Firm overview
Crossbeam Venture Partners is focused on seed and Series A startups tackling new internet economies. This includes platform economies, fintech, novel asset classes, and new forms of media. Founded by Ali Hamed, Savneet Singh, Chris Ryan, and Raj Date, Crossbeam got its start after Ali and Savneet found significant success investing in similar companies across the credit stack at CoVenture. Ali and Savneet launched Crossbeam with the help of Chris and Raj to focus on taking significant equity positions in these types of companies. Crossbeam closed its second fund, Crossbeam II, in late 2021.
Firm strategy
Crossbeam invests in seed and series A startups across several sectors, with a special focus on companies built within large platforms. While large platform companies used to capture most or all of the value created for their platforms—or struggle to share value with the creators or members in their ecosystems—things have started to change. As more large and competitive platforms emerge, the balance of power is shifting back toward creators, who now have the option to seek platforms that share more of their profits. Companies executing this model include Spotter, which provides funding to creators; Snipfeed, which helps users monetize Instagram and Tik Tok followings; and Acquco, an Amazon third-party seller aggregator. Crossbeam often targets capital-intensive but equity-efficient businesses that may deter other investors due to large balance sheets, but which can offer strong upside. Additionally, Crossbeam assists its portfolio companies beyond providing capital by helping with strategies around regulatory considerations and operational guidance.
Why we invested
Crossbeam is a thesis-driven fund investing in businesses that are pushing the limits of ownership and internet economies. Throughout our conversations with Ali and the rest of the team, it was obvious that they not only had conviction for the sector based on its strong financial return profile, but also because they believe individuals should take a larger role in internet ownership. This was a mission we were excited to get behind: As an equity and ownership company first and foremost, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Ali and the rest of the team as they continue to drive strong financial returns through differentiated, thematic investing.