The 81 Collection

Profile

The 81 Collection is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, Illinois. It was co-founded by Vijen Patel, Alex Kirshenbaum, and Jeff Jasurda, who come from diverse backgrounds including leadership positions at Tide Cleaners and experience in investment firms such as GTCR and Moelis. The firm is guided by a team with practical experience as builders and operators in the industries they invest in. The 81 Collection distinguishes itself by focusing on minority equity investments in founder-owned businesses within services and manufacturing that are traditionally underserved by venture capital.

The firm invests primarily in services, manufacturing, real estate, and hospitality sectors. They target companies generating between $4 million and $20 million in annual revenue with growth rates of 40% or more. Individual investment sizes typically range from $8 million to $10 million. Geographically, The 81 Collection primarily focuses on the United States. With their recent Fund II close, the firm’s total assets under management have reached over $145 million. They seek to act as both the first and last institutional investor for their portfolio companies.

Notable companies within their portfolio include Uptiv, a tech-enabled infusion center operator, and Terra, an AI-native freight brokerage platform. These investments reflect the firm's thematic commitment to sectors constituting the 'real economy.'