Slater Fund

What is Slater Fund?

Slater Fund, formally known as Slater Technology Fund, is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in the United States. They focus on investing in early-stage technology startups that exhibit the potential for high growth. As an evergreen not-for-profit seed fund, their mission is to support new venture development in Rhode Island.

They lead or co-invest in companies, partnering with entrepreneurs who demonstrate vision, courage, and tenacity to build companies that can have a transformational impact on the industries or markets they aim to serve. Slater Fund focuses on sectors including software, energy, life sciences, and seeks to fund transformative technologies aimed at solving the world’s biggest problems.

They take pride in being the entrepreneur's primary ally, providing capital, experience, perspective, and support needed to transform ideas into reality. Additionally, they play a pivotal role in building a strong entrepreneurial community by facilitating connections, organizing networking events, and providing a platform for meaningful engagement with potential partners, investors, customers, and employees. The fund has invested over $35.7 million, with their portfolio companies raising follow-on funding totaling approximately $690 million.

Slater Fund's investment criteria encompass seed and early-stage capital, commitment to building and basing locally, which indicates a strong focus on developing the Rhode Island region’s tech ecosystem. Their team, led by Managing Director Thorne Sparkman, includes individuals with significant experience in company creation, early-stage investment, and sector-specific expertise.