Key Takeaways
- • Collide Capital closes $95 million Fund II, bringing total assets under management to over $170 million and establishing the firm as an institutional-grade early-stage venture investor after launching in 2021.
- • The oversubscribed fund achieved top-quartile performance metrics, with 75+ portfolio companies backed to date, 5 exits completed, and strong Total Value to Paid-In capital (TVPI) returns across Fund Zero and Fund I.
- • Institutional limited partners include University of California Endowment (UC Regents), Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Accolade Partners, and Fairview Capital; Fund II will deploy capital over 3.5 years with average check sizes between $1 million and $3 million targeting at least 30 additional companies.
- • The firm's investment thesis focuses on fintech, supply chain, and future-of-work platforms enabling automation, real-time collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, with notable portfolio companies including Culina Health and Helios.
- • Collide Capital is expanding its Collide Campus program, a non-fund initiative offering undergraduate venture training and graduate fellowship programs to mentor the next generation of founders and venture capitalists at institutions including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford.
Summary
Collide Capital, the early-stage venture firm founded in 2021 by Brian Hollins and Aaron Samuels, announced the close of its $95 million Fund II on April 9, 2026, marking a significant milestone for an emerging manager navigating a challenging fundraising environment. The fund closed oversubscribed, bringing the firm's total assets under management to over $170 million. The 13-month fundraising process reflects strong institutional confidence in the team's track record and investment thesis.
The firm has demonstrated institutional-grade performance, having backed 75+ companies with 5 exits to date and achieved top-quartile Total Value to Paid-In capital (TVPI) returns across its earlier Fund Zero and Fund I ($66 million, closed in 2022). Fund II's institutional limited partner base includes the University of California Endowment (which anchored the previous fund), Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Accolade Partners, and Fairview Capital. The fund will deploy capital over approximately 3.5 years with an average check size of $1 million to $3 million, targeting a minimum of 30 additional portfolio companies; five initial investments have already been made.
Hollins and Samuels bring substantial pedigree to the venture management role. Hollins spent a decade working at Goldman Sachs, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Slow Ventures, while Samuels held positions at Bain & Company, Lightspeed, and co-founded AfroTech, one of the largest technology conferences globally. The firm's investment focus centers on early-stage enterprise software companies in fintech, supply chain optimization, and future-of-work platforms that enable automation, real-time collaboration, and faster, data-driven decision-making. Portfolio companies include Culina Health and Helios.
Beyond capital deployment, Collide Capital is expanding its Collide Campus program, launched in 2022 as a separate initiative to mentor emerging founders and venture capital professionals. The program encompasses an undergraduate initiative training students in venture capital and entrepreneurship, and a graduate fellowship program where students work alongside the Collide team as apprentices and junior investors. The firm maintains active presences at top-tier universities including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford, positioning itself as both a capital provider and talent pipeline developer in the venture ecosystem.
The firm has demonstrated institutional-grade performance, having backed 75+ companies with 5 exits to date and achieved top-quartile Total Value to Paid-In capital (TVPI) returns across its earlier Fund Zero and Fund I ($66 million, closed in 2022). Fund II's institutional limited partner base includes the University of California Endowment (which anchored the previous fund), Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Accolade Partners, and Fairview Capital. The fund will deploy capital over approximately 3.5 years with an average check size of $1 million to $3 million, targeting a minimum of 30 additional portfolio companies; five initial investments have already been made.
Hollins and Samuels bring substantial pedigree to the venture management role. Hollins spent a decade working at Goldman Sachs, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Slow Ventures, while Samuels held positions at Bain & Company, Lightspeed, and co-founded AfroTech, one of the largest technology conferences globally. The firm's investment focus centers on early-stage enterprise software companies in fintech, supply chain optimization, and future-of-work platforms that enable automation, real-time collaboration, and faster, data-driven decision-making. Portfolio companies include Culina Health and Helios.
Beyond capital deployment, Collide Capital is expanding its Collide Campus program, launched in 2022 as a separate initiative to mentor emerging founders and venture capital professionals. The program encompasses an undergraduate initiative training students in venture capital and entrepreneurship, and a graduate fellowship program where students work alongside the Collide team as apprentices and junior investors. The firm maintains active presences at top-tier universities including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford, positioning itself as both a capital provider and talent pipeline developer in the venture ecosystem.
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