Elm Street Ventures

Elm Street Ventures is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm based in New Haven, Connecticut, established in 2006. The firm focuses on supporting Yale faculty engaged in groundbreaking research aimed at addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges. With a significant investment from Yale, Elm Street Ventures backs innovative teams developing vital therapeutics, advanced industrial tools and materials, and critical solutions for climate change. The firm emphasizes the importance of people as much as technology when making investment decisions, seeking out passionate and intelligent founders committed to building successful businesses. Elm Street Ventures typically invests between $500,000 and $1 million in early-stage companies and supports continued growth through additional funding in subsequent financing rounds, often collaborating with like-minded investors in the process. The firm's investment philosophy centers on the belief that exceptional people and groundbreaking science lead to significant impact. Elm Street Ventures has a strong emphasis on the life sciences sector, with approximately 70% of its investments directed towards companies developing therapeutics, laboratory tools, diagnostics, medical devices, and other healthcare-related products and services. Additionally, the firm actively invests in software, materials, sustainable technology, and other industries. The firm's strategy involves identifying extraordinary investment opportunities based on Yale research, leveraging its deep connections within Yale's scientific, engineering, and clinical faculty, as well as the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. While the primary focus is on companies with a Yale connection, Elm Street Ventures also invests in companies located in the greater New Haven area and, in exceptional cases, non-Yale/non-New Haven companies where they have strong personal connections to the founders or investors or where they can add substantial value. In making investment decisions, Elm Street Ventures places significant emphasis on the strength of the team, valuing creative thinking, high intelligence, passion, and a deep commitment to hard work. The firm typically makes initial investments ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to over $1 million, with substantial capital reserved for follow-on investments. They are open to syndicating with other investors who share their views and approach to investing.