Investment Focus & Criteria:
What is your primary investment stage?
We are laser-focused on the earliest stages of company building. We invest primarily in Pre-Seed and Seed rounds. We love coming in early when the vision is big, even if the product is still in its infancy (or hasn’t been built yet). We love being the first check into companies.
What sectors do you invest in?
We are a specialized firm dedicated strictly to Fintech. We believe that financial services infrastructure, payments, insurance, and the financial layer of vertical SaaS require deep subject matter expertise. By staying specialized, we ensure we can offer the highest leverage to our portfolio companies.
What is your typical check size?
Our initial check size typically ranges between $500k and $1m. We aim to be a meaningful partner in your round without crowding out other strategic angels or funds. We do reserve follow on capital up to $5m per portfolio company.
Do you lead rounds? Yes, we are comfortable leading or co-leading rounds. However, we are also happy to participate alongside other high-conviction investors. Our priority is the quality of the company, not just the position on the cap table.
Process & Terms:
What are your standard deal terms?
We believe in clean, fair, and transparent deals. We invest on standard market terms (typically using SAFEs or priced equity rounds). We do not use predatory terms, warrant coverage, or side letters that hinder future fundraising.
How long does your investment process take?
We move as fast as you do. Because we are sector-specialists, we don't need weeks to "get up to speed" on basic fintech concepts. Once we have conviction, we move quickly to issue a term sheet and close. Historically we’ve built conviction in as little as a day, though our process typically takes 1-2 weeks.
Post-Investment Partnership:
How do you work with teams after investing?
We are not passive capital. When you take a check from Restive, you get a partnership who works really closely with you. We offer:
Hands-on Support: Our partnership acts as an extension of your team, helping with strategy, product roadmap stress-testing, go-to-market planning, hiring, pricing – you name it.
The Restive Program: We host a regular cadence of events throughout the year designed to build your expertise and network in fintech and financial services. We introduce you and help you engage potential partners, customers, and investors. Annual events include Partnerships Days, which includes networking with fintech / financial services partners, an annual regulatory trip to meet top regulators and lawmakers in D.C., a downstream investor dinner, a Money 20/20 event, and many more.
Our Deep Network: Because we only do fintech, our network of potential customers, bank partners, and regulatory experts is dense and immediately accessible to you.
About the Rebrand (Formerly FVS):
What is the relationship between Restive Ventures and FVS? Restive Ventures is the new identity of FVS (Fintech Venture Studio). While our name has changed, our core DNA remains the same. We are the same team with the same unwavering commitment to the fintech ecosystem.
Why "Restive"? The word "restive" speaks to an inability to remain still or silent, often born of impatience with the status quo. We chose this name because it reflects the spirit of the founders we love to back: ambitious entrepreneurs who refuse to wait for the future to happen and are actively agitated to build it themselves.
The Restive Promise: We know that the early days of a startup are the hardest. We are here to be the first call you make when things go wrong, and the loudest cheerleaders when things go right.