Investor Profile: M33 — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

M33, formally M33 Growth, is a Boston-based venture and growth-stage firm that partners with founders who have bootstrapped their companies to strong growth and are ready to scale rapidly. The name comes from Mach 33, the speed at which an object reaches escape velocity and breaks out of the Earth's gravitational pull, and the firm uses it deliberately: its job is to help already-successful founder-owned businesses break through as market leaders.

Investment thesis

M33 believes that bootstrapped, high-growth companies located outside traditional startup hubs are underserved. Traditional private equity models, with large portfolios and returns driven by financial engineering, often leave such founders cold, and many venture firms cluster in Silicon Valley, far from where these businesses are actually built. M33's answer is operational excellence over financial engineering: a concentrated portfolio, deep involvement from the founding partners, and help that is practical rather than spreadsheet-driven. It looks for scrappy founders who built profitable companies without outside capital and now want a partner to accelerate growth.

Sectors and stages

The firm invests in growth-stage companies in the software, healthcare and services sectors across North America. Its published ideal partner profile is precise: more than $5 million in revenue, profitable with a steady growth trajectory, bootstrapped, and eager to break through as the leader in its market.

Fund size and cheque size

M33's debut fund, M33 Growth I, closed in 2017 with $180 million in limited partner commitments, initially targeting eight to ten investments in bootstrapped companies. Its second flagship fund, M33 Growth II, raised $260 million in commitments in 2020. Its current fund size is not publicly disclosed on the firm's website, and it publishes no standard cheque range.

Notable portfolio

M33's portfolio reflects its bootstrapped-growth thesis. It has invested in O3 Solutions, the construction project management software provider, to accelerate product development and client success; in Rosnet, the restaurant operations software platform, to advance product innovation and growth; and in companies including Assuricare, Titan Cloud and W Energy Software.

Partners and team

M33 was founded by co-founding managing directors Brian Shortsleeve, Gabe Ling and Mike Anello, all previously at General Catalyst, where Shortsleeve was a managing director and Ling a partner for thirteen years.

Programmes, perks and support

M33 runs no accelerator and publishes no credits or perks programme. Its support model is hands-on growth help: fuelling sales and marketing engines, driving acquisitions, building value through data assets, and opening an ecosystem of current and former executives to portfolio companies.

How to apply for funding

M33 publishes no open application form, so founders cannot apply through a portal. The route is to check the investment criteria on the firm's focus page at m33growth.com and then approach the team through the site's contact channels, or through a warm introduction from a founder or executive in its network.