Springbank Collective

Springbank invests in early-stage companies building the infrastructure of the care economy — the software, services, and benefits platforms that support child care, elder care, household management, and family health. The thesis targets a structural market inefficiency where the care-economy sector, despite affecting nearly every household, has historically been underfunded by generalist venture capital.

Investment decisions are made by the four co-founders and managing partners: Courtney Leimkuhler, Alyse Nelson, Vivian Wu, and Debra Fine. Each partner brings a distinct network and operating background — Leimkuhler and Wu both previously worked at Goldman Sachs, with Wu later joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Nelson was president and CEO of the nonprofit Vital Voices, and Fine brings corporate strategic advisory experience.

The firm writes first-check Seed and Series A commitments, with reserve capacity for selective follow-on investments through Series B. Springbank takes an ownership position that allows for board representation, working closely with portfolio companies on go-to-market and care-economy-specific regulatory and distribution challenges.

Springbank's origination funnel relies heavily on a curated network of operating advisors drawn from the care-economy policy, corporate benefits, and nonprofit sectors rather than exclusively from traditional venture circles. The partnership's collective networks across financial services, philanthropy, and care-economy policy create an in-bound pipeline that generalist firms often do not see early.

The firm targets enterprise SaaS for care providers, digital health platforms focused on women's and family health, fintech tools for household financial management, and PropTech oriented toward family-friendly housing. Portfolio examples include Mirza, a child-care cost analytics company, and Tia, a women's health platform blending virtual and in-person care.

Springbank is a venture capital firm structured as a traditional closed-end fund, with a debut fund of $140 million. Disclosed limited partners include Melinda French Gates's Pivotal Ventures, alongside a consortium of institutional allocators and family offices aligned with the fund's care-economy mandate.

Springbank Collective operates as a traditional venture capital firm raising committed capital from external limited partners into closed-end fund vehicles, not as a single-family office or an investment vehicle for personal wealth. The fund structure implies standard venture economics and allows for institutional LP flows.