How Justin Ernest invested nearly $500M into hot startups without a traditional VC fund
TechCrunch·June 9, 2026
Justin Ernest, founder of Sabertooth VC, has invested nearly $500 million in prominent startups without establishing a traditional venture capital fund. He achieved this by leveraging a network of limited partners (LPs) who provided the necessary capital. Ernest's investments have included notable companies such as Anthropic, Anduril, and SpaceX, demonstrating his ability to identify and support promising startups. By bypassing the conventional fund-raising process, Ernest was able to quickly deploy capital and secure stakes in these emerging companies.
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