UpRound 2025: From Thesis to Deployment

2025 marked UpRound's transition from pitch deck to operating syndicate. We deployed capital into three deals, built a community across four continents, and validated a model that challenges how traditional venture capital gets allocated.

Our thesis remains straightforward: Democratize access to venture capital. No fees. No fund managers. Just smart people investing collaboratively.

But we're structured differently than traditional venture capital managers. As a fully capitalized syndicate, we deploy across two distinct categories:

50% in growth and pre-IPO opportunities sourced through tier-1 VC partnerships. These are companies with proven business models, visible paths to exit, and institutional validation.

50% in Series A-C companies where we leverage our network which includes Brinc, VCs, managing members, and our community to source high-conviction early-stage deals.

This blended approach emerged directly from member feedback. Accredited investors remain structurally underserved in venture capital, locked out of late-stage deals, while simultaneously overexposed to binary early-stage risk. Our portfolio construction addresses both problems.

We call this our barbell strategy: 50% in early-stage companies targeting outsized returns, 50% in growth and pre-IPO investments as a stabilizing force for consistent returns and near-term liquidity.

As a managing member, I've learned that agility is our competitive advantage. Our dual mandate allows us to construct a more balanced portfolio and de-risk venture capital in ways traditional funds cannot. This is the mandate our community wants, and what we're built to deliver.

2025 Portfolio: Three Deployments

Kapital — Digital Banking Infrastructure for LATAM SMBs

Latin America represents one of the last major markets undergoing financial digitization. Kapital targets a massive underserved segment, SMBs locked out of modern banking rails, with compelling early traction and retention metrics that signal category-defining potential.

Investment thesis:

• $200B+ addressable opportunity across fragmented, cash-dependent economies with accelerating digital adoption

• Founding team combines regional market expertise with technical execution capability rarely found in emerging fintech

• Clear path to market leadership as legacy players remain structurally disadvantaged

Hamsa — Unified Ledger for Global Financial Settlement

Legacy financial infrastructure remains fragmented, expensive, and slow. Hamsa rebuilds the settlement layer with a unified ledger architecture that reduces friction, increases transaction speed, and enables interoperability across previously siloed systems.

Investment thesis:

• Early institutional validation through partnerships with central banks and tier-1 financial institutions

• Technical architecture designed by team with deep domain expertise across payments, core banking, and distributed systems

• Positioned to capture value as real-time settlement and digital currencies become infrastructure requirements

Wildfire Energy — Modular Waste-to-Energy Systems

The global waste crisis intersects with decarbonization mandates in ways few technologies address profitably. Wildfire's modular gasification platform converts waste streams into clean energy and hydrogen at meaningfully lower cost than existing alternatives.

Investment thesis:

• Commercial pilots demonstrating both technical viability and economic superiority to incumbent solutions

• Modular deployment model enables faster go-to-market than traditional infrastructure plays while reducing capital intensity

• Founding team combines climate tech experience with practical engineering discipline and proven project execution

Building for 2026

We enter 2026 with validated infrastructure and clear set of priorities:

Deploy 8-10 new investments across our barbell strategy, split evenly between growth/pre-IPO opportunities and Series A-C companies. We're investing in companies where business model risk is resolved and paths to liquidity are possible.

Sector concentration is accelerating. AI infrastructure, climate tech, fintech, and blockchain continue absorbing the majority of investment capital and member interest. We're aligning our sourcing accordingly while maintaining discipline on valuation and team quality.

Onboard managing members we welcomed Saqr Ereiqat as our first addition to join me, Bashar Aboudaoud, as managing member. We're adding more managing members with venture capital experience in 2026.  

Expand VC partnerships to increase allocation in oversubscribed late-stage rounds. Our members benefit most when we secure meaningful positions alongside VC’s that are leading investment rounds.

Co-investment demand is structural, not cyclical. Access to institutional deals at institutional terms remains the highest-value unlock for accredited investors. This isn't changing.

Deepen member engagement through structured diligence sessions and regional gatherings with VCs and founders. Members will gain full access to founders, VCs and learning opportunities. 

Learn more about UpRound and our investment approach.