New Partnership Opens Access to Direct Investing in Individuals

A new era of alternative funding is here. Chisos Capital, the Santa Monica–based pioneer in people-first investing, and Crowdsurf, a platform redefining access to early-stage investment opportunities, have announced a strategic partnership that will make direct investing in individuals a mainstream reality.

For years, Chisos has championed a bold idea: that people, not just companies, are the most valuable asset class. Having already deployed millions across more than 100 founders, creators, athletes, and fund managers, Chisos has proven that backing human potential can generate meaningful impact and strong returns.

Now, in partnership with Crowdsurf, that mission accelerates (see Press Release here). The collaboration combines Chisos’ structured approach to funding individuals with Crowdsurf’s technology and community-driven investment platform. Together, they are giving investors powerful new ways to support high-upside individuals through transparent, compliant, and scalable mechanisms. 

This partnership marks more than a milestone for Chisos and Crowdsurf. It signals a turning point for alternative funding, where ambitious individuals gain access to aligned, flexible capital at the earliest and most critical stage of their journey.

Why This Partnership Matters

Chisos specializes in early-stage investments into people: founders, athletes, operators, and innovators who represent the future of business and culture. Its approach emphasizes flexibility, alignment, and conviction at the earliest stages of a person’s journey.

Crowdsurf complements this vision with its platform that unlocks both crowdfunding and Regulation D (accredited investor only) opportunities. By enabling investors to support individuals and ventures through tailored structures, Crowdsurf expands access to capital beyond what traditional financing often allows.

This partnership embodies a shared belief: the highest-leverage opportunities in the coming decade will emerge from investing in people before they are widely known.

Details of the Strategic Collaboration

Chisos and Crowdsurf are aligning on multiple fronts to redefine alternative funding:

• Joint Investment Vehicles: launching a co-funded portfolio to back high-upside individuals
  
• Co-Investment and Syndication: offering investors diversified exposure across talent types‍
• Marketing Collaboration: amplifying the narrative that individuals are investable assets

Beginning this month, the two firms will be announcing co-investment and syndicate opportunities, giving investors unique exposure to a pipeline of leaders shaping the future of culture and commerce.

Voices Behind the Partnership

“We believe the most compelling opportunities of the next decade will come from investing in exceptional people before the world recognizes them. Chisos has built the playbook for this category, and together we can give investors unprecedented access to back the next wave of extraordinary talent.”

 — Preston Troutt, Founder and CEO of Crowdsurf

“Crossing the 100-investment milestone has proven the demand for this type of capital. This partnership marks our evolution from a specialized asset manager into a broad-based platform, one that enables investors to systematically identify and support tomorrow’s inevitable leaders.” 

— Will Stringer, Founder and Managing Partner of Chisos Capital

What This Means for Founders, Athletes, Creators, and Fund Managers

For builders across industries, the Chisos–Crowdsurf partnership represents more than capital. It represents validation.

• Founders gain early-stage support when banks and VCs decline.
  
• Athletes can fund their brands and ventures without sacrificing long-term control.
  
• Creators receive flexible backing to scale audiences, products, and platforms.
  
• Fund Managers can bridge runway, or supplement fund formation cost as they raise their first vehicle.
  

This collaboration widens the paths for ambitious individuals to access the resources they need to make bold moves.

Looking Ahead

The Chisos and Crowdsurf partnership signals a shift: alternative funding moving from nascent to established. Globally, venture capital funding dropped from $128.4 billion in Q1 2025 to $101.05 billion in Q2, underscoring how tight capital markets are elevating the importance of new models².

For investors, this partnership unlocks access to a diversified class of high-upside individuals. For builders, it delivers belief capital at a moment when alternative approaches are essential.

🚀 Apply to Invest Now

Footnotes

¹ U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics Press Release, September 2025.
² KPMG, Venture Pulse Q2 2025, July 2025.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

What is the Chisos and Crowdsurf partnership about?
Chisos and Crowdsurf are partnering to fund exceptional individuals through co-investment, syndication, and jointly backed capital.

Who benefits from the Chisos–Crowdsurf partnership?
Founders, athletes, creators, and fund managers gain new access to flexible capital and aligned investor support.

Why is this partnership important in alternative funding?
It affirms that individuals, not just companies, are investable assets and expands capital access beyond banks and VCs.

When will new investment opportunities launch?
Chisos and Crowdsurf will begin announcing co-investment and syndicate opportunities starting October 2025.