Josh Richards, Griffin Johnson + Noah Beck are known in the TikTok world as a part of a group called “Sway House.” Don’t know what we’re talking about?
Don’t worry, if you’re not a Gen-Zer or avid TikTok user, we can translate for you: these 3 boys became millionaires from producing content across various social media platforms in a remarkably short time span.
So why would you, a Raleighite + not a Sway House fangirl, need to know their names? Those 3, along with Raleigh native Marshall Sandman, have created a venture capital firm looking to invest in health and wellness, fintech, and consumer media startups.
The fund — Animal Capital — is currently totaling $15 million + already has a portfolio of about a dozen companies with ~$3 million deployed. One of those companies is Durham-based startup Lolli, a browser extension that turns shopping rewards into BitCoin.
Marshall said although the fund is geographically agnostic, he’s keeping his eyes on home.
“I’m really hyper focused on making sure that we’re delivering capital to the Triangle and startups in the Triangle,” he said.
When the pandemic began, Marshall left NYC and moved back to Raleigh + founded Animal Capital from his parents’ house. The move was inspired by the need for his mom’s cooking.
“My mom is the greatest baker in NC,” he said. “I’m very sorry to the Ashley Christensens and the Scott Crawfords of the world. They might tell you that my mom is a better baker, too.”
Though Marshall is currently in NYC, he’s looking at buying a house in Raleigh.
One of Marshall’s main goals with Animal Capital is to prove that these creators can be more than a social media post. The fund also has other celebrity investors, like NFL Pro Bowlers, he said.
