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Outsiders Fund

About

Outsiders Fund is a Seed and Series A venture capital firm that partners with founders disrupting outdated markets where massive value remains trapped in stale software or infrastructure. The dustier and more boring an industry, the more excited we get. The firm has deployed $50m out of its first fund, and is currently deploying capital out of its second fund.

Outsiders was founded by Austin McChord and Teddy Seem in early 2020 after leaving General Catalyst to focus on the parts of the world they felt were not getting enough attention. Before that, Austin was the founder of Datto, a data back-up and continuity company he grew from his parents’ basement into a multi-billion dollar public company. Teddy was an investment engineer at Bridgewater Associates and later led the machine learning initiatives at a NYC start-up before attending Harvard Business School and starting Outsiders Fund.

Technological Innovation Continues To Accelerate, Yet The Distribution Of This Innovation Is Glaringly Non-Uniform.

The day’s hottest, most visible sectors attract talent, media attention, and venture dollars. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that visibility constitutes importance. Patient perspective, however, leads the observer to understand that hidden sectors and technologies exert outsized impact on our day-to-day lives.

With That, We Find The Most Interesting Spaces Are Those That Are Overlooked.

Overlooked spaces present mismatches between sector-specific technological adoption and the broader state of technological innovation, thereby creating opportunities to unlock massive value from stale infrastructure. Understanding the hidden complexities and the gaps presented from long-standing incumbents in these sectors excite us.

We Believe The Best Disruptors To Build In These Sectors Are Those With Outside Perspectives.

They rely on grit, curiosity, and unwavering conviction - and aren’t afraid to disrupt the status quo. They bring fresh perspectives, unburdened by the way things have always been done. They bring a cross-pollination of ideas from variegated experiences. At the core, they are the ones willing to put everything on the line to make their vision a reality.

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