Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital. See sector focus and contact routes.
Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a venture firm she established in 2015 after building it from scratch while homeless. Her investment thesis targets seed-stage startups led by founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ+, aiming to minimize funding disparities in tech. Backstage typically provides seed funding and has invested nearly $5 million into over 100 to 200 underestimated startups since its founding. While specific check sizes and lead/follow behavior are not explicitly detailed in available sources, the firm’s focus on early-stage seed funding is clear. Notable portfolio companies are not named in the provided search results, though the firm has backed more than 200 such startups. Hamilton is also the author of the 2020 memoir *It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage*, which chronicles her journey to founding a VC firm. Her distinctive point of view centers on turning underestimation into advantage and advocating for Black millionaires and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
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