Blueprint Equity just closed a $333M Fund III - and they’re doubling down on a thesis that feels increasingly contrarian in today’s AI-fueled world.
In this episode, Neal sits down with Sheldon Lewis and Bobby Ocampo, co-founders and managing partners of La Jolla-based Blueprint Equity, to unpack their “early growth equity” strategy - investing in bootstrapped SaaS companies doing $1–7M in ARR and growing fast.
They share their journey from 2008 investment banking crash, near-billion-dollar exits, to building Blueprint from scratch. Along the way, they break down why they call themselves “anti-VC,” how AI is reshaping SaaS economics, and why raising less capital can actually create better founder outcomes.
If you’re building in SaaS - especially outside Silicon Valley - this is one to study.
Key Topics
What is Early Growth Equity?
From I Banking in 2008 to Building a Fund
The PayLease Story
Why They Call Themselves “Anti-VC”
How AI Is Changing SaaS (But Not Killing It)
Hands-On Portfolio Support
Fund III: $333M Closed
Why Great Companies Can Be Built Anywhere
Links & Resources
Connect on LinkedIn
Sheldon Lewis
Bobby Ocampo
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