Turtle Ventures

What is Turtle Ventures?

Turtle Ventures is an investment fund that specializes in nurturing startups through various growth stages, including Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds.

With an investment range between $100,000 and $3,000,000 and a sweet spot around $1,000,000, they specifically focus on burgeoning companies within the sectors of Software, including Web, Marketplace, and SaaS, as well as PropTech, Business Solutions, Retail & E-Commerce, Sales & Marketing, Future Of Work, Insurance & InsurTech, Real Estate & Construction, and Online Social.

Known for their love of marketplaces, particularly those that enhance productivity, lower costs, and have significant moats, they highlight their involvement in the founding teams of oDesk and Rev, and in investments such as OfferUp, Alto Pharmacy, and Crexi. Although they have a strong affinity for SaaS businesses, pitches for such should generally go to their partners Pete Solvik or Greg Gretsch, indicating a collaborative approach within the firm.

They favor companies that have already launched over pre-launch ventures. Turtle Ventures is also interested in marketplaces that incorporate human labor in innovative ways, as seen in their commentary on hybrid W2/1099 models, and they praise marketplaces like Faber Connect and soona for marketplace innovation.

They value quality and focus on increasing efficiency, improving productivity, and allocating resources effectively.

Their investment strategy appears to be guided by enabling marketplaces and platforms that offer consumers improved experiences, lower prices, and increased selection. Founding team member Josh Breinlinger's 'A Crowded Space' blog, hosted on their website, provides insights into their investment philosophy and trends observed within the marketplace segment.