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Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100

Fuel’s alpha begins
at entry, not at exit.

Unlock discounted access to category-defining private companies by financing the employees who build them.

Selected companies underlying executed employee financing exposures as of 2 October 2026. Not a complete portfolio listing. Source: Fuel Venture Capital / Capital United. Logos are for identification only and do not imply endorsement.

The opportunity.

The problem.

Inside every iconic private company are employees holding options they can’t afford to exercise.

~70%

of eligible employee stock-option grants at venture-backed private companies went unexercised.Basis: Carta, Q4 2024.

The opportunity.

Multiply that by every unicorn, and it becomes a market.

$40BEstimated

of trapped pre-exit equity, which the Fund seeks to access at a discount to latest financing valuations.Source: EquityBee estimate communicated to Fuel, October 2026.

Market data & methodology

Source: Carta, Q4 2024. Eligible grants are fully vested and in the money. Employees exercised 32.2%; the remaining 67.8% is rounded to ~70%. This market estimate is not an actual fund term or guaranteed outcome. Non-exercise can have multiple causes.

Source: EquityBee estimate communicated to Fuel Venture Capital, as reported by Fuel on 2 October 2026. The $40B figure estimates trapped pre-exit equity liquidity. Market sizing is an illustrative estimate, not a guaranteed outcome.

The IPO is the exit, not the buy-in.

Companies are staying private longer, while employees face exercise and tax costs.

  1. Private companies are staying private longer.

    Median age at listing · years 41312 199920242025

    Median age at public listing for technology companies rose from 4 years in 1999 to 12 years in 2025, extending the path to employee liquidity.

    Source: Jay Ritter · University of Florida Tech IPOs & direct listings · Table 4a
  2. Private companies are reaching larger valuations.

    Median VC-backed IPO valuation · $B 0.160.401.05 200420242025

    Median pre-money valuation at a U.S. venture-backed IPO reached $1.05B in 2025, up from $160M in 2004. Employee equity is reaching greater value before liquidity.

    NVCA 2026 Yearbook · PitchBook data U.S. VC-backed IPOs · Pre-money valuations
  3. Employee equity can require significant upfront capital.

    $500K Approx. average exercise cost
    ~2× average annual household income
    Secfi-financed clients, 2021 · Includes taxes

    Exercising cost and associated tax obligation can represent one of the largest financial decisions employees face in their lifetime.

    Secfi · 2021 State of Stock Options Client sample as of 17 November 2021

Market conditions change and are outside the fund’s control. Nothing here predicts or guarantees that an IPO window will remain open, that a company will complete a listing, or that a portfolio company will achieve a liquidity event. Past market cycles are not indicative of future results.

Pre-IPO access is exclusive by design. We built a different door.

You invest in one fund that provides non-recourse employee stock option financing across selected private companies. We don’t buy shares at market price: we create the transaction at a structurally lower basis.

Capital to exercise

Employee

Holds the shares

Fund

Investor capital

Repayment at liquidity

  1. Return of capital
  2. Accrued interest
  3. Equity kicker

Net distributions

After fees, carried interest & expenses

Investor

Holds a
fund interest

No monthly payments. Repayment requires a liquidity event and sufficient proceeds.

Explore exit channels

The Fund provides employees with non-recourse capital that covers the cost of their option exercise and agreed-upon tax obligations. The financing contracts set rights to future proceeds under the employee financing agreements.

Each employee contract sets its own terms for repayment of original financing, accrued interest and participation in available future proceeds.

Capital, returns and timing are not guaranteed. Investor distributions follow the fund’s offering terms.

See a financing example
$200,000finances an exercise at $20 per share10,000 shares
Entry price compared with the preferred reference

Price comparison only; a discount is not a return.

A 30% equity kicker
3,000share-equivalent
economic participation

30 of the 100 squares
Each square = 100 shares

The employee owns the shares. Blue represents the fund’s contractual participation.

Illustrative reference value

3,000 × $66.67 ≈ $200,000 kicker reference value

$200KPrincipal claim
~$200KKicker reference value
~$400K 2.0×original financing · before interest

A paper reference calculation, not cash received or a fund return. This example also assumes 4% accrued interest, payable subject to the contract and available proceeds.

Hypothetical employee financing, separate from the minimum fund investment. Assumes $200,000 funds the exercise only (tax funding excluded), a $20 exercise price, a $66.67 preferred-price reference and a kicker modelled as 30% of the resulting shares’ reference value. Before fees, expenses and any appreciation. Actual terms vary.

The preferred-share benchmark may differ from the value or realizable proceeds of the employee’s shares. Repayment and equity participation require a liquidity event and sufficient proceeds. No repayment or return is guaranteed; investors may lose some or all invested capital.

Source: Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100 presentation, V17, 28 September 2026, slide 4.

Building the portfolio.

From a broader company universe to selected employee financings, then additional contracts as conviction develops.

