Upper90
New York, New York · Invests in US · Website
Check size
🔒 $•• – $••Thesis
It's not how much you raise, it's how much you own. We provide capital-efficient hybrid credit and equity to help founders scale without excessive dilution.
Likely not a fit for
We avoid hardware, capital equipment businesses, and pure software companies without predictable revenue or asset collateral.
How they invest
- Lead or follow
- Usually leads
- Typical decision
- ~1 week
- Warm intro
- Not required
- Involvement
- Takes a board seat
- Fund status
- Actively deploying
- Assets under mgmt
- $1.2B
- Decision process
- Partnership vote
Partners & team
13 contacts on file
LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →LinkedIn profile
Sign up free to unlock contact →Portfolio
Mundi is a fintech platform that simplifies cross-border trade by providing flexible financing solutions for exporters, including invoice advances, purchase order advances, and foreign exchange services.
Clearco connects ecommerce businesses to fast funding, enabling them to accelerate growth by providing capital for invoices related to product, procurement, marketing, and operations. The company aims to be a strategic and flexible capital partner that understands the needs of founders.
Thrasio is reimagining how to make the world’s most-loved products accessible to everyone, focusing on quality and customer satisfaction. They are one of Amazon’s top 5 sellers, with products found in over 80 million households.
Elevate Brands is a purpose-driven House of Brands focused on building and scaling consumer brands through omni-channel strategies, leveraging insights and partnerships to drive growth.
160 Driving Academy is the nation’s largest training provider and job creator for commercial drivers in the United States, offering comprehensive CDL training and job placement services.
ComFreight, now known as HaulPay, is a digital freight finance platform that offers services such as freight factoring, automated payments, and load board solutions for trucking companies and freight brokers.
Crusoe Energy provides renewable-powered AI infrastructure, focusing on managed inference services for AI workloads.
STAX Engineering offers emissions capture and control technology to reduce pollutants in the maritime and data center industries, aiming for a cleaner air future.
Applause provides crowdtesting services that deliver expertise and real-world feedback for launching apps and digital experiences that are functional, intuitive, and accessible.
Beacon is an AI-powered supply chain workspace that enhances visibility and collaboration across logistics operations.
FilmRise is a film & television studio based in New York City, operating a network of 700+ FAST channels and ad-supported streaming apps. The company distributes content worldwide, invests in original content, and collaborates with digital creators to monetize their libraries in the streaming space.
Recent activity
- Dec 2025
Octane
Series F · Participated
- Dec 2025
Mundi
Growth · Lead
- Mar 2025
Crusoe
Growth · Lead
- Jul 2024
160 Driving Academy
Growth · Lead
Upper90 in the news
FinTech Futures
Agent payments start-up Natural lands $100m Upper90 facility
17 days ago
Data Center Dynamics
AI cloud startup General Compute raises $400m in debt financing
1 month ago
FinSMEs
General Compute Raises Up to $400M in Debt Funding
1 month ago
Tech Times
General Compute: Inference Chips Replace Nvidia GPUs as Loan Collateral in Landmark $400M Deal
1 month ago
Briefs Finance
Startup Gets $400M Loan Using AI Chips as Collateral
1 month ago
AI Insider
General Compute Secures $400M Loan From Upper90 in First Deal Backed by AI Inference Chips
1 month ago
Startup Fortune
Upper90 Lends $400 Million Against AI Inference Chips Instead of Nvidia GPUs
1 month ago
TechCrunch
Why the first GPU financiers are turning to inference chips in a $400 million deal
1 month ago
Pulse 2.0
Neon: $25 Million Raised For Consumer Data Monetization Platform
5 months ago
inc.com
This Firm Helps Founders Raise Capital Without Losing Control
6 months ago
AlleyWatch
The 8 Largest NYC Tech Startup Funding Rounds of December 2025
8 months ago
Axios
Chai discovers $130m, Fosun's controversial Alzheimer's buy, and Lightspeed's megafund
8 months ago
dakota.com
Mercury Capital Advisors Shutters, Citing Tough Fundraising Environment
Dec 2024
FinTech Global
Outgo accelerates freight payment innovation with $15m funding boost
Sep 2024
GeekWire
Freight fintech startup Outgo raises $15M to help trucking carriers access cash quickly
Sep 2024
fintech.global
Braavo Capital bags $5m to accelerate growth in subscription app market
May 2024
Crusoe
Crusoe announces significant expansion of cloud business with new capacity and $200m in new financing
Oct 2023
Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United Community Fund opens three GA 100 pitches with UPPER90
Sep 2023
Fintech Leaders | Miguel Armaza
Billy Libby, CEO/Co-Founder at Upper90 – The Future of Debt, Credit, & Venture Capital
Aug 2023
NYU Stern
Keynote Speaker
May 2022
Adam Mendler
Interview with Jason Finger, Co-Founder of Seamless
Apr 2021
Business Insider
Startups don't always have to raise money from VCs — they can often do better with loans, a cofounder of Seamless insists
Feb 2021
Forbes
This Revolutionary Fund, Upper90, Lets You Fund Your Business Without Giving Away Equity
Dec 2020
The Real Deal
This debt startup wants to take on real estate VCs
Nov 2018
Similar firms
Early-stage, pre-launch specialist systematically backing 30–40 first-time, unproven founders yearly as an institutional friends-and-family solo-GP, offering fast decisions and access for founders without elite networks.
A pre-seed and seed stage VC firm that operates as a true US-Israel bridge, helping Israeli founders expand to the US while bringing US networks back to Israel. The firm positions itself as an extension of your headcount by sitting in portfolio company Slack channels, maintaining weekly calls, and proactively helping with hiring and customer introductions.
First institutional capital ($100k–$1M) post friends-and-family, acting as outsourced corporate development leveraging tech/media relationships and a boutique investment bank to drive distribution, deals, and pro rata support.
Partech Partners invests at seed, venture and growth stages with an integrated multi-continent platform operating offices in Paris, Berlin, Dakar, Dubai, Nairobi, and San Francisco. The firm offers deep Africa expertise and is widely cited for deal-flow reporting. Originated in 1982 as Paribas Technologies inside a bank before becoming an independent, partner-owned global VC platform through a 2008 management buyout.
Research briefRead more
Add Upper90 to your investor list
Sign up free to save investors, see partner contacts, and track your raise.
Sign up