Agate Hound
Fund of fundsActively deployingSeattle · 6 people tracked
Find your way into Agate Hound
602 people in our graph share verified history with the Agate Hound team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Agate Hound Fund positions itself as the first fund of funds dedicated to the search fund asset class, providing investors access to lower-market microcap private equity via the traditional search fund model for acquisitions in North America. It takes a diversified, index-fund-style approach, hand-picking established and successful underlying funds. The firm points to the asset class's historical net returns of roughly 35% over 40 years per a Stanford study and targets net returns of 20%+. Leadership emphasizes decades of general partner and venture partner experience across multiple prior venture and private equity funds.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's websiteWhat they invest in
from 1 of 1 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×1Digital Health ×1Healthtech ×1SaaS ×1
HQs:United States×1
Investments · 1 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathTransformativeMed builds specialty-specific clinical workflow and care team communication tools that integrate directly into electronic health records (EHRs) through its CORES Platform.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechSaaSSeattle, US
Douglas Cusick(Executive Officer, Director)Erik Van Eaton(Executive Officer, Director)inDavid Stone(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardPeter Weiss(Executive Officer)in
Board seatJoel Mezistrano· per SEC Form D · $1.2M raise · filed May 2022
Co-investorsSwan Venture Fund
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Frequently asked questions
- What sectors does Agate Hound focus on?
- Agate Hound focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Agate Hound located?
- Agate Hound is headquartered in Seattle, US.
- Does Agate Hound lead rounds?
- Agate Hound typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamSearch Funds Demystified: How Jon Staenberg (Agate Hound Fund) Nets 35% Annual Returns | EP 90
Fundraising Demystified Podcast - w/ Jason Kirby · Jon Staenberg
Jon Staenberg - Agate Hound Fund - What Fuels You
What Fuels You Podcast · Jon Staenberg
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