Tress Capital

What Tress Capital does

Tress Capital, LLC is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 2013 by David Hess (President) and Asher Troppe (CEO), making it one of the earliest PE firms dedicated exclusively to the cannabis sector. The firm invests across both plant-touching and ancillary cannabis companies, with an 11-company portfolio spanning brands/consumer products (Highsman, Omura, Tyson 2.0, Tical), software and data analytics (Headset, Baker, WasteTrakr, Grownetics), biotech (Infusion Biosciences), testing and compliance (SC Labs), and media (Cannabis Now). Beyond fund management, the firm operates TressDeals (an investment access platform), Tress Solutions (advisory and operational support services), and a client portal for investor reporting and portfolio-company resources.

The firm generates returns through capital appreciation in its portfolio companies and related management fees and carried interest via its Tress Funds vehicle. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, targeting family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors seeking diversified cannabis exposure with co-investment rights; deal flow is sourced through the firm's longstanding ecosystem network, including its strategic investment in iCAN (Israel-Cannabis) and long-running sponsorship of the global CannaTech conference series. A dedicated ESG/CEA focus was formalized through a 2021 partnership with the Resource Innovation Institute.

Strategic milestones include the 2018 acquisition of Turning Points Global, the 2019 international expansion via iCAN, the 2022 Tyson 2.0 Series A participation ($9 million round led by JW Asset Management), and the 2022 exit of portfolio company WasteTrakr to Global Cannabis Applications Corp. The firm has been recognized by Cannabis Business Times (Top 25 Investment Companies, 2022) and mg Magazine (15 Industry-Leading Investment Firms). Financials including AUM, revenue, and fee structures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Tress Capital

Legal name

Tress Capital, LLC

Website

https://www.tresscapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tress Capital is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 2013 that invests across the cannabis value chain — brands, software, biotech, testing, AgTech, and media — through its Tress Funds vehicle for family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Returns: Tress Capital generates returns through capital appreciation from equity investments in cannabis-related companies. They invest in both ancillary and regulated/licensed operations across market segments including lab testing, biotech, media, manufacturing/processing, cultivation, and technology (software and hardware).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tress Capital is a private equity firm dedicated to the cannabis sector, offering diversified cannabis investment funds (Tress Funds) that provide qualified investors with single-point access to multiple cannabis market segments including lab testing, biotech, media, manufacturing, cultivation, and cannabis-related technology. The firm also provides advisory and operational support services (Tress Solutions) to portfolio companies, and operates an investor portal (Tress Client Portal) for statements, tax documents, and portfolio resources.

Product overview

Tress Capital is a private equity firm dedicated to cannabis investments since 2013. The firm operates Tress Funds as its core investment vehicle, offering diversified cannabis fund strategies. Tress Solutions provides advisory services for portfolio companies. The firm maintains TressDeals as its investment platform and a Client Portal for investor access to statements and portfolio resources. The firm focuses on responsible cannabis investments across market segments including lab testing, biotech, media, manufacturing, cultivation, and technology (software and hardware).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tress Funds: Investment funds providing single point of access to diversified and special strategies cannabis funds with co-investment rights and other benefits for investors seeking diversified cannabis fund exposure.
• TressDeals
• Tress Solutions
• Tress Client Portal

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Resource Innovation Institute (RII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2021Tress Capital partnered with Resource Innovation Institute on ESG initiatives. Partner Jonathan Eisenberg joined the RII Board of Directors. RII provides cultivation operations with services related to Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) performance. Tress is working with RII on CEA sector investments with focus on sustainability metrics.
• CannaTechcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCannaTech is the premier international cannabis summit held annually in Tel Aviv and globally (London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Panama, Cape Town, Davos, China). Tress has been a long-term sponsor and investor, partnering with CannaTech since its inception.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JW Asset Management: Cannabis-focused investment firm that led Tyson 2.0's $9M Series A alongside Tress Capital. Directly comparable in deploying capital into cannabis brands and consumer products.
• Merida Capital Partners: Cannabis-focused private equity firm investing across ancillary and plant-touching verticals. Directly comparable to Tress in target sectors and LP composition.
• Salveo Capital: Cannabis-focused private equity firm; explicitly mentioned as a co-capital partner with Tress in SC Labs. Same niche strategy of diversified cannabis fund investing with overlapping LP base.
• Gotham Green Partners: One of the largest dedicated cannabis PE/VC firms, deploying capital across the cannabis value chain. Direct competitor for cannabis deals and family-office/institutional LPs.
• Casa Verde Capital: Cannabis-focused venture capital firm investing across ancillary and plant-touching companies. Comparable deal-stage and vertical diversification strategy to Tress.
• Privateer Holdings: Cannabis-focused private equity firm investing across the cannabis ecosystem including brands, technology, and infrastructure. Early-mover peer comparable to Tress's 2013 vintage strategy.
• Phyto Partners: Cannabis-focused venture capital firm with portfolio spanning brands, technology, and biotech. Comparable in fund structure, sector focus, and target deal sizes to Tress.
• Green Acre Capital: Cannabis-focused investment manager offering fund vehicles to family offices and institutional investors. Directly comparable fund-product offering to Tress Funds.
• Poseidon Asset Management: Cannabis-focused asset manager providing actively managed investment strategies to institutional and accredited investors. Directly comparable in offering diversified cannabis fund exposure.

Others

• Resource Innovation Institute: ESG and sustainability partner in the controlled environment agriculture space; Tress partner Jonathan Eisenberg sits on its board. Thematically adjacent and a strategic ally rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tress-capital
• Instagraminstagram.com/tresscapital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments13 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Tress Capital