84

selected companies listed in the broader universe

Highlighted companies represent selected executed employee-financing exposures. Other companies shown are illustrative underwriting targets, not holdings or commitments. This is not a complete portfolio listing. Logos are for identification only and do not imply endorsement.

Evaluate Select Finance

Financing employees at leading private companies.

As of 2 October 2026

Explore the portfolio

Building toward

40–50

companies in the
target portfolio

These seven selected exposures form part of the portfolio being built.

Every financing is reviewed.

Employee and contract checks inform each financing decision. Monitoring continues after funding.

Employee financing review
  • Employment & option-grant verification
  • Credit & background checks
  • Financial history & public-record review
  • Contract terms & repayment rights

Deploy. Then deepen.

Exposure to a company can grow through multiple employee contracts, with additional capital allocated selectively.

Target capital allocation

Initial investments

Targeted for deployment in the first 12 months.

Follow-on reserve

Held to build selected positions as conviction develops.

One company. Multiple employee contracts.

Additional financings can build exposure to the same company over time.

  1. Initial contract
  2. Additional contract
  3. Additional contract

The portfolio can grow while fundraising continues.

Illustrative portfolio construction targets. Actual allocations and timing may vary. Additional financings are subject to underwriting; offering documents govern.

The broader strategy considers a universe of 100 innovative private companies; 84 selected companies are listed here. Universe inclusion is not an investment commitment. The displayed exposures are selected examples, not a complete portfolio listing. Portfolio size is a target and may not be achieved.

Potential exit channels

Before a company exit

  • Tender offer
  • Secondary sale
  • Contract sale

At a company exit

  • Public listing / IPO
  • Mergers & acquisitions

Potential routes only. Availability, timing and proceeds depend on company and contract restrictions, market conditions, regulatory requirements and buyer demand. Liquidity and investor distributions are not assured.

Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100 invests exclusively in employee option-exercise financings. Repayment and any return depend on a liquidity event and sufficient proceeds; company failure, valuation declines and counterparty risk can cause loss of principal. Contract terms vary. Non-recourse financing is subject to contractual exceptions and does not remove employee tax obligations. The employee-contract repayment sequence is separate from investor distributions, which follow the fund’s offering terms, after fees and expenses. Liquidity and distributions are not assured, and investors may lose all their capital.

Pre-IPO AccessThrough employee
stock options.

Through your CapU access-series interest, you gain exposure to non-recourse employee financing. The financing contracts set rights to repayment of capital, accrued interest and participation in available future proceeds.

Repayment and any return depend on a liquidity event and available proceeds. Investors may lose some or all of their capital.

~50–70%target discount to latest valuations

We don’t buy shares at market price,
we create the transaction at a structurally lower basis.

Target measured against the company’s most recent secondary or preferred share price. Terms vary; the target may not be achieved. Discounts are not returns and do not protect against loss.

One fund.
Targeting the 100 most innovative private companies.

Diversified exposure. From a universe of the 100 most innovative private companies, each fund typically finances employee contracts across a target portfolio of 40–50 companies, selected and actively managed by our team.

Portfolio size is a target and may not be achieved. Diversification does not assure a profit or eliminate risk.

Priority. Our investor capital sits ahead of the employee in priority of repayment.

Structural protection. The contract gives the fund repayment priority ahead of the employee.

Terms vary by transaction. Priority applies to available proceeds and does not guarantee repayment or protect against loss.

You own a fund interest, not company shares. Investments are speculative and illiquid, and investors may lose some or all invested capital. Definitive offering documents govern terms, fees, carried interest and expenses.

Coffee Fuel · Group discussion

Built by Fuel.

Founded by Jeff Ransdell after his career at Merrill Lynch, Fuel brings private-company investing experience, founder relationships and active board involvement.

Active portfolio companies
52
Assets under managementApproximately
$550M+
Board seats
10

Fuel’s broader platform · As of 31 December 2025

Fuel in the media.

Explore all coverage

Selected coverage of Fuel and its leadership. Media appearances do not imply endorsement of the Fund.

Source: Fuel Venture Capital. Figures reflect Fuel’s broader platform, not the assets or holdings of Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100. The Fund uses a different strategy (employee option financing versus direct equity investment) and has no standalone performance record. Past performance and prior firm experience are not indicative of future fund results. Prior firm affiliations do not imply endorsement or any continuing relationship.

How it compares.

Compare employee option financing with a special purpose vehicle (SPV) or a secondary share purchase. The underlying Fuel fund invests through EquityBee-managed financing series that enter financing contracts with employees who exercise their stock options.

Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100

  • Entry via discounted employee financing
  • Top 100 private companies; 40–50 held per fund
  • Fund contracts tied to shares held by employees directly on the company’s cap table
  • Target 30–40% discount to 409A
  • Target ~50–70% discount to latest valuationsMeasured against each company’s most recent secondary or preferred share price. Target only; not guaranteed.
  • Employee underwriting on every contract
  • Legal structural priority ahead of employee
  • 60% deployed in first 12 months · 40% reserved for follow-on
  • 5 potential exit channels

Traditional SPV / Secondary

  • Entry near secondary price
  • Usually a single company; deal-dependent universe
  • Shares held through an SPV or secondary vehicle
  • Premium pricing to latest preferred and 409A for premium companies
  • Opaque structure and fee drags
  • SPV layers compound diligence costs
  • Share transfers face issuer non-recognition risk
  • Usually no follow-on reserve
  • Exit via IPO / M&A / secondary

Comparison is illustrative and generalized for informational purposes. Individual SPV, secondary and fund structures vary and may differ materially from the characteristics shown. Portfolio size, entry discounts and deployment figures are targets, are not guaranteed and may not be achieved. Entry discounts are not an investor return or the Fund’s performance record. Discounts to valuation do not protect against principal loss, and diversification does not assure a profit. Investors own a fund interest, not the employee’s shares directly. Repayment priority is subject to contract terms and available proceeds. Review the confidential offering documents before any investment decision.

Fund overview.

Eligibility, minimum investment and indicative timing.

Eligibility
Accredited investors who are qualified purchasers (QP series) or qualified clients (QC series)
Minimum fund investment
$200,000
Underlying Fuel fund term
5 years

Two optional one-year extensions

Investment structure
CapU access series

Summary only. Definitive offering documents govern. The five-year fund term includes an option for two additional one-year extensions; no liquidity event or distribution date is assured.

View full fund information

FAQs.

Questions about eligibility, fees, liquidity and risk.

Ask us a question
What exactly am I investing in?

You hold interests in a CapU access series, which holds a limited partner (LP) interest in the underlying Fuel fund. The underlying Fuel fund invests through EquityBee-managed financing series that enter contracts with employees to finance stock option exercises. Your access-series interest provides exposure to those contracts, rather than direct ownership of any individual company’s shares.

How is this different from buying private shares?

A direct secondary purchase buys existing company shares at an agreed price. Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100 instead finances employee option exercises under contracts that set repayment rights and participation in available share proceeds. You hold an interest in a CapU access series. An entry-price discount is a comparison with a stated benchmark, not an immediate gain or a guarantee of returns.

Who can invest, and what is the minimum?

Interests are offered only to accredited investors under Rule 506(c), subject to verification of accredited investor status and the requirements in the offering documents. The QP series is for accredited investors who are qualified purchasers; the QC series is for accredited investors who are qualified clients. The minimum investment is $200,000, subject to the offering documents. View investment structure.

How does the fund seek to generate returns?

Employee financing contracts provide for repayment of capital, accrued interest and a negotiated participation in equity proceeds. The terms vary by transaction. Returns depend on sufficient proceeds from underlying liquidity events and are subject to fund fees and expenses.

When might I receive distributions?

The underlying Fuel fund term is five years, with an option for two additional one-year extensions, subject to the definitive offering documents. Distributions depend on underlying liquidity events, available proceeds and the applicable underlying fund and access-series terms. They may occur later or not at all. The underlying Fuel fund term does not guarantee a distribution date or a right to redeem your investment.

How is the portfolio built?

The target portfolio is 40–50 companies drawn from an approximately 100-company underwriting universe. Proposed terms include an 18-month investment period, with 60% targeted for initial deployment in the first 12 months and 40% reserved to build selected positions. These targets may change or go unmet. The 10% per-company cap applies to capital deployed at cost, not a typical position size. Definitive offering documents govern.

What are the fees?

Approximately 2% management fee and 20% carried interest at the underlying Fuel fund level; no additional management fee or carried interest at the CapU access-series level. Investors bear series operating and organizational expenses plus their share of underlying fund fees and expenses, as described in the offering documents. This is a summary only; definitive offering documents control. Review those documents for the calculation basis and timing of management fees, carried interest and expenses before making an investment decision. Terms may change.

What risks should I understand?

Private investments are illiquid and can lose some or all of their value. Risks include company performance, valuation changes, employee and contractual risks, and the absence of a liquidity event. Repayment generally depends on proceeds from the financed shares, subject to contractual exceptions. This does not protect fund investors from loss. Diversification does not eliminate risk.

Summary only; definitive offering documents control. Portfolio-construction, concentration, fee and liquidity information describes proposed or target terms and may change. The fund term is five years, with an option for two additional one-year extensions, subject to the definitive offering documents. No liquidity event or distribution date is assured.

Request information.

Speak with Duncan about the strategy, fund terms and the current offering documents.

Cap-U Fuel Innovation 100 is offered only to accredited investors as defined under SEC Regulation D. Please review the applicable access-series and underlying Fuel fund offering documents before any investment decision.

Duncan Fuller
Your investor contact

Duncan Fuller

Partner, Business Development
Capital United

Email Duncan

Capital United leadership

Scott Fuller

Scott Fuller

CEO & Founder

Bradford Stedem

Bradford Stedem

President & Founder

Andy Childs

Andy Childs

Chief Financial Officer

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Reg D · Rule 506(c)
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