Altimeter

What they do

Founded in 2008 by Brad Gerstner with just $3 million during the financial crisis, Altimeter Capital has grown into a premier crossover investment firm managing billions in assets. The firm bridges the gap between private venture capital and public markets, known for taking highly concentrated, long-term positions in category-defining technology companies. Altimeter is distinguished by its "founder-built" ethos and its willingness to hold positions well past a company's IPO, providing stable, long-term capital. They hold a top-tier reputation in the ecosystem, particularly in enterprise software, AI infrastructure, and data, backed by deep sector expertise and thought leadership from their partners.

What they look for

Altimeter’s stated mission is to "back exceptional founders building transformational technology companies that disrupt markets and improve lives." They provide long-term capital partnership combined with public market expertise to help companies scale profitably and eventually succeed in the public markets. They look for platform companies with strong network effects, expanding margins, and adaptable leaders. They heavily favor businesses with dominant market positions, high cash flow potential, and strong unit economics (such as adherence to the "Rule of 40" in SaaS). Recently, they have shown a massive appetite for AI infrastructure, open-source AI models, and companies benefiting from AI scaling laws.

Stage

Pre-seed, Series A, Series B+

Sectors

SaaS, AI, Deeptech, Govtech and defence, Consumer, Healthcare

Based

Menlo Park, US