Collaborative Fund is a New York–based venture capital firm founded by Craig Shapiro in 2010 and now marking its 15th year. The firm supports early-stage and seed companies that seek both financial returns and positive social or environmental impact. Since its founding, Collaborative Fund has backed more than 300 businesses and manages around $1 billion in assets, working with entrepreneurs who aim to solve real-world challenges without compromising product quality or affordability.
Collaborative Fund takes a sector-agnostic approach, investing in stages from pre-seed through Series B with check amounts ranging from $500,000 to $15 million. In the food and agriculture space, the firm has backed companies such as sweetgreen and The Farmer’s Dog and supported beverage innovator OLIPOP. In finance, they have worked with platforms like Kickstarter and Upstart to broaden access to capital. Health-tech investments include WHOOP and Bandit, while the fund also looks for sustainable materials solutions that meet consumer needs without trade-offs.
A key focus for Collaborative Fund is clean technology and battery innovation. Through its Shared Future Fund and SOS Fund, the firm has financed startups advancing electric vehicle charging, novel battery chemistries and decarbonization tools. Portfolio companies include Inlyte Energy and Anthro Energy for next-gen battery materials, Bidirectional Energy for home EV chargers and AI-driven ventures accelerating materials research. These investments aim to cut emissions across energy systems and to help industries transition to cleaner, more sustainable operations.
