Zebras and Camels, not Unicorns

We’re building Zebras and Camels, not Unicorns. Most people know Unicorns to be billion dollar valuation companies with unparalleled growth rates. Like the name implies, they are beautiful to see, but very very rare.

Zebras are more common and collaborative. You will find them in a herd, but each has a pattern unique to itself. Their black and white characteristics also represent traits of a social enterprise: making a profit and making an impact.

Camels are able to endure long distances, in harsh conditions, with fewer resources. In the startup world that looks like an entity that is capital efficient and provides real value to the world that is not easily influenced by a hype cycle.

We are building durable businesses with the potential to last decades into the future. We are building businesses with good economics that will not be condemned to a lifetime on the VC treadmill. Each is innovative and unique, but it meets the market where the market is at today. No need to time the market or exhaust resources on educating the market on innovation. Customers see it, want it, and consume it.

Why did we choose this direction? Traditional VC, traditional bootstrapping, and other common models will always have their place. What we feel is underrepresented is the mid-growth, innovative companies that need a bit of capital to get started, but will be self-sustaining in the long term.

We are founders at heart; not venture capitalists. In a traditional VC model, there are 99 startups that lose for every 1 winner. That model may work for investors, but it creates a lot of losers. We are creating pathways that favor the entrepreneur’s chance of success.

In choosing Zebras and Camels over Unicorns, we embrace a path defined by community, endurance, and lasting value. We believe ventures grounded in genuine customer demand, disciplined capital use, and a dual mission of profit and impact will stand the test of time. By empowering founders to build these mid-growth powerhouses, we solve today's challenges without getting lost in tomorrow’s hype. Together, we’re not chasing rare flashes of valuation; we’re forging enterprises built to thrive for decades, one steady stride at a time.