Prime Highlights:
- Gabriel Jarrosson has a unique investment strategy: he only invests in Y Combinator (YC) alumni companies through his firm, Lobster Capital.
- His approach has helped him grow from creating YouTube content to managing over $12 million, with a second, larger fund in progress.
Key Facts:
- Since 2020, Jarrosson’s syndicate has invested $36 million into startups, mostly YC-backed.
- He has made over 100 investments across sectors like B2B SaaS and fintech, including two unicorns and several soon-to-be unicorns.
Key Background:
Gabriel Jarrosson, a venture capitalist from Paris, only invests in companies that have gone through Y Combinator, using his firm Lobster Capital. This focus has helped him grow from making YouTube videos to managing over $12 million, with a second, bigger fund on the way.
Jarrosson, a former engineer turned YouTuber, started his channel in 2017 to give advice on investing in French startups. His channel soon acquired a huge number of followers and became one of the most successful angel investing groups in Europe. Since 2020, his group has invested $36 million, mostly in YC-backed startups. This success led to the launch of Lobster Capital, which exceeded its $8 million target by closing its first fund at $12 million.
The reason behind Jarrosson’s YC-only focus is simple: YC startups have better odds of success. About 4.5% of YC startups become unicorns, compared to 2.5% of other early-stage companies, and roughly 45% raise Series A funding, higher than the 33% average. These results give Jarrosson confidence that investing in early-stage startups with higher valuations can succeed.
He claims that his strength is his former founder status, strong network in YC, and social media and podcasts insights. So far, he has made over 100 investments through his syndicate and fund in areas like B2B SaaS and fintech, including two unicorns and several startups close to becoming unicorns.
Following the example of content-driven investors like Harry Stebbings and Garry Tan, Jarrosson shows how personal branding and community engagement can support traditional venture capital strategies. “YC backs the best founders, and investing in them is a solid bet,” he says, highlighting his disciplined and results-focused approach.
