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Stout Street Capital
John Francis and Clay Gordon co-founded Stout Street Capital in 2017, a Denver-based seed firm investing in B2B SaaS across underserved US and Canadian...
Stout Street Capital
Stout Street Capital was co-founded in Denver in 2017 by General Partners John Francis and Clay Gordon. Francis brought institutional venture experience from prior board seats at Popwallet (acquired by Snapchat) and investments in Left Hand Robotics (acquired by Toro), while Gordon contributed community-building expertise from the Carolinas to seed the firm's non-coastal origination engine. The firm deploys pre-seed and seed capital across B2B SaaS, fintech, advanced materials, robotics, and AI. Stout Street evaluates over 10,000 startups, invests in 1–2 per month, and has backed at least 65 companies. Confirmed portfolio positions include Schola, Fluent Forever, Botco.ai, Ad Fontes, WorkHound, Optera, GoodUnited, and SingleKey. The firm leads rounds, participates in syndicates, and maintains a large co-investor network to help founders close $1M+ institutional rounds while providing 12–24 months of runway. Besides Francis, Gordon, and Jr Partner Cindy Ho, the team operates solely from Denver. The firm's most distinctive operating asset is the UNMET Conference, an event series organized by Cindy Ho that connects early-stage companies located in Middle America to Series A and Series B capital sources. This conference underpins Stout Street's deal flow and offers portfolio companies accelerated fundraising pathways beyond the coast. The firm's structural differentiator is its absolute geographic mandate: it invests in the United States and Canada while explicitly excluding San Francisco, New York, and Boston. This region-exclusion filter — paired with the UNMET Conference engine — creates an actively cultivated access moat into startup markets that most institutional seed funds structurally overlook.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2017
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Denver
Corporate office
Denver, CO, United States
Principals
John Francis
Partner
Clay Gordon
Partner
Cindy Ho
Jr Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Stout Street Capital?
Partners John Francis and Clay Gordon lead investment decisions. Francis, a former operator and institutional venture investor, focuses on IT, software, construction, government, energy, cleantech, media, advertising, HR, healthcare, and cloud services. Gordon concentrates on HR, cleantech, edtech, insurtech, and fintech. Jr Partner Cindy Ho supports financial analysis, due diligence, and portfolio management.
How does Stout Street source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's primary sourcing engine is the UNMET Conference, an event series managed by Jr Partner Cindy Ho that connects early-stage companies in Middle America to Series A and B capital. Stout Street has evaluated over 10,000 startups and backs 1–2 per month, relying heavily on this conference pipeline and a co-investor network that extends beyond coastal venture hubs.
What geographic markets does Stout Street actually invest in?
Stout Street invests in the United States and Canada with an explicit exclusion: it does not invest in San Francisco, New York, or Boston. The firm targets founders in underserved regions — including the Carolinas, the Midwest, and other Middle America markets — and has built its sourcing and conference infrastructure around this non-coastal mandate.
Does Stout Street lead rounds or only participate as a syndicate member?
Stout Street both leads deals and participates in syndicates. The firm says it is 'happy to work with other lead investors to unburden founders of excessive due diligence.' Typical check size is $250K into rounds raising at least $1M, with a diligence cycle compressed to 2–3 weeks and a target of 12–24 months of runway for portfolio companies.
Which companies has Stout Street backed that have exited or reached later stages?
Confirmed exits include Popwallet (acquired by Snapchat) and Left Hand Robotics (acquired by Toro). Active portfolio companies with disclosed board involvement include Schola, Fluent Forever, Botco.ai, and Ad Fontes. The firm has invested in over 65 companies since 2017.
What investment stages does Stout Street typically target?
The firm targets pre-seed and seed stage companies that are post-product and post-revenue, with a minimum of $20–30K in monthly revenue. Stout Street typically enters rounds of $1M or more and provides 12–24 months of runway.
Does Stout Street maintain philanthropic structures or operate adjacent vehicles?
No separate philanthropic structures or adjacent vehicles are disclosed. Clay Gordon is affiliated with the 2221 Society, Cross Purpose, and The Brook, but the firm itself does not appear to operate a foundation, real-asset arm, or club-commitment platform beyond the UNMET Conference.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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