Organization · Venture Capital
Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51)
Hinge Capital, based in Austin, Texas, is a venture capital firm that invests in seed to early-stage high technology companies. The firm focuses on supporting founders in high-growth markets across various sectors.
Overview
What Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51) does
What Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51) is
Hinge Capital, based in Austin, Texas, is a venture capital firm that invests in seed to early-stage high technology companies. The firm focuses on supporting founders in high-growth markets across various sectors.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Venture Capital
- Founded
- Founded in 2009
- Approximate age
- About 17 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder
- Last reviewed
- May 5, 2026
Official channels
Find Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51) elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51) as a funder
Investment thesis
Hinge Capital backs brave and curious founders pursuing non-obvious ideas that can transform industries or create new categories. The firm emphasizes early-stage investments, leveraging operational depth and a proprietary platform to support portfolio companies.
Focus narrative
Hinge Capital invests at the earliest stages across various sectors, including Health & Wellness, Skills & Education, Financial Inclusion, Core Internet, Distributed Enterprise, Marketplace & Commerce, and Frontier Technology. The firm employs a unique approach that integrates capital with operational expertise to maximize the potential of its portfolio companies.
Value beyond capital
Hinge Capital provides significant value-add to its portfolio companies through its proprietary Rehinged platform, which offers data science tools and company-building infrastructure. The firm’s team, composed entirely of former founders and operators, delivers operational support and strategic guidance, enhancing the growth potential of its investments.
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed · Series A
- Regions
- United States
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Not published
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded portfolio count
- 90
- Recorded notable exits
- Ripple, eToro, Bird, Dollar Shave Club, and ClassPass
Portfolio context
Hinge Capital has invested in over 90 companies since its inception. Notable portfolio companies include: Hinge Health: Digital health solutions provider. Classpass: Fitness membership service. GoFundMe: Crowdfunding platform. Airbnb: Online marketplace for lodging and travel. Medium: Publishing platform. Cvent: Cloud-based event management platform. Marketo: Marketing automation software company. Squarespace: Website building and hosting service.
Common questions
What to know about Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51)
Upseed classifies Hinge Capital (formerly Venture51) under the Venture Capital organization type. Its current public profile includes funder capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
May 5, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.