The first—and only—awards rewriting venture’s rules.
September 4, 2024 • KOKO, lONDON
This is venture’s defining moment.
This is not a vanity exercise. It’s a signal.
“Smaller funds led by thesis-driven outsiders produce the majority of venture’s true outliers. We’re here to ensure they’re seen.”
Felix Staeritz & Michael Ströck
Founding Partners
For the First Time, Merit Trumps Pedigree
“The top 3% of emerging managers deliver 90% of venture’s outlier returns. We’re here to find them—before everyone else does.”
Felix Staeritz & Michael Ströck
Founding Partners
Award categories.
For 1st-time funds
Breakout Fund of the Year
For debut managers who transformed a bold vision into rapid LP trust and portfolio velocity, proving speed and scale aren’t just for incumbents.
Boldest Thesis Award
For GPs attacking overlooked or contrarian markets with a data-backed edge, and already seeing their thesis reshape the sector.
Community Catalyst
For managers who turned founder loyalty and LP relationships into a structural advantage, where networks drive deal flow, not cold outreach.
For 2nd-time funds
Fund Performance Leader
For managers whose Fund I track record (DPI/TVPI) silences skeptics, proving their success was engineered, not accidental.
Most Improved Playbook
For GPs who overhauled Fund II with measurable upgrades — sharper sourcing, founder-friendly terms, or institutional-grade execution.
Ecosystem builder
For funds creating lasting infrastructure — founder academies, open-source tools, or talent pipelines — that elevate their entire sector.
How to choose.
Breakout Fund
Our first fund closed fast and portfolios are scaling faster than peers.
Boldest Thesis
We’re attacking a niche everyone ignores — and winning.
Community Catalyst
Founders/LPs refer deals to us first.
Performance Leader
Fund I’s returns humiliate incumbents.
Improved Playbook
Fund II fixes everything we learned from Fund I.
Ecosystem Builder
We’re building what our sector lacks, not just investing.
The selection process.
Proprietary scoring
Every fund is evaluated against 50+ quantitative and qualitative metrics — from founder NPS to reserve discipline.
Community nominations
LPs, portfolio founders, and Allocator One partners nominate managers demonstrating outlier potential.
Final review
Our investment team applies a structured rubric blending data, pattern recognition, and operational context.
This is meritocracy, not pageantry.
Why Apply?
If you’re shortlisted as a Top 3 nominee:
Global credibility
Join an elite cohort recognized for rigor, not rhetoric.
Summit access
Top 3 nominees per category receive free entry to the Allocator One Summit.
LP introductions
Pitch directly to 200+ institutional allocators during our flagship Allocator One Summit
Visibility
Featured in our annual Alpha Report distributed to 1,000+ LPs.
Key dates.
A new tradition begins.
“The future of venture isn’t built by incumbents. It’s built by the bold.”
The Alpha Awards will become the career accelerant for managers serious about building generational firms:
This is how icons introduce themselves.
