Founder focused

Scale With Our Network

We believe great startups can be built anywhere.

seed capital

shared values

founder centric

timely

We are builders just like you, the Stout Street team is a passionate group of startup founders. We have built and scaled several startups and invested in over 65 companies and have evaluated over 10,000 startups since starting Stout Street. We are creators of the UNMET conferences that help founders raise venture capital anywhere. We are here to help scale your startup!

Clay Gordon headshot

Clay Gordon | Partner

HealthTech
EdTech
CleanTech
MarTech
Robotics
AR/VR
HR Tech
AdTech
Enterprise SaaS
Consumer
Marketplace
Insurtech
Business Products & Services (B2B)

Clay Gordon brings his experience building and cultivating communities to Stout Street Capital which he co-founded with John Francis in 2017. He primarily focuses on opportunities in the HR, cleantech, edtech, insurtech, and fintech sectors. Clay has cultivated new regions for investment including his former home in the Carolinas and championed such deals as Good United with his background in non-profit fundraising.
Affiliated Organizations: 2221 Society, Cross Purpose, The Brook

John Francis Headshot

John Francis | Partner

AI
Real Estate Tech
FinTech
Supply Chain Tech
Data Analytics
Cyber Security
Life Science
Construction Tech
IT
Healthcare
Energy
Consumer Products and Services (B2C)

John Francis brings his experiences as an operator and institutional venture investor. John Francis with Clay Gordon started Stout Street Capital in 2017. As General Partner he focuses on investment opportunities in the IT software serving sectors such as Construction, Government, Energy, Cleantech, Media, Advertising, HR, Healthcare and Cloud services. John works actively on several portfolio company boards, including Schola, Fluent Forever, Botco.ai and Ad Fontes. He previously served on the boards of Popwallet (acquired by Snapchat (Nasdaq: SNAP)) and has made investments in companies such as Left Hand Robotics(Acquired by TORO (NYSE:TTS)

Cindy Ho Headshot

Cindy Ho | Jr Partner

EdTech
Data Analytics
Consumer
HR Tech
Enterprise SaaS

Cindy Ho brings her expertise in financial analysis, data analysis, and investment strategy to the team. Cindy plays a critical role in evaluating potential investments, managing due diligence, and supporting the growth of portfolio companies. Cindy is passionate about working with entrepreneurs and developing early-stage ecosystems in Middle America. Cindy is currently focused on managing The UNMET Conference, which helps early-stage companies located in the middle of the country access Series A and B capital.

Founding Team
We look for founding teams with domain level expertise and a tremendous amount of grit. We believe teams with unique and captivating ideas can accomplish their vision, and we are here to help!

Traction
We invest in post-product, post-revenue tech startups across sectors, and prefer $20-30k or greater in monthly revenue.

Stage
We focus on pre-seed and seed stage companies looking to raise $1M+ in institutional venture capital.

Sector
We are a generalist fund that invests in lean technology startups with a preference towards B2B SaaS business model.

Region
We invest in the US and Canada (excluding SF, NY, and Boston).

Stout Street prides itself on being a resource for the founder and letting the founder do what they do best. We lead deals or participate in a syndicate. We are happy to work with other lead investors to unburden founders of excessive due diligence. With our large co-investor network and leadership roles in the UNMET Conference, we work with a large group of partners which helps expedite your fundraising efforts and helps founders focus on building their businesses!

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Round Size
Rounds raising at-least $1M in capital, providing 12-24 months of runway.

Due Diligence Time
Typical time for due diligence is 2-3 weeks

Investment Region
We invest in the US and Canada (excluding SF, NY, and Boston).

Investment Pace
We invest in 1-2 startups per month.

Check Size
Our most common check size is $250K.

Transparency
We are committed to looking at every opportunity that is sent to us and being transparent when it is not a fit.

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