Westbound Fund II
Today, we’re thrilled to announce our oversubscribed $100M Fund II. At our founding five years ago, we set out on an ambitious journey with a bold vision: to close the racial wealth gap by building a virtuous cycle of wealth and opportunity by investing financial and social capital into exceptional founders and ventures led by, solving problems for, or built with underrepresented people of color.
With the launch of Fund II, we’re expanding on that vision and introducing our new name: Westbound Equity Partners. An evolved identity that embodies our founding purpose and future aspirations.
From the Gold Rush and Great Migration to Hollywood and Silicon Valley, the American West is a symbol for imaginative new beginnings. “Heading West” has long been a symbolic aspiration for being a pioneer, creating community, and building a better future. Westbound reflects an ethos that our firm and our founders embrace: a shared belief and commitment to reimagining the world around us. For the Black community, “heading Westbound” carries special historical meaning—a chance to start anew and create a life of freedom and belonging. The Latino community similarly bears the marks of the sacrifices made in pursuit of better opportunities. This shared quest for generational prosperity is our compass as we “bring our community West”.
Today, technology and the opportunities it creates remain the ‘new West.’ As we set out to deploy Fund II, we’re doubling down on our commitment to invest in iconic companies and broaden opportunity for those who’ve historically been left behind. We’re proud to have backed visionaries who have the courage, resilience, and grit to ‘head Westbound.’
We’ve invested in 75 founders that have audacious, imaginative visions to reshape the way we live. Esusu’s Wemimo Abbey and Samir Goel are giving 45 million “credit invisible” Americans access to financial products for the first time. With PlanetFWD, Julia Collins helps brands accelerate their path to net zero by uncovering the true drivers of their emissions. Sam Walder makes world-class music education accessible to everyone with Trala. Josh Miller is building a new way to use the internet, beginning by building a smarter browser with The Browser Company. Irrespective of their background, all of the founders we partner with are committed to building diverse teams and equitable cultures, shaping the future alongside Black and Latino talent.
Our commitment remains the same: to provide more than financial capital. We know that social capital – the relationships and connections that lead to new opportunities, introductions, funding, and ideas – shifts and accelerates an organization’s trajectory. That’s why our Advisors and LPs, collectively known as the Westbound Network, commit their social capital and expertise, serving as coaches, collaborators, and super-connectors to help our founders win. They’ve exceeded our expectations in how they’ve shown up for our founders and remain committed as ever to our shared vision.
Today’s Fund II milestone is a testament to our founders’ unwavering dedication and the deep-seated confidence of our advisors and institutional partners who have chosen to journey with us. With this new fund, we’re actively investing in pre-seed and seed stage technology companies across a range of sectors. We’re optimistic about the future and thrilled to partner with a new wave of values-aligned entrepreneurs ‘heading Westbound’ to reimagine the world around us. If this sounds exciting, we’d love to meet you.
