Collide Capital secures $95M fund to invest in fintech and future-of-work startups

Collide Capital, established by Brian Hollins and Aaron Samuels, has announced the successful closing of its second fund, raising $95 million to continue investing in early-stage startups.

Launched in 2021, the firm focuses on sectors such as fintech, supply chain innovation, and the future of work. Since its inception, Collide Capital has invested in 75 companies, building on the momentum of its first fund, a $66 million Fund I raised in 2022.

Hollins shared that raising the new fund took approximately 13 months, and the firm plans to deploy the capital over the next 3.5 years. While fundraising has been challenging for many emerging venture firms, Collide Capital benefits from the founders’ strong professional backgrounds. Hollins previously spent a decade working with institutions like Goldman Sachs, Lightspeed, and Slow. At the same time, Samuels has experience at Bain, Lightspeed, and as a co-founder of AfroTech, one of the largest tech conferences globally.

Fund II attracted a range of prominent limited partners. These include the University of California Endowment (UC Regents), which also supported the firm’s first fund, as well as Accolade Partners, Fairview Capital, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan. The firm plans to write checks typically ranging from $1 million to $3 million to invest in at least 30 companies. It has already made five investments from this new fund. Among the startups in its broader portfolio are companies like Culina Health and Helios.

Hollins explained that the firm is particularly focused on platforms that enable automation, improve real-time collaboration, and support faster, data-driven decision-making processes.

Beyond investment activities, Collide Capital is expanding its Collide Campus initiative, introduced in 2022. This program is designed to mentor and develop future founders and venture capital professionals. The expansion of this initiative is being pursued independently of the new fund.

The Collide Campus program includes both undergraduate and graduate components. The undergraduate track trains students in venture capital and entrepreneurship, while the graduate fellowship places participants alongside the firm’s investment team, allowing them to gain hands-on experience.

The undergraduate program has already expanded to more than 20 universities, including Harvard and Johns Hopkins. According to Samuels, over 50 students have participated so far, with many going on to secure roles at leading firms, including General Catalyst and Collide Capital itself.

In addition to fostering talent, the program also helps the firm identify potential investment opportunities and build connections within the startup ecosystem. Samuels noted that the initiative was created to provide opportunities they themselves lacked during their student years.

He emphasised that the goal is to connect ambitious and talented individuals with venture capital resources, enabling them to build companies that address real-world needs.