Harlem Capital is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Henri Pierre-Jacques and Jarrid Tingle. The firm built its identity around a stated mission: invest in 1,000 diverse founders – specifically Black and Latino entrepreneurs – over 20 years. That mission shapes every aspect of deal sourcing, team hiring, and fund structure.
The firm operates at early stage, writing checks from pre-seed through Series A. In 2021 Harlem Capital closed Fund II at $134 million, roughly five times the size of Fund I. The raise attracted institutional limited partners and validated the thesis that mission-driven investing and returns are compatible. Total AUM beyond Fund II has not been disclosed publicly as of mid-2026.
Beyond capital, Harlem Capital runs a fellowship program that trains the next generation of venture investors from underrepresented backgrounds – an unusual step for a fund of its size that has become a meaningful part of the brand.
Notable investments
- Squire – barbershop management software; one of the firm's most cited portfolio companies
- Throne – creator wishlist and monetization platform
- MiMedia – cloud-based personal content storage
- Partake Foods – allergy-friendly food brand; a crossover into consumer goods
- Calibrate – metabolic health platform
Harlem Capital's primary investment universe is software, fintech, consumer, and health – not crypto or Web3 by default. The firm's tracked activity on crypto-native deals is limited. Public information on specific blockchain or digital asset portfolio companies is sparse. If the firm has made Web3 investments, those have not been widely disclosed in press coverage or the firm's own communications as of early 2026.
Team
Henri Pierre-Jacques (Managing Partner) previously worked in investment banking and private equity before co-founding the firm. Jarrid Tingle (Managing Partner) has a background in finance and has spoken widely on the economics of underrepresented founders. The team has grown to include several principals and associates, many sourced directly from the fellowship program. Full team composition is listed on the firm's website.
Recent activity
Through 2024 and into 2025, Harlem Capital continued backing early-stage companies in fintech and software. No new fund close or major strategic pivot has been publicly announced as of mid-2026. The firm has maintained a steady cadence of new investments and has been active on the conference circuit, with Pierre-Jacques and Tingle speaking at events focused on diversity in venture. A Fund III has not been confirmed publicly.
Harlem Capital occupies a clearly defined niche: early-stage checks for founders that larger, generalist funds historically overlooked. The 1,000-founder mission gives it a long time horizon and a differentiated deal flow. Whether that thesis extends meaningfully into digital assets remains an open question – the firm's public portfolio skews toward SaaS, consumer, and fintech rather than crypto infrastructure or DeFi. Investors tracking the firm for crypto exposure should note that direct blockchain-native deals represent a small, not-fully-disclosed slice of the portfolio. Sources such as Crunchbase and the firm's own site remain the most reliable references for up-to-date portfolio data.