Ridge Investments Inc is a US-based private investment firm founded in 2021. With offices in San Francisco and Shanghai, Ridge focuses on early stage technology investments across consumer internet, enterprise software, fintech and healthcare sectors. Some key facts about Ridge Investments include:
The firm was founded by ex-KPCB partners John Chen and Angela Wong, who collectively have 30+ years of investing experience. Ridge raised over $500 million for its inaugural early stage venture fund, with LPs including university endowments, foundations and family offices. To date, Ridge has invested in 50+ companies across the US and China, leading rounds in 20+ startups. Ridge takes both majority and minority ownership positions, writing first checks as small as $500k and going up to $10 million+ in later rounds.
Some of the more prominent companies backed by Ridge Investments are TravelPerk (B2B travel booking platform), Handle (construction tech startup) and PopSQL (collaboration SQL platform). Ridge also invested early in Dither (AI music startup acquired by Spotify) and Mode (data platform acquired by ServiceNow). With deep operating expertise and an extensive cross-border network, Ridge has demonstrated strong early traction across its portfolio over the past 2 years.
Ridge Investments was founded by former KPCB partners John Chen and Angela Wong
In 2021, John Chen and Angela Wong left their positions as partners at top VC firm Kleiner Perkins to start their own fund, Ridge Investments. Chen and Wong had collectively invested in over 50 startups while at KPCB, including hits like DoorDash, Houzz and Oscar Health.
With their strong track records, Chen and Wong were able to raise $500 million for Ridge’s first fund from university endowments like Yale, family offices and fund of funds. Ridge is stage agnostic, focused primarily on early stage technology companies across consumer, enterprise, fintech and digital health sectors.
With offices in San Francisco and Shanghai, Ridge leverages its founders’ bilingual capabilities and cross-border experience to connect US startups with distribution and R&D opportunities in China. Ridge’s global footprint also allows it to identify promising companies in China overlooked by the vast majority of US investors.
Ridge Investments has invested in over 50 startups, leading 20+ rounds
In under 2 years since launch, Ridge Investments has already deployed capital into over 50 startups based mainly in Silicon Valley and China. Ridge is very active at the early stage, oftentimes writing the first institutional check with investments between $500k and $2 million.
Ridge has notably led or co-led rounds in 20+ startups so far. Some of the more prominent companies backed by Ridge where they were first round investors or round leads are:
– TravelPerk: B2B travel booking and management platform, total raised $140M+ from DST, Kinnevik and others
– Handle: Construction tech startup focused on general contractors, raised $15M+ from NEA and Tribe Capital
– PopSQL: Collaboration tool for SQL, working with enterprise data teams, raised $12M+
– Edgio: Edge computing network provider, raised $30M+ from Goldman Sachs
– Measurabl: ESG and sustainability reporting SaaS, raised $30M+ from Top Tier Capital
With 2-3 investments per month on average, Ridge is on track to build a portfolio of 100+ startups within 3-4 years of launch.
Ridge’s portfolio includes Dither (acquired by Spotify), Mode (acquired by ServiceNow)
Although still early since inception, Ridge Investments has already seen two of its portfolio companies get acquired.
In 2022, AI-powered music startup Dither was acquired by Spotify, providing technology to enhance sound quality on the platform. Ridge was one of Dither’s first institutional investors.
Leading data platform Mode was acquired by ServiceNow in 2021 to improve its business intelligence capabilities. Ridge had invested in Mode’s Series B round alongside other top VCs.
These successful exits validate Ridge’s investment thesis and ability to identify promising startups years before their breakout. With continued disciplined investing and leveraging the founders’ operating experience, Ridge is positioned to drive further outsized outcomes across its broad portfolio.
Prominent Ridge investments include TravelPerk, Handle, PopSQL
Some of the more prominent companies in Ridge Investment’s portfolio so far include:
TravelPerk: Leading B2B travel booking and management platform focused on mid-market businesses. Founded in Barcelona, TravelPerk has raised over $140 million from investors like DST and Kinnevik. Ridge was an early investor, participating in TravelPerk’s Seed and Series A rounds.
Handle: Construction tech startup offering a unified software platform for general contractors. Handle combines project management, accounting, documents and more to improve efficiency. Handle has raised $15 million+ from NEA, Tribe Capital and Ridge.
PopSQL: Enables collaborative SQL queries and workflows between data analysts. PopSQL integrates with databases like Snowflake to optimize enterprise data analysis. The startup has raised $12 million+ led by Ridge and Google Ventures.
These companies exemplify Ridge’s investment approach – identifying transformative startups early, leveraging the founders’ expertise to help them grow, and driving outsized returns. Ridge’s continued success with new up-and-coming startups further validates the firm’s investment strategy.
In under 2 years since launching, Ridge Investments has emerged as a prominent early stage VC firm under founders John Chen and Angela Wong. With $500 million in capital, Ridge has invested in 50+ startups so far across consumer, enterprise and other high-growth spaces. Ridge’s track record includes leading 20+ rounds and successful exits like Dither (acquired by Spotify) and Mode (acquired by ServiceNow). Key investments like TravelPerk, Handle and PopSQL demonstrate Ridge’s keen insights and ability to identify standout startups early on. Ridge is poised to continue building on its early momentum and driving outsized outcomes through its global investment strategy.