About Sterling VC
Sterling VC is a venture capital firm founded in 2014. It is primarily based out of New York City, United States. As of Apr 2022, Sterling VC has invested in 15 companies. It primarily invests in Seed round in United States based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from High Tech to Blockchain Technology and Enterprise Applications. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Ready Player DAO Overall, Sterling VC portfolio has seen 1 unicorn, 2 IPOs and 2 acquisitions including key companies like Latch, The Sandbox and Clear. A lot of funds co-invest with Sterling VC, with names like CMT Digital sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Sterling VC has team of 5 people including 5 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Seed, Series A & 1 more
Portfolio Acquisitions
Portfolio Unicorns
Sterling VC's List of Top Investments
Sterling VC has a portfolio of 15 companies, one of which is a Unicorn. Their most notable investments are in Latch and Airspace Systems.Their portfolio spans across United States, China and Puerto Rico. They have invested in High Tech, Blockchain Technology, Enterprise Applications and 10 other sectors, across stages such as Seed, Series A and 1 more. Here is the list of top investments by Sterling VC:
1. Latch
Provider of cloud-based smart locks for residential and commercial places. It provides users with an internet-connected or electro-mechanically engineered lock system for access control. Its product portfolio includes smart locks, guest and delivery management systems, and smart home sensors. Its locks can be operated using its mobile application, access cards, and passwords. It comprises a touch panel and a wide-angle camera.
Key facts about Latch
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: New York City (United States)
- Annual Revenue: $50M - $100M as on Dec 31, 2025
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $153M
- Employee Count: 266 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Summit Partners, RRE Ventures and 32 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Aug 01, 2019, $*****
- Highlight: Public
2. The Sandbox
Online platform offering a user-generated metaverse with blockchain games for creative and immersive gaming experiences. It allows users to create and monetize their NFTs in a blockchain-based environment. The Sandbox platform combines elements of creativity, exploration, and gameplay in a sandbox setting, providing users with a degree of freedom to interact creatively and build their own virtual worlds.
Key facts about The Sandbox
3. Clear
Provider of expedited identity verification services for airport security and more. It offers a faster security process through identity verification. The company provides services for stadium entry and online identity verification. It also offers a mobile application for identity management.
Key facts about Clear
- Founded Year: 2010
- Location: New York City (United States)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $135M
- Employee Count: 3,019 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: T. Rowe Price, Annox Capital and 22 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Feb 08, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Public
4. Loot Crate
Geek subscription boxes delivering curated pop culture collectibles, apparel, and gear. This company offers a surprise every month delivered to your door. It provides curated collections of awesome items from the best pop culture franchises. Featured subscriptions include themed crates containing collectibles, apparel, and more. The business model is based on subscription boxes, offering exclusive collectibles, apparel, and gear delivered to your door. Users can join, login, manage their accounts, and log out. The website uses a cart system with a proceed to checkout option. It also offers support, FAQs, and a help center. The company focuses on providing value through epic tees and exclusive loot. The website requires JavaScript for full functionality.
Key facts about Loot Crate
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Los Angeles (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $18.5M
- Employee Count: 61 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Atalaya Capital Management, Montage Capital and 8 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Aug 30, 2018, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
5. WiredScore
Provider of certification standards for technology and connectivity in the built environment. The company offers certifications for offices, homes, industrial properties, and master-planned communities. These certifications assess and benchmark the technology and connectivity of buildings. The company also provides resources, including research, articles, and events, related to technology in real estate. Accredited Professionals and Accredited Solutions work with the company to promote technology standards in the built world.
