Stripes

Stripes, formerly known as Stripes Group, is an American private equity and growth equity firm headquartered in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 2008 by Ken Fox, the firm focuses on investments in companies that have moved beyond the earliest startup stage and have demonstrated commercial traction, revenue generation, and potential for substantial expansion. Its investment activity has covered enterprise software, financial technology, consumer products, retail, fashion, food, and related brands. The firm's approach is generally associated with minority growth investments rather than the control-oriented buyouts commonly identified with traditional private equity. Stripes typically partners with management teams and founders in businesses that are already operating at scale or approaching scale. Its investment thesis combines capital deployment with support for organizational development, distribution, product expansion, brand building, and other forms of growth execution. The firm has invested in both technology businesses serving other companies and consumer-facing brands with differentiated products or strong customer loyalty. Stripes was established by Ken Fox, who had previously co-founded Internet Capital Group, a technology holding company, in 1995. The new firm initially operated under the name Stripes Group and later shortened its public-facing name to Stripes. Its portfolio demonstrates a broad interpretation of growth equity: investments have included the work-management software company monday.com, the card-issuing infrastructure company Lithic, the running-shoe brand On, the Los Angeles grocery retailer Erewhon, the fashion label Khaite, the food brand Siete, the public-safety technology company Flock Safety, and the film and entertainment company A24. Several portfolio investments reached important financing, acquisition, or public-market milestones after Stripes invested. The firm led a $50 million financing round for monday.com in 2018, before the company became publicly listed in 2021. Lithic's 2021 financing valued that company at approximately $800 million. On also completed a public listing in 2021, while Siete was subsequently acquired by PepsiCo. These outcomes illustrate Stripes' participation in businesses across software, consumer goods, retail, and culture rather than concentration in a single vertical. As of 2025, Stripes reported more than $7 billion in assets under management. It remains a privately held investment firm rather than a publicly traded operating brand. Its positioning is that of a growth-focused partner for founders and management teams seeking capital and strategic support while retaining meaningful operating autonomy. Because private investment firms do not disclose every portfolio transaction or financial detail publicly, the exact scale, ownership percentages, and current status of individual investments can vary over time.

Stripes was founded in 2008 in New York City by Ken Fox, who had earlier co-founded Internet Capital Group in 1995. The firm was initially called Stripes Group and subsequently adopted the shorter Stripes name. From the beginning, its model centered on growth equity: providing capital to companies with established products, operating revenues, and evidence of market demand, rather than focusing primarily on pre-revenue startups or early venture investments. The firm developed an investment scope spanning enterprise software and branded consumer businesses. This combination allowed it to invest in companies with different routes to expansion. Software investments could involve recurring revenue, enterprise adoption, and product-market expansion, while consumer investments could depend on brand recognition, retail distribution, product innovation, and customer loyalty. Stripes generally sought minority growth positions and worked with company founders and executives rather than relying exclusively on buyout control. Its portfolio included monday.com, a work-management platform. Stripes led a $50 million financing round for the company in 2018, before monday.com became publicly listed in 2021. The firm also invested in Lithic, a card-issuing technology company whose 2021 financing valued the business at about $800 million. These transactions reflected Stripes' interest in software and financial technology companies that provide infrastructure or productivity tools to business users. Stripes also built a substantial consumer and retail portfolio. Its investments included On, the running-shoe company that went public in 2021; Erewhon, a grocery retailer; Khaite, a fashion label; and Siete, a food brand that was later acquired by PepsiCo. The firm's additional investments included Flock Safety, a surveillance and public-safety technology company, and A24, an independent film studio and entertainment business that received Stripes backing in a 2022 financing. The firm's history therefore reflects an expansion from a general growth-investment platform into a recognizable investor in software, consumer brands, retail, food, fashion, and cultural businesses. Its investments have included companies that later reached public markets, attracted strategic acquirers, or continued scaling as privately held businesses. As of 2025, Stripes reported assets under management of more than $7 billion. It remains a private investment organization, and detailed information about its current portfolio, fund structure, ownership stakes, and investment returns is not fully disclosed in the available reference material.

1. 2025Assets under management exceed $7 billion

   Stripes was reported to have more than $7 billion in assets under management.

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2. 2022Investment in A24 financing

   Stripes was among the investors in a financing round for independent film studio A24.

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3. 2021Portfolio companies reach major financing and public-market milestones

   Lithic completed financing at an approximately $800 million valuation, while On became publicly listed.

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4. 2018Investment in monday.com

   Stripes led a $50 million financing round for monday.com, a work-management software company.

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5. 2008Stripes Group is founded

   Ken Fox founded the New York-based growth equity firm, initially under the name Stripes Group.

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A private growth-equity and private-equity investment partner for established, high-growth software and branded consumer companies, with an emphasis on minority stakes and collaboration with management teams.

• Growth equity investmentsInvestment services2008

  Stripes provides growth capital to established companies that generally have revenue, demonstrated demand, and identifiable opportunities for expansion. The firm commonly takes minority positions and works alongside founders and management teams. Its investments may support hiring, product development, geographic expansion, marketing, distribution, or other scaling initiatives.

• Software investmentsEnterprise software and financial technology

  The firm's software activity includes enterprise applications, work-management tools, and financial-technology infrastructure. Representative investments include monday.com and Lithic, illustrating an interest in software businesses with recurring or scalable commercial models and products used by organizations or other technology companies.

• Branded consumer investmentsConsumer products and retail

  Stripes invests in consumer companies whose growth depends on differentiated products, brand strength, customer loyalty, and expanded retail or direct-to-consumer distribution. Examples cited in the firm's portfolio include On, Siete, Erewhon, and Khaite, covering footwear, food, grocery retail, and fashion.

• 2022Participation in A24 financingOther

  A24 was an independent film studio and entertainment company with an established cultural and commercial profile.

  What changed. Stripes joined other investors in a 2022 financing of A24.

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• 2018Lead investment in monday.comOther

  monday.com was an established work-management software company seeking capital to continue scaling its platform and business.

  What changed. Stripes led a $50 million financing round for monday.com.

  Aftermath. The investment preceded monday.com's public listing in 2021.

  Financing round. $50 million (2018)

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• 2008Adoption of a growth-equity investment strategyStrategy

  The firm was established to invest in companies that had progressed beyond the earliest startup phase and were already generating revenue or demonstrating meaningful commercial traction.

  What changed. Stripes developed a portfolio strategy centered on minority growth investments in software and branded consumer businesses, generally partnering with existing founders and management teams.

  Aftermath. The strategy produced a diversified portfolio spanning enterprise software, financial technology, consumer products, retail, fashion, food, public-safety technology, and entertainment.

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• 2025Stripes reports more than $7 billion in assets under management

  The firm was reported to manage more than $7 billion in assets as of 2025.

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• 2021Lithic financing values the company at approximately $800 million

  Stripes participated in financing for card-issuing infrastructure company Lithic in a transaction that valued the business at approximately $800 million.

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• 2021On completes a public listing after Stripes investment

  The running-shoe company On became publicly listed in 2021 after receiving investment from Stripes.

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• 2018Stripes leads a $50 million financing round for monday.com

  Stripes led a $50 million financing round for the work-management software company monday.com, an investment made before the company pursued its 2021 public listing.

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• Siete is acquired by PepsiCo

  Siete, a food brand backed by Stripes, was later acquired by PepsiCo.

  M&A
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1. Stripes (growth equity firm)
2. Stripes official website