Alante Capital

Alante Capital invests in early stage companies seeking to measurably improve social and environmental sustainability within the fashion and home goods industry, while also achieving market rate returns. Alante Capital specifically invests in innovations for systemic, long-term change across these industries by increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, and enabling a clean and circular future. 

Alante Capital prioritizes investments that promote manufacturing and environmental solutions that improve working conditions; bring more manufacturing jobs to overlooked geographies; and prioritize opportunities for under-represented founders and designers. The team publishes an annual impact report. Alante Capital is focused entirely within the creative industries, and aligned with Upstart’s impact thesis: providing Access to Capital, creating Quality Jobs, supporting Vibrant Communities, and advancing an Inclusive Creative Economy.

The fund is led by GPs Karla Mora and Leslie Harwell. Mora spent 10 years managing operations at Eleos Foundation and VilCap Investments, and as a development economist at the United Nations. Harwell spent 10 years investing in impact funds at JP Morgan and in debt capital markets at Credit Suisse. The team is supported by experienced advisors and corporate partners, including Eileen Fisher.  

Creative economy investment examples from Fund I include Circ, a company that recycles post-consumer garment waste back to raw materials, to make virgin-grade regenerated polyester and cellulosic fiber, and FIT:MATCH, which combines machine learning and AI to help shoppers accurately find what fits them, the first time.