Key facts about WiredScore
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: New York City (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $28M
- Employee Count: 108 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Fifth Wall, Sterling VC and 15 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jun 29, 2022, $*****
Sterling VC's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Sterling VC has invested in 15 companies over the last 11 years, with an average of 1 new investment annually in the last 10 years. Its most recent first time investment was in Ready Player DAO and most recent follow-on round was in Guilded.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2021 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2020 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2019 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2018 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2017 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Sterling VC's Investments by Stage
Sterling VC has made 8 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $2.84M, 5 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $10.9M and 2 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $56.5M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Seed | 8 |
Series A | 5 |
Series B | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Sterling VC's Investments by Sector
Sterling VC has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the High Tech, Gaming, Enterprise Applications, Blockchain Technology and Consumer. Notably, it has invested in 14 Tech companies, 9 Consumer (B2C) companies, 9 Software companies and at least 8 companies focusing on Enterprise (B2B).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
High Tech | 7 |
Gaming | 6 |
Enterprise Applications | 5 |
Blockchain Technology | 4 |
Consumer | 4 |
Others | 17 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Sterling VC's Investments by Geography
Sterling VC has made most investments in United States (13), followed by China where it has made 1 investment.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
United States | 13 |
China | 1 |
Puerto Rico | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Sterling VC's recent investments
Sterling VC has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by Sterling VC:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apr 05, 2022 | Puerto Rico | Series A | 4826 | [+14] | |
Mar 22, 2022 | United States | Seed | 8639 | [+5] | |
Jan 13, 2022 | United States | Seed | 3608 | [+12] | |
Nov 02, 2021 | China | Series B | 8898 | [+20] | |
Mar 15, 2021 | United States | Seed | 3743 | [+14] |
Unicorns in Sterling VC's Portfolio
Sterling VC has 1 unicorn in its portfolio - The Sandbox. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is The Sandbox which became a unicorn in 2024, 2 years after Sterling VC first invested in it.Here is a list of unicorns in Sterling VC's portfolio:
Tracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
72 | Online platform offering a user-generated metaverse with blockchain games for creative and immersive gaming experiences | 2018 | Hong Kong | Series B | jvpblmj |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Sterling VC's Portfolio
2 of Sterling VC's portfolio companies have become public. Clear got listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), in Jun 2021 at marketcap of $4.49B and Latch got listed on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) at marketcap of $166M.Here are Sterling VC's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 30, 2021 | Oct 14, 2015 | Series B | 7744 | |
Jun 07, 2021 | May 18, 2017 | Series A | 4292 |
Acquired companies in Sterling VC's Portfolio
2 companies from Sterling VC's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Guilded in Aug 2021 by Roblox for $*****.Here are Sterling VC's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 16, 2021 | Sep 08, 2017 | Seed | 5391 | |
Sep 26, 2019 | Jun 02, 2016 | Series A | 9450 |
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Team profile of Sterling VC
Sterling VC has a team of 5 members including 5 Partners located in United States. Sterling VC's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of all team members in Sterling VC:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Brooklyn | - | ||
Partner | New York City | - | ||
Partner | New York City | - | ||
Partner | New York City | - | ||
Partner | Brooklyn | - |
Co-investors of Sterling VC
Over the past 11 years, 180 investors have co-invested in Sterling VC's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Sterling VC: Corigin Ventures, Expansion Venture Capital and 13 others have invested in rounds before Sterling VC. There is 1 company where Corigin Ventures has invested before Sterling VC and 1 company where Expansion Venture Capital has invested before Sterling VC.
- Top Co-investors of Sterling VC: 112 investors entered a company along with Sterling VC. These include investors like CMT Digital (2 companies).
- Invested after Sterling VC: A total of 53 investors have invested in Sterling VC's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Avenir Growth Capital (1 company), Brookfield Asset Management (1 company) and RXR (1 company).
Recent News related to Sterling VC
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TCG Leads $10.2 million round into Ready Player DAOMedium•Jul 18, 2023•Ready Player DAO, TCG Ventures, 1kx, ConsenSys Mesh and 4 others
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Souq G-Commerce Raises $3.3M for its Digital Portfolio Management and Intelligence Platform for Web3 Gaming Assets and EconomiesAlleyWatch•Jun 10, 2022•Souq, Kickstart Ventures, , Elliptic Ventures and 4 others
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Aervivo raises another $3M for FWA ambitionsLight Reading•Jun 01, 2022•Aervivo, Kickstart Fund, TDF Ventures, Aries Capital Partners and 11 others
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Raised $ 93 million from NFT games The Sandbox, SBG and moreReuters•Nov 01, 2021•The Sandbox, SoftBank Vision Fund, TGV, Animoca Brands and 22 others
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1v1Me Raises a $2M Pre-Seed Financing Round, Launches Gaming Wagering AppEsports Observer•Mar 15, 2021•1v1Me, AngelList, Sterling VC, LightShed Ventures
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Despegar.com Announces $50 Million Investment by Waha CapitalBenzinga•Aug 21, 2020•Despegar, Waha Capital, Citi, Shearman & Sterling and 7 others
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Guilded Raises $7 Million Series A Funding to Build the Ultimate Chat Platform for Gaming CommunitiesBusiness Wire•Apr 30, 2020•Guilded, Sterling VC, Initialized Capital, Susa Ventures and 1 other
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NY Excelsior and NY Subliners Parent Andbox Seeks up to $40M in FundingEsports Observer•Mar 05, 2020•NYXL, The Raine Group, Sterling VC, Sterling Equities and 1 other
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