Crossbeam Venture Partners Research
Investment Thesis
Crossbeam Venture Partners is a specialized venture capital firm founded in 2020 by Ali Hamed, Savneet Singh, and Christopher Ryan. The firm is a spin-out from CoVenture's $2 billion credit platform and specializes in companies building on existing platforms like YouTube, Amazon, and Shopify.
Unlike traditional seed funds focused purely on equity, Crossbeam centers its investment thesis on the platform economy with deep expertise in asset-backed credit and non-dilutive capital structures. The firm backs entrepreneurs creating new types of assets and revenue streams—particularly those who are creating or underwriting novel financing opportunities that position creators and platform sellers as small businesses with genuine financing needs.
The investment philosophy combines "street-smart instinct with Wall Street precision," leveraging CoVenture's decade-plus experience with alternative capital structures to identify and support founders building tomorrow's economy.
Sector and Platform Focus
Crossbeam invests specifically in companies building on major platforms and infrastructure providers:
- YouTube ecosystem - Creator monetization, content tools
- Amazon ecosystem - Seller tools, logistics, fulfillment
- Shopify ecosystem - Commerce tools, payment solutions, apps
- Platform economies - Companies creating new assets from existing platforms
- Asset-backed businesses - Companies with cash flow-based financing needs
The firm explicitly focuses on companies that can benefit from non-dilutive capital alongside equity, particularly those with revenue or predictable cash flows early in their lifecycle.
Stage Focus and Check Size
Crossbeam targets Pre-Seed and Series A investments with a primary focus on early-stage opportunities.
Check Size Range: $500K - $3M with a sweet spot around $1.5M
- Pre-Seed: Typically $500K-$1.5M
- Series A: Typically $1.5M-$3M
The firm writes both equity checks and structures hybrid deals combining equity with asset-backed credit lines, allowing founders to raise larger effective capital packages without excessive dilution.
Recent Portfolio Activity
Crossbeam has been actively deploying capital through Fund II and beyond. Recent notable investments include:
2025 Investments:
- FINNY (Dec 2025) - AI-driven prospecting and marketing platform for financial advisors. Launched March 2024, raised $4.3M seed (Q2 2025) and $17M Series A (Dec 2025). Crossbeam participated in early rounds.
- Method Security (Nov 2025) - Cybersecurity company combining cyber expertise with AI, raised $26M Series A led by A16z and General Catalyst with Crossbeam participation.
- AllScale (2025) - Platform economy company that raised $15M pre-seed with Crossbeam as lead investor.
- Warren James (2022) - Marketplace platform that raised $6M Series A with Crossbeam.
Portfolio Characteristics:
- Focus on B2B marketplace and commerce platforms
- Enterprise and fintech applications
- Creator economy and platform-native businesses
- Companies with clear path to cash flow generation
Team and Leadership
Founded: 2020 in New York City
Key Team Members:
- Ali Hamed - Co-founder and Partner, previously built CoVenture's $2B credit platform
- Savneet Singh - Co-founder and Partner
- Christopher Ryan - Co-founder and Partner
- Sakib Jamal - Senior Associate/Vice President, former investment banker at JPMorgan
- Alex Notis - Associate
The team brings diverse backgrounds spanning investment banking (JPMorgan), platform operations, and credit/alternative finance. Multiple team members serve as board observers across portfolio companies.
Geographic and Sector Preferences
Headquarters: New York, New York
Investment Geography: Primarily North America with selective international exposure
- US-focused (all major platform companies headquartered in US)
- European opportunities in platform economy
- LATAM platforms for creator/seller ecosystems
Sector Tags: Consumer apps/social, ecommerce marketplaces, enterprise software, fintech/payments
Decision Process and Timeline
Decision Process: Partnership-based with investment committee review
Investment Committee: Multiple decision-makers on significant checks
Timeline: Estimated 2-4 weeks from initial conversation to check (based on interview data from 2022)
Warm Introductions: Preferred but not required for platform economy founders with traction
Founder Preferences
Crossbeam favors founders with:
- Platform expertise - Deep knowledge of YouTube, Amazon, Shopify ecosystems
- Early revenue/traction - Ideally with existing customer base or beta users
- Capital efficiency - Business models that can benefit from non-dilutive financing
- Marketplace/B2B focus - Rather than pure consumer plays
- Technical founders - With ability to build and iterate quickly
Founders who can articulate how their business creates new asset classes or underwriting opportunities for their users are particularly attractive to the fund.
Investment Approach
Unlike traditional venture firms, Crossbeam can offer:
- Equity investment - Standard venture capital check
- Asset-backed credit lines - Non-dilutive financing based on cash flows
- Hybrid structures - Combination of equity and credit enabling founders to raise 2-3x more total capital with same dilution
This approach is particularly valuable for pre-seed companies with early revenue or predictable unit economics.
Fund Performance and Status
Fund II: $70M closed December 2021 (in ~3 weeks) with backing from Eldridge (investment firm), Carta (equity ownership platform), and Moelis Asset Management.
Current Status: Actively deploying capital through 2025 with consistent investment velocity across portfolio.