Tiger Global Management, the world’s most active startup investor last year, is trying a new way to get the inside track.
Partners at the firm, known for its big bets in companies including Coinbase and Roblox, have committed $1 billion of their own cash to invest in seed funds that focus on backing the youngest startups, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Under the initiative, the partners would invest a little over $300 million in the funds every year, the person added.
The commitment, unprecedented for its size, would allow Tiger Global to become the largest investor in dozens of new seed funds that would want its cash. The firm would then get exposure to more early-stage startups it could invest in later. So far this year, Tiger Global has already backed or agreed to back funds for more-established firms including Better Tomorrow Ventures, Moxxie Ventures and Chapter One Ventures, a separate person with direct knowledge added, as well as less well-known funds such as Maple VC.