The 81 Collection is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 by Vijen Patel. The firm invests in founders building across 'hard industries'—the 81% of U.S. GDP underserved by traditional venture capital, including manufacturing, real estate, skilled trades, and other foundational sectors. Its inaugural $41 million fund launched in December 2022.
43% of their portfolio is in Consumer. Their most common stage is seed (86% of deals). Average disclosed round size is $6.4M (across 7 rounds with reported amounts).
Portfolio
7
Fund Size
$41M
Top Stage
Seed
Last 12 Mo
0
Team
Portfolio Breakdown
Stage Distribution
Sector Distribution
Investment Activity
DealsAvg Round Size
Portfolio
7 investments
Top Co-Investors
BoxGroup3 shared
First Round Capital2 shared
B Capital2 shared
Imaginary Ventures2 shared
Harlem Capital2 shared
Wischoff Ventures2 shared
Better Tomorrow Ventures2 shared
Permanent Capital2 shared
Starting Line2 shared
Lightbank2 shared
Y Combinator1 shared
PagsGroup1 shared
Andreessen Horowitz1 shared
Real Ventures1 shared
NFX1 shared
Last updated: 8 September 2026