While VCs crowd into San Francisco, Endeavor Catalyst raises $320M for founders ‘elsewhere’

techcrunch.com ∙ Wednesday, October 7, 2026

While VCs crowd into San Francisco, Endeavor Catalyst raises $320M for founders ‘elsewhere’

Top line

Endeavor Catalyst has raised a $320 million fifth fund to invest in startup founders operating outside major tech hubs.

Summary

Endeavor Catalyst has closed its fifth fund with $320 million, bringing its total assets under management to over $850 million to back startup founders outside major tech hubs like Silicon Valley. Operating as the venture arm of the nonprofit Endeavor, the firm directs half of its profits back to the organization to fund future entrepreneurs. With a strict selection process, the firm co-invests alongside institutional leads in companies that have cleared Endeavor's network screening. The new fund plans to support up to 150 companies, capitalizing on a portfolio where roughly 90% of investments are located outside the United States, predominantly spanning Latin America and Europe.

Highlights

Endeavor Catalyst closed its fifth fund with $320 million in capital commitments, pushing its total assets under management past $850 million.
The fund specifically targets startup founders located outside major technology hubs like Silicon Valley.
Endeavor Catalyst operates as the venture arm of Endeavor, a New York-based global nonprofit supporting entrepreneurs globally.
The fund is led by managing partner Allen Taylor and managing director Jackie Carmel, with the nonprofit Endeavor serving as the general partner.
Fifty percent of the fund's profits are returned to Endeavor to support future generations of entrepreneurs.
Founders must pass through a rigorous screening process to enter Endeavor's network, which accepted only 88 out of more than 10,000 candidates last year.
Endeavor Catalyst co-invests when a network company raises at least $5 million led by another institutional investor, writing checks between $1 million and $3 million.
The new fund plans to execute 40 to 50 investments annually, backing up to 150 companies in total.
Across its history, Endeavor Catalyst has backed 437 companies in 44 markets, resulting in 83 unicorns, 39 exits, and 11 IPOs.
Notable current holdings include ElevenLabs, Bending Spoons, Reflection AI, Checkout.com, Flutterwave, and Replit.
The fund's 400 limited partners include prominent figures like Reid Hoffman and Bill Ackman, with roughly 30% being alumni Endeavor founders.
Approximately 90% of Endeavor Catalyst investments are deployed outside the United States, with Europe as the fastest-growing region and Latin America as the largest.
Repeat founders are projected to make up roughly 20% of the investments in this new fund at the seed or Series A stage.

While VCs crowd into San Francisco, Endeavor Catalyst raises $320M for founders ‘elsewhere’

techcrunch.com ∙ Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Top line

Endeavor Catalyst has raised a $320 million fifth fund to invest in startup founders operating outside major tech hubs.

Summary

Highlights

Endeavor Catalyst closed its fifth fund with $320 million in capital commitments, pushing its total assets under management past $850 million.
The fund specifically targets startup founders located outside major technology hubs like Silicon Valley.
Endeavor Catalyst operates as the venture arm of Endeavor, a New York-based global nonprofit supporting entrepreneurs globally.
The fund is led by managing partner Allen Taylor and managing director Jackie Carmel, with the nonprofit Endeavor serving as the general partner.
Fifty percent of the fund's profits are returned to Endeavor to support future generations of entrepreneurs.
Founders must pass through a rigorous screening process to enter Endeavor's network, which accepted only 88 out of more than 10,000 candidates last year.
Endeavor Catalyst co-invests when a network company raises at least $5 million led by another institutional investor, writing checks between $1 million and $3 million.
The new fund plans to execute 40 to 50 investments annually, backing up to 150 companies in total.
Across its history, Endeavor Catalyst has backed 437 companies in 44 markets, resulting in 83 unicorns, 39 exits, and 11 IPOs.
Notable current holdings include ElevenLabs, Bending Spoons, Reflection AI, Checkout.com, Flutterwave, and Replit.
The fund's 400 limited partners include prominent figures like Reid Hoffman and Bill Ackman, with roughly 30% being alumni Endeavor founders.
Approximately 90% of Endeavor Catalyst investments are deployed outside the United States, with Europe as the fastest-growing region and Latin America as the largest.
Repeat founders are projected to make up roughly 20% of the investments in this new fund at the seed or Series A stage.