Cross River

Investment decisions are led by Managing Partner Sean C. Higgins, who founded the firm in 2003, and Partner Robert J. D'Andrea. The firm's investment committee also includes two senior principals who focus on fintech and enterprise software, respectively. Higgins has a background in investment banking at DLJ, while D'Andrea previously worked at a large pension fund.

Cross River sources deal flow through relationships with Y Combinator, Techstars, and other accelerator programs, as well as from its own network of over 50 co-investors. The firm also receives direct referrals from existing portfolio company founders, a channel that accounts for roughly one-third of new investments (per public statements from the firm's partners).

Cross River operates as a venture capital firm, not a family office. It raises capital from institutional limited partners, including endowments and foundations, and from high-net-worth individuals. However, its lean team and evergreen approach give it flexibility closer to a single-family office, allowing it to invest in early-stage companies without the rigid fund-cycle constraints of larger firms.

Cross River targets early-stage investments, typically seed and Series A rounds, with initial checks of $2M-$10M. The firm reserves half of each fund's capital for follow-on investments through Series B and C rounds, ensuring it can support winners through scaling. It does not typically participate in pre-seed rounds or growth-stage deals above $20M.

Cross River publicly avoids investing in pure-play energy or commodity extraction, hardtech requiring large physical infrastructure, and early-stage biotech or pharma. The firm's focus remains on asset-light, software-enabled business models in fintech, enterprise SaaS, digital health, AI, cybersecurity, proptech, and climate tech.

Cross River operates a small charitable foundation, the Cross River Foundation, which has been funded with a portion of carried interest since 2010. The foundation's giving emphasizes financial literacy programs in underserved communities in the New York-New Jersey metro area. The foundation is separate from Cross River's investment operations and is governed by a board of partners.

Cross River actively co-invests alongside top-tier venture firms, having participated in rounds led by Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, and Sequoia Capital. The firm prefers to lead or co-lead seed series but is comfortable as a participant in later rounds. Co-investors often cite Cross River's willingness to provide follow-on capital as a key advantage of partnership.