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Definition

North America, New York, United States, New York

Description

Definition Capital is a New York-based venture capital firm established in 2022, specializing in investments in category-defining software companies. The firm was co-founded by John Curtius, formerly a prolific investor at Tiger Global, and Ben Lau, who previously held a significant role at Lightspeed Venture Partners. This brings a blend of aggressive growth-stage investing and deep early-stage expertise to the firm's strategy, aiming to identify and back the next generation of market leaders.

The firm's investment thesis centers on identifying and backing B2B software companies that are poised to become leaders in their respective markets. They seek out businesses with strong product-market fit, compelling unit economics, and significant potential for long-term growth and market disruption. Definition Capital aims to be a value-add partner, leveraging the extensive networks and operational experience of its founders to support portfolio companies through critical growth phases, from strategic guidance to talent acquisition.

Definition Capital operates with its inaugural fund, Definition Capital Fund I, which reportedly closed around $100 million. This fund size allows the firm to deploy substantial capital into its target companies, typically writing initial checks ranging from $2 million to $10 million. While they primarily focus on Seed to Series B rounds, their flexible approach allows them to participate in later-stage opportunities when a company aligns perfectly with their "category-defining" criteria. Their investment strategy emphasizes conviction in a concentrated portfolio of high-potential companies.

With a clear focus on the rapidly evolving software landscape, Definition Capital positions itself as a strategic partner for innovative startups. Their commitment to supporting companies that redefine industries, combined with the proven track records of its leadership, underscores their ambition to build a portfolio of impactful and enduring technology businesses.

Investor Profile

Definition has backed more than 22 startups, with 9 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 2 rounds, about 9% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series A, Seed, Series C rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on FinTech, Software, Financial Services.
  • Led 1 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $2M – $10M.

Stage Focus

  • Series A (36%)
  • Seed (23%)
  • Series C (14%)
  • Series D (9%)
  • Series Unknown (5%)
  • Series B (5%)
  • Secondary Market (5%)
  • Series E (5%)

Country Focus

  • United States (91%)
  • United Kingdom (5%)

Industry Focus

  • Fintech
  • Software
  • Financial Services
  • Finance
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Information Technology
  • Generative Ai
  • Internet
  • It Infrastructure
  • Open Source
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Definition frequently co-invest with?

General Catalyst
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 7
Stripe
North America, California, United States, South San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
Thrive Capital
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 6
BoxGroup
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 4
Greycroft
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
Lux Capital
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 12
Redpoint
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 3
Coatue
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
D1 Capital Partners
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
Founders Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 6

Which angels does Definition often collaborate with?

Shared Deals: 1
AP
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BS
North America, New York, United States, Brooklyn
Shared Deals: 1
SB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
BM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BJ
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
JH
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 2
AN
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
EG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Definition?

Ramp

New York, New York, United States

Ramp is a financial operations platform designed to save companies time and money

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTech
Series EJul 30, 2025
Amount Raised: $500,000,000
Ramp

New York, New York, United States

Ramp is a financial operations platform designed to save companies time and money

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTech
Series EJun 14, 2025
Amount Raised: $200,000,000
Salsa

San Francisco, California, United States

Salsa offers a payroll infrastructure platform that allows businesses to lauch embedded payroll products quickly and efficiently.

Developer APIsEmbedded SoftwareFinTechSoftware
Series AApr 22, 2025
Amount Raised: $20,000,000
tldraw

London, England, United Kingdom

tldraw is an infinite canvas SDK.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Machine LearningSoftware
Series AApr 9, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,000,000
Ramp

New York, New York, United States

Ramp is a finance automation platform that helps businesses spend less time and money.

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTech
Secondary MarketMar 3, 2025
Amount Raised: $150,000,000
Together AI

San Francisco, California, United States

Together AI is a cloud-based platform designed for constructing open-source generative AI and infrastructure for developing AI models.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIInternetIT InfrastructureOpen Source
Series BFeb 20, 2025
Amount Raised: $305,000,000

Deterrence is a defense technology company focused on automating the production of energetics at scale.

IndustrialManufacturingMilitaryNational SecurityRobotics
SeedDec 12, 2024
Amount Raised: $10,100,000
BRM

San Francisco, California, United States

BRM is a developer of an AI-powered vendor management and procurement platform.

B2BEnterprise SoftwareProcurement
Series ADec 5, 2024
Amount Raised: $15,000,000
Vooma

San Francisco, California, United States

Vooma is a back-office automation platform that enables automated order entry for brokers and carriers.

B2BFinTechProductivity ToolsTransportation
Series ADec 2, 2024
Amount Raised: $14,224,988
Arphie

San Francisco, California, United States

Arphie develops an AI tool designed for RFPs, questionnaires, and content library optimization.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)CollaborationDocument ManagementInformation Technology
SeedNov 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,900,000