Upper90

Upper90 is a hybrid investment firm that provides tailored debt and equity solutions to technology startups with predictable revenue streams. The firm leverages data-driven insights to construct flexible financing structures, enabling companies to access growth capital while optimizing founder ownership and control. Its unique model integrates credit and equity to support founders through various stages of their business development.

The firm was co-founded by Billy Libby, who serves as CEO, alongside figures such as Bebe Chueh, Eli Elefant, Irwin Gross, Jenny Just, and Jason Finger. The founding premise arose from a conviction that entrepreneurs should retain greater equity in their ventures, challenging traditional venture capital models by offering alternatives that balance funding needs with ownership preservation. This approach reflects a deep understanding of startup financing dynamics and founder aspirations.

Upper90 primarily serves technology companies that demonstrate consistent and predictable revenue, offering them capital without requiring excessive dilution. The firm’s vision centers on empowering founders to build and scale their businesses by providing capital that aligns with their long-term interests. It aims to be a network-focused financial partner, fostering sustainable growth and founder-centric capital solutions for the evolving tech landscape.

High-Level Overview

Upper90 is a hybrid investment firm founded in 2018, based in Providence with operations in New York, that provides founder-friendly credit, equity, and strategic support to early- to growth-stage technology companies, particularly disruptors in e-commerce and data-rich sectors.[1][2][3] Its mission centers on enabling founders to retain more ownership by offering efficient growth capital like debt financing for de-risked business aspects (e.g., marketing, inventory, receivables), potentially allowing startups to delay or skip Series A rounds without slowing growth.[1] The investment philosophy emphasizes that "what matters most is how much you own, not how much you’ve raised," leveraging data explosion for new asset classes, the rise of solopreneurs via e-commerce platforms, and fintech's shift to horizontal integration across industries.[1] Key sectors include e-commerce, fintech niches, and tech platforms with proprietary data; Upper90 impacts the startup ecosystem by acting as a strategic partner for scaling, providing liquidity for high-growth areas like payroll and acquisitions, and blending ~90% senior-secured asset-backed loans with ~10% equity in funds like Upper90 Fund III.[1][3][4]

Origin Story

Upper90 was founded in 2018 by key partners including Managing Partner Billy Libby, based initially in Providence, Rhode Island, with a New York presence.[1][2] The firm emerged from the recognition of abundant data creating new credit opportunities for startups, amid a "golden age of entrepreneurs" enabled by platforms like Facebook, Amazon, and TikTok, which lowered barriers for solopreneurs but left gaps in scaling capital.[1] Its evolution reflects a shift toward hybrid models—combining debt and equity—as traditional venture capital proved inefficient for certain growth phases, with the firm closing four funds by 2024, including one in January 2024 and others in 2021.[1][2] Pivotal early focus on founder-friendly financing humanizes its approach, prioritizing risk-takers' upside in data-driven, fintech-evolving landscapes.[1]

Core Differentiators

• Unique Investment Model: Hybrid structure offering credit (e.g., asset-backed loans for healthier business parts) alongside equity and operating support, enabling startups to access capital earlier and more efficiently than pure equity rounds.[1][3][4]
• Network Strength: Strategic partnerships with platforms and data-rich companies, positioning Upper90 as a non-dilutive liquidity provider for e-commerce and fintech disruptors scaling marketing, inventory, and acquisitions.[1][3]
• Track Record: Four closed funds since 2018, with recent activity through January 2024; invests ~90% in senior-secured loans and ~10% in equity, targeting de-risked growth without ownership dilution.[2][4]
• Operating Support: Beyond capital, provides analytics (e.g., via VP of Portfolio Analytics) and strategic guidance, allowing founders to focus on core products amid fintech's niche expansion.[1][2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Upper90 rides the trend of data proliferation creating novel asset classes, enabling credit access for startups' predictable revenue streams like receivables and inventory, amid e-commerce's democratization via mega-platforms.[1] Timing is ideal in a post-2018 era where solopreneurs scale frictionlessly online but need non-dilutive capital for growth levers; market forces like fintech's horizontalization—where every data-owning platform eyes financial products—favor its model.[1] The firm influences the ecosystem by bridging venture gaps, fostering efficient paths to later-stage funding, and supporting disruptors that redefine industries through proprietary data monetization.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Upper90 is poised to expand as data assets deepen and AI enhances credit underwriting, potentially capturing more fintech niches and hybrid deals in a capital-scarce environment for early growth.[1] Trends like embedded finance and solopreneur economies will amplify demand for its ownership-preserving capital, evolving its influence toward larger funds and broader tech verticals. This positions Upper90 as a key enabler for founders prioritizing upside retention in tech's next scaling wave.[1][4]