overlapping deal flow, geography, and stage focus, making it a direct strategic peer.
- Osage University Partners: University-affiliated venture fund that invests in startups commercializing research from partner universities. Shares 1855's thesis of sourcing proprietary deal flow from university ecosystems and faculty research.
- Rev1 Ventures: Columbus, Ohio-based seed/early-stage investor combining venture funding with startup services. Comparable in the university-affiliated regional seed fund model and hands-on portfolio support approach.
- Alumni Ventures Group: Large-scale university-affinity venture fund aggregator pooling capital from alumni of many universities. Closely comparable model to 1855 Capital's Penn State affinity thesis, scaled across 1,000+ portfolio companies.
- White Rose Ventures: York, PA-based early-stage venture fund focused on Pennsylvania startups, with a university-affinity component anchored to York College. Direct co-GP in Keystone Innovation Fund II alongside 1855 Capital, making it the most directly comparable peer.
Broad incumbents
- Safeguard Scientifics: Long-standing Pennsylvania-based technology and healthcare investment firm. Comparable in its PA concentration and growth-stage orientation, though it operates at a much larger scale and broader scope than 1855.
Emerging players
- Contrary Capital: University-focused venture fund backing student-led and alumni-affiliated startups. Comparable in its university-affinity thesis and student-entrepreneur sourcing model, though typically earlier-stage and more generalist.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
1855 Capital Partners social profiles
Digital presence1855 Capital Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1855 Capital Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
1855 Capital Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
1855 Capital Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1855 Capital Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments9 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 1855 Capital Partners
What does 1855 Capital Partners do?
1855 Capital Partners is a privately owned and operated seed and early-stage venture capital fund that invests in startups with ties to Penn State University. The firm manages 1855 Capital Fund I (a $10 million fund with $100K-$500K investments) and the Keystone Innovation Fund II (a $30 million partnership with White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners with $250K-$750K investments) targeting information technology, advanced materials, fintech, edtech, and healthcare/medical devices sectors.
Is 1855 Capital Partners a public or private company?
1855 Capital Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 1855 Capital Partners founded?
1855 Capital Partners was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 1855 Capital Partners based?
1855 Capital Partners is headquartered in State College, United States, in the North America region.
How does 1855 Capital Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Returns.
Who are 1855 Capital Partners's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Innovation Works, Dreamit Ventures and Central PA Angel Network. Direct peers are Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Osage University Partners, Rev1 Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group and White Rose Ventures. Safeguard Scientifics is listed as a broad incumbent. Contrary Capital is listed as an emerging player.
Does 1855 Capital Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1855 Capital Partners.
What industry is 1855 Capital Partners in?
1855 Capital Partners's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.