Lowercase Capital
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Venture capital |
| Founded | May 2010 |
| Founder | Chris Sacca |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Key people | Chris Sacca (Founder, former CEO), Crystal English Sacca (Partner), Matt Mazzeo (Partner) |
| Products | Venture capital investments |
Lowercase Capital was a United States-based venture capital firm concentrating on seed and early-stage investments in prominent startups such as Twitter, Twilio, Kickstarter, Uber, Instagram, and Stripe. The firm successfully raised more than $1 billion and is reported to have generated investor returns surpassing $5 billion. In 2017, founder Chris Sacca ceased accepting new investments, redirecting efforts toward climate initiatives and political engagement, while continuing to support the existing portfolio.
History
Established in May 2010 by entrepreneur Chris Sacca with initial commitments totaling $8.5 million from investors including Richard Branson and Eric Schmidt, Lowercase Capital’s early backing of Twitter prior to its IPO yielded extraordinary returns exceeding 1,500%, positioning it among the highest-performing venture funds by multiples. The company’s holdings also encompassed Uber, Docker, and Optimizely, enhancing its influence within the market.
Chris Sacca, who founded and led the firm as CEO, built a premier seed investment portfolio that earned him second place on Forbes’ 2017 Midas List. Beyond investment activities, he gained visibility as a participant on “Shark Tank” and portrayed himself on ABC’s television series “Alex Inc.”
Partner Crystal English Sacca, formerly an advertising executive recognized with Cannes Lions awards, co-managed significant investments including Uber, Blue Bottle, and Veggie Grill. In 2013, Matt Mazzeo joined Lowercase as a partner from Creative Artists Agency and spearheaded a $25 million fundraising round in 2015, facilitating the firm’s expansion.
In April 2017, Chris Sacca declared that Lowercase Capital would halt raising new funds and discontinue new startup investments while continuing to oversee its current portfolio, signaling a strategic pivot that preserved financial stewardship.
Investments
Lowercase Capital provided funding and strategic guidance to startups at seed stage as well as companies in growth phases. Its investment portfolio featured notable public and acquired entities such as Twitter, Instagram, Twilio, Facebook, and Uber. Among private companies backed by Lowercase were Stripe, Docker, Optimizely, Kickstarter, WordPress, Medium, and Lookout. Following 2017, the firm invested in companies including Tala, Toymail, Lumi, Joymode, Nurx, Mark43, Makespace, Gimlet Media, Hatch Baby, and Wizeline.
In 2017, Lowercase played an instrumental role in calling for the resignation of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick amid allegations of misconduct.
Additional investments span a broad array of startups such as 9GAG, Automattic, Chartbeat, Dubsmash, Flirtey, Noun Project, Poll Everywhere, Ranker, Slack, Streak, Urban Airship, Veggie Grill, and Webshots. This varied portfolio underscores Lowercase’s strategic emphasis on innovative technology ventures operating within rapidly expanding markets.