Description
EXPA is a venture studio and early-stage venture fund founded by Garrett Camp (co-founder of Uber) and based in New York. EXPA focuses on company creation and early-stage investing, combining capital with deep operational support, product design, and talent to help startups go from idea to scale.
Specific Funding Stage
Pre-Seed / Seed (Core Focus)
- EXPA primarily invests at the pre-seed and seed stages.
- Many companies are incubated or co-created internally through the venture studio before external fundraising.
Series A (Selective Follow-On)
- EXPA may participate in Series A rounds, particularly for studio-born or high-conviction portfolio companies.
Investment Amount and Percentage Equity (Company-Level)
Check Size
- Initial investments typically range from ~$250K to $1M+, depending on:
- Whether the company is studio-created or externally sourced
- Capital needs at formation
- Degree of hands-on involvement
Equity Taken
- EXPA does not publish a fixed ownership percentage across all deals.
- Because of its venture studio model, equity stakes can be larger than traditional seed funds, especially for companies created internally.
- Ownership is negotiated deal-by-deal, reflecting capital, services, and team involvement.
Implied Ownership (Contextual, Not Published)
- For externally sourced startups, EXPA’s ownership is often a meaningful minority stake.
- For studio-built companies, ownership can be substantially higher, reflecting co-founding-level contribution. Exact percentages vary and are not publicly standardized.
Equity Structure
- Investments may be structured as:
- Priced preferred equity
- SAFEs or convertible notes (early formation)
- In studio companies, equity allocation often reflects:
- Founder equity
- EXPA’s studio equity
- Employee option pools
- EXPA contributes capital + design + engineering + recruiting, not just funding.
Application / Submission Method
Submission Method
- EXPA engages startups through:
-
Warm introductions
- Direct outreach via its website
- Studio-driven ideation and founder recruitment
- There is no batch accelerator application in the traditional sense.
Interaction
- Early discussions focus on:
- Founder-market fit
- Product vision and differentiation
- Willingness to collaborate deeply with a studio partner
Eligibility
Sector Focus
- Broadly technology-driven companies, including:
- Consumer platforms
- Marketplaces
- Fintech
- Health & wellness
- Mobility, logistics, and future-of-work
- AI-enabled products (application-layer focus)
Geography
- Primarily United States-based, with global ambition encouraged.
Stage
- Idea stage to early traction
- Especially strong fit for founders at:
- Pre-company formation
- Very early MVP stage
Team Profile
- Founders open to deep collaboration, shared ownership structures, and studio-style company building.
Process
Initial Conversations: Assessment of founder vision, ambition, and collaboration fit.
Concept Validation: Market, product, and differentiation analysis.
Studio Alignment: Determination of whether the company will be incubated or externally backed.
Equity & Structure Discussion: Ownership and roles negotiated early.
Build & Fund: Company formation or investment; hands-on execution begins.
What an Applicant can Obtain
Early Capital: Substantial pre-seed or seed funding relative to stage.
Company-Building Support: Product design, UX, engineering, and hiring support from day one.
Talent Network: Access to operators, designers, and engineers within the EXPA ecosystem.
Investor Access: Credibility and introductions for future institutional rounds.
