Crédit Agricole Investment Regions

About The Fund

Elm Street Ventures is a Yale-focused venture fund based in New Haven, Connecticut. They are known for specializing in seed and early-stage investments, leveraging their expertise in equity to support startups and entrepreneurs. As a venture capital fund, their investment thesis centers around the belief that great people and great science lead to great impacts. Elm Street Ventures takes pride in backing Yale faculty who are engaged in cutting-edge research aimed at addressing some of the world's largest problems. Since its inception in 2006, the fund has been deeply involved in supporting innovations in therapeutics, advanced tools and materials for industry, and solutions for climate change with a focus on companies that have a connection to Yale University, typically technology developed at and licensed from Yale. The fund shows a strong preference for investments in companies located in the greater New Haven area but also considers exceptional cases outside this geographic focus if there is a strong personal connection to the founders or investors, or where they believe they can add substantial value. In their investment decisions, Elm Street Ventures emphasizes the importance of the team's strength, often valuing it as much as the technology or markets being addressed. They actively seek founders who demonstrate creativity, high intelligence, passion, and a strong dedication to hard work. The fund is committed to being there from the start, ready to invest as early as when a good idea is conceptualized. Elm Street Ventures usually makes initial investments ranging from $500,000 to $1 million and is prepared to follow up with additional investments totaling $2 to $2.5 million over several financing rounds if the company shows positive traction. They prefer to collaborate and syndicate with other investors who share their investment philosophy and approach.