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Banana Capital

North America, Michigan, United States, Ann Arbor

Description

Banana Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The firm focuses on investing in ambitious founders who are building category-defining companies, primarily participating in seed-stage funding rounds. Their investment philosophy emphasizes identifying companies with strong product-market fit, clear paths to profitability, and exceptional teams, aiming to support innovative ventures from their foundational stages.

The firm typically takes on a leading or co-leading role in seed rounds. This strategic involvement allows them to actively partner with their portfolio companies, providing more than just capital. They are known for their hands-on approach, working closely with founders to navigate the challenges of early growth and scale operations effectively, fostering a collaborative environment for success.

Financially, Banana Capital's initial investments typically range from $500,000 to $2,000,000, demonstrating their commitment to providing substantial early funding to promising startups. Beyond the initial cheque, the firm also reserves capital for follow-on investments, indicating a long-term commitment to supporting their portfolio companies through subsequent funding rounds as they achieve milestones. According to public data, Banana Capital has made approximately 27 investments and has seen 3 successful exits, showcasing their activity and some realized returns within the early-stage ecosystem.

Investor Profile

Banana Capital has backed more than 52 startups, with 1 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 4 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Canada, France.
  • Strong thematic focus on E-Commerce, Health Care, Retail.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $2M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (42%)
  • Series A (27%)
  • Series B (12%)
  • Pre Seed (10%)
  • Series C (4%)
  • Angel (2%)
  • Convertible Note (2%)
  • Series D (2%)

Country Focus

  • United States (56%)
  • Canada (8%)
  • France (6%)
  • Brazil (6%)
  • Australia (4%)
  • Pakistan (4%)
  • Vietnam (4%)
  • Germany (4%)
  • Italy (2%)
  • India (2%)

Industry Focus

  • E-commerce
  • Health Care
  • Retail
  • Software
  • Financial Services
  • Mobile Apps
  • Fintech
  • Apps
  • Marketplace
  • Consumer
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Banana Capital frequently co-invest with?

Bossa Invest
South America, Sao Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo
Co-Investments: 3
General Catalyst
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 3
Karman Ventures (fka Moving Capital)
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Co-Investments: 3
Hustle Fund
North America, California, United States, San Carlos
Co-Investments: 3
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 4
Greycroft
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 4
Afore Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 3
Tiger Global Management
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
MANTIS Venture Capital
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Co-Investments: 3
Goodwater Capital
North America, California, United States, Burlingame
Co-Investments: 3

Which angels does Banana Capital often collaborate with?

JS
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
LG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
AF
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
LR
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 2
SK
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 2
SB
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 3
BL
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
JS
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
JA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
JB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Banana Capital?

Bee

San Francisco, California, United States

Bee is an AI developer of a life administration wearable assistant.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIMobile Apps
SeedJul 29, 2024
Amount Raised: $5,500,000
Artie

San Francisco, California, United States

Artie is a real-time database replication solution. We leverage change data capture to sync databases and data warehouses.

AnalyticsB2BData IntegrationDatabaseSoftware
SeedFeb 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $3,300,000
BinStar

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

BinStar is an e-commerce and retail company that offers users a shopping experience in the form of treasure hunt.

Casual GamesE-CommerceRetailRetail TechnologyShopping
SeedNov 14, 2023
Amount Raised: $2,791,000
Chainguard

Kirkland, Washington, United States

Chainguard provides low-to-zero CVE container images that provide a secure software foundation for building and running applications.

Cloud SecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareOpen SourceSecurity
Series BNov 1, 2023
Amount Raised: $61,000,000
Arrive Recommerce

Santa Monica, California, United States

Arrive is a technology company that powers circular commerce for the world’s most innovative brands, retailers and operators.

E-CommerceRentalRetail
Series AJul 17, 2023
Amount Raised: $16,000,000
Browse AI

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Browse AI is the easiest way for prosumers, startups, and SMBs to extract and monitor data from websites.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cloud ComputingData IntegrationMarketing AutomationSales AutomationSoftware
SeedJul 1, 2023
Amount Raised: $2,800,000
Packsmith

Los Angeles, California, United States

Packsmith is a distributor of e-commerce brands and provides delivery services.

LogisticsTransportationWarehousing
SeedMar 27, 2023
Mindset Health

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Mindset Health creates hypnosis-based digital therapeutics for health conditions such as IBS, menopause, and depression.

Health CarePersonal HealthWellness
Series AMar 21, 2023
Amount Raised: $12,000,000
Amo

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Amo is a social networking platform.

Social MediaSocial Network
SeedMar 1, 2023
Amount Raised: $17,602,967
Teleport

Los Angeles, California, United States

Teleport is an social media platform where users can share and shop outfits and clothes based on inspiration and style.

AppsE-CommerceFashionSocial
SeedOct 1, 2022