Decacorn Capital

Founders who see far ahead of the crowd, and a portfolio assembled across borders, describe this venture funding initiative. Decacorn Capital takes its name from start-ups valued at ten billion dollars or more in private markets, a label coined in 2015, and aims to find the companies that could become one.

A cross-border approach

The firm describes itself as a cross-border venture initiative built around start-ups that use technology to create a defensible moat, led by resourceful founders who either want to create delight or solve a real problem. Rather than following the old Bay Area habit of investing within a short drive, it says it looks for best-in-class companies wherever they are, connecting under-served consumers with deep-technology work worldwide. It also mentions a presence in Singapore.

Subjects of interest

The firm says it looks for start-ups applying first principles to disruptive technologies, including:

• artificial intelligence, big data and deep learning;
• cloud, edge and quantum computing;
• blockchain, digital assets and cryptocurrencies;
• space technology, robotics and genomics.

It wants businesses with fast innovation cycles that win quick adoption. It also says it likes to curate companies that have passed an inflection point in their life cycle, and its portfolio has been described as a string of pearls across innovative industries. Companies it names as holdings or reference points include Palantir, Postmates, 23andMe, SpaceX, BioCatch, Kraken, Figure Technologies and Mighty Buildings.

A barbell between early and growth stage

Decacorn describes a barbell strategy. Early-stage investments give a large multiplier effect, while growth-stage players with a proven model offer a margin of safety and a better chance of an exit. Its first cheques are modest and it follows on in two or more rounds, usually co-investing with experienced angels, established venture funds, accelerators and incubators.

Principles on its home page

The site is built around the phrase "we fund rebel minds." It says it backs high-caliber founders who can accomplish much with little and who build something useful that people will pay for. It also holds that the greatest returns come from high-conviction bets that are far from obvious, even to experts, and it lists exits through IPOs and buyouts as part of its record.

Decacorn Capital is a venture capital firm that backs founders creating new opportunities through technology. It describes its motto as funding rebel minds and takes high-conviction bets that may not look obvious even to experts.

What Decacorn Capital offers

• Venture investment: funding for companies built on disruptive innovation.
• Founder backing: support through the journey of building a company.
• Portfolio across industries: a spread of investments it calls a string of pearls.
• Exit support: its portfolio includes exits, public listings and buyouts.

Who it serves

Founders who can achieve a lot with limited resources and build something useful that customers will pay for. The firm takes its name from decacorn, a term for private start-ups of very high value, and also mentions unicorns as the smaller version.

Key facts

• Type: venture capital firm
• Philosophy: high-conviction bets far from the obvious