# Marketplace Capital

> Marketplace Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund exclusively focused on marketplace and network-effect businesses.

## Summary

Marketplace Capital is an early-stage venture fund dedicated to backing founders building the next generation of marketplaces and network-effect businesses, including AI-powered marketplaces. The firm writes initial checks of $150K–$350K and has backed 35+ marketplaces across healthcare, consumer, the future of work, and AI. It is backed by the Everything Marketplaces community — the largest community of marketplace founders and operators — which gives the fund a proprietary edge in deal flow, operator network, and playbooks.

## Thesis

When marketplaces work, they create the largest outcomes in all of venture investing — yet they are enormously difficult to build. Marketplace Capital spots breakout marketplaces early and helps founders build them into category-defining companies. The firm is the most dedicated fund in the space, backed by the largest community of marketplace founders and operators, and connects founders to the capital, talent, and support they need to scale.

## Partners

- **Andrew Blachman** — Partner. 20+ years as a marketplace operator; founded and scaled GetMeIn! (a ticketing marketplace acquired by Ticketmaster). Investor in Outdoorsy, SeatGeek, Fora Travel, and 15+ marketplaces. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajblachman/
- **Mike Williams** — Partner and Founder of Everything Marketplaces, the largest community for marketplace founders. Previously started Studiotime (a marketplace for booking music studios, acquired in 2020). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoroomie/

## Check Size and Stage

- Initial check: $150,000–$350,000
- Stage: Early-stage (pre-seed, seed, and early post-launch)

## Portfolio (Fund I)

35+ marketplace investments across healthcare, consumer, the future of work, and AI. Notable portfolio companies include:

- **Solace** — a healthcare advocate marketplace helping patients navigate care and insurance (B2C, Healthcare)
- **Palmstreet** — a live shopping app for plants and live-commerce (C2C, Live Commerce)
- **Leland** — a marketplace for admissions and career coaching (C2C, Education)
- **Berry Street** — a marketplace for licensed dietitians (B2B, Services)
- **Laborup** — an AI-powered talent marketplace for industrial and manufacturing workforce (B2B, Labor)
- **TeachMe.To** — a marketplace for hiring coaches across sports, music, and creative skills (C2C, Services)
- **Snag** — an AI-native sublet marketplace for Gen Z (C2C, Housing)
- **Morty** — an online mortgage marketplace (B2C, Finance)
- **CNaught** — a carbon credits platform for verified offset portfolios (B2B, Climate)
- **HALO** — a healthcare staffing marketplace (B2B, Healthcare)
- **Sanctum** — an AI platform for home care and post-acute providers (B2B, Healthcare)
- **Toothio** — a dental practice labor marketplace (B2B, Labor)
- **Squad** — an AI-driven recruiting marketplace (B2B, Recruiting)
- **Rejigg** — a marketplace for buying and selling small vetted businesses (B2B, M&A)
- **Rosie** — an e-commerce platform for independent grocers (B2B, Grocery)
- **Rare Candy** — a marketplace for trading and auctioning collectible cards (C2C, Collectibles)

## Backers and LPs

Marketplace Capital is backed by notable marketplace funds, institutional investors, and founders and operators from leading marketplaces, including:

- Andrew Chen / a16z
- FJ Labs
- Craft Ventures
- Founders and operators from Airbnb, DoorDash, eBay, Uber, Alibaba, and Zumper

## Unfair Advantage

The firm's unfair advantage is the Everything Marketplaces community — paired with proprietary playbooks, resources, and a world-class operator network. Every portfolio company receives:

- **Community access** — Everything Marketplaces, 9,500+ posts from operators who have built and scaled marketplaces
- **Resources** — playbooks, guides, and workshops built for marketplace founders
- **Direct support** — weekly office hours with other founders and marketplace experts
- **World-class network** — a curated network of operators for hiring, fundraising, and partnerships
- **Events** — online and offline events bringing together founders, operators, and investors
- **Amplification** — announcing launches and milestones through the firm's reach across the marketplace ecosystem

## Resources

Marketplace Capital publishes practical playbooks, benchmarks, and frameworks for marketplace founders and operators at: https://www.everythingmarketplaces.com

## How to Reach Us

- **Founders** — share what you are building via the application pipeline on the website
- **LPs and family offices** — contact@marketplace.capital for LP materials
- **Website** — https://marketplace.capital
- **Community** — https://www.everythingmarketplaces.com