The Marathon Fund is a seed-stage equity fund dedicated to creating high growth, foundational businesses that embrace the diversity of talented innovators historically underserved by the private capital market ecosystem.
Empowering Diverse Entrepreneurial Success
Marathon’s fundamental mission is to discover and invest in exceptional entrepreneurs from all underrepresented backgrounds to build scalable and successful tech-enabled businesses. In particular, we recognize Black, LatinX, Women, and LGBTQ identified entrepreneurial communities’ capability in originating exceptional investment opportunities currently underfunded in the current market.
Building Industry-Disrupting Solutions
We identify scalable, technology-enabled businesses that solve real problems. From the pre-seed to pre-Series A stages of company growth, we deploy capital responsibly to talented founders that demonstrate sound strategic and operational judgment. We empower emerging companies creating disruptive, tech-enabled solutions primarily spanning government, financial services, media, education, real estate services, and healthcare.
Investment Criteria
We seek to invest at the inflection point where our capital and guidance are the catalyst for meaningful customer and/or revenue traction. This is typically the early stage capital gap between friends and family and Series A institutional venture capital sources. We emphasize founders that have demonstrated great commitment and judgment. We seek companies addressing big problems with easily discernible solutions.
Funding options include pre-seed, seed, angel, and pre-Series A round capital as a lead or influential participant in an investor syndicate with like minded high net worth individuals, family offices, and other early stage equity funds. While the DMV area and greater mid-Atlantic region is our primary deal origination focus, we are not limited in national scope in recognizing extraordinary opportunities.
Deal Attributes
- Large market sector opportunity with high growth prospects
- Highly accomplished and/or domain experienced entrepreneur
- Compatibility with the Marathon Principals’ strategic value and guidance
- Capital efficient and scalable business model
- Unique core technology
- Clearly definable value proposition
- Fragmented sector and competition
Investment Parameters
- Capital commitments from $50,000 to $500,000
- Primary investment focus on companies delivering technology-enabled software and service solutions
- Other scalable, non-tech opportunities are also considered
Our Team
Duane McKnight
Managing Partner,
Marathon Foundation Partners, LLC
General Partner,
The Marathon Fund, LP
Kristina Francis
Managing Member,
Marathon Foundation Partners, LLC
General Partner,
The Marathon Fund, LP
Vernon Lee, Jr.
Managing Member,
Marathon Foundation Partners, LLC
General Partner,
The Marathon Fund, LP