Doing 80 VC Deals In 7 Years | Stout Street Capital | Clay Gordon | Ep 37

Funds that Won

For today's episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Clay Gordon from Stout Street Capital. Stout Street Capital, based in Denver, focuses on early-stage investments with sensible risks and outsized returns, mainly targeting "flyover" states and Canada. Having made 80 investments since 2017, they've shifted to a single check strategy for higher initial ownership, diverging from the typical VC practice of doubling down on winners. This method is based on their data analysis, suggesting a larger ownership in winning investments without following on in later rounds.

They plan to scale, potentially increasing their AUM to enhance their capacity to support companies and adjust investment sizes. Initially sparked by the structured investment gap among high-net-worth individuals, the founders aimed for a systematic, scalable approach akin to a franchise model. This ensures anyone could replicate their investment success. Alongside initiatives like the Unmet Conference, this strategy underpins their broader aim to offer more than financial returns, aiming for a significant ecosystem impact.