- Swell Partners — a venture firm launched by Jay Patil and Rusty Ralston — announced that it raised $3.3 million to invest in early-stage startups
Swell Partners is a new venture fund that recently raised $3.3 million. The fund was founded and launched by Jay Patil and Rusty Ralston. These investors have also guided the formation of teams for over 50 successful startups over the past decade.
And now Swell is actively investing in early-stage and category-creating companies across sectors throughout the United States. The first two companies in the portfolio include Loft Orbital and Northstar Money.
“Our core belief is you win with people: People determine the outcome and success of a company,” said Ralston. “If a start-up isn’t focused on building staggeringly good teams, they may as well go home. We all know products evolve, markets fluctuate, strategies shift. But the only way to solve the hardest problems from scratch, and win, is to be obsessive about the team. That’s the edge Swell gives its portfolio founders.”
Prior to formalizing the fund, the team invested in Tapad (acquired for $360 million), mParticle, Blockstack, and several others.
“From inception through acquisition, Rusty and Jay were integral to Tapad’s success. Building a high-performing team is not just about people, it’s about the best people. Swell unlocked access to an exceptional talent pool that wasn’t accessible via any other source. They’re a huge asset for any founder attempting to build an industry-leading company,” added Tapad founder and CEO Are Traasdahl — who led the company to one of New York City’s most substantial exits in the past several years.
Traasdahl is a Limited Partner for Swell Partners Fund.
“Top talent requires very active, insightful recruitment. That begins with a real understanding about what incentivizes them and how to find the right fit for their career paths. By handling recruiting personally as an investor, a concept that is foundational to Swell, we’re taking ‘founder-investor’ alignment to an unprecedented level,” explained Patil.
