Slauson & Co.

Slauson & Co. is a Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm rooted in economic inclusion, investing with the conviction that talent is evenly distributed but opportunity is not. The firm focuses on two core verticals—SMB SaaS and culturally-aligned consumer tech—backing founders whose lived experiences are their competitive advantage, particularly those from underrepresented communities historically overlooked by the traditional venture ecosystem. Founded in 2020 by Austin Clements and Ajay Relan, the firm views itself as a bridge between Silicon Valley's institutional knowledge and networks and the next generation of diverse founders. It invests in U.S.-based pre-seed and seed stage companies, typically leading or co-leading rounds of $750K–$5M, with checks up to $2.5M (Fund I) and $500K–$2M (Fund II). The firm is backed by Google, Meta, PayPal, and others, and supplements its investing with the Friends & Family accelerator program providing non-dilutive capital to early-stage founders.