Investor Tripp Baird is raising $150 million for a new San Francisco-based fund, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Baird is forming the fund, dubbed Builders Fund, alongside Vishal Vasishth, a long-time managing director with India-based SONG Investment Advisors and former chief strategy officer at Patagonia. SONG was created to stimulate job opportunities and economic growth by investing in small and medium-sized businesses in India. Target sectors include financial services, renewable energy, and education.
Both Baird and Vasishth are listed on the filing, but they have remained tight-lipped to the press about the fund. It’s not yet clear if Vasishth will invest (he’s described as an “advisor” to an early-stage fund in a post from October, 2013).
Baird has over a decade of experiencing investing in organic foods, lifestyle, health, and sustainability ventures. On his LinkedIn page, he writes that his new early-stage investment fund, presumably Builders, “backs companies that help people live more healthy and sustainable lives while addressing social and environmental issues, making the world a better place.” Given Vasishth’s international experience, it’s likely the fund will make investments in non-U.S.-based ventures.
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We reached out to Baird for more information about the fund and will update you when we learn more.
