Investing in founders with a
Yeshiva / Seminary background.

We write the first check for exceptional early-stage founders from yeshiva and seminary backgrounds.

Apply for funding
$50–100K
First check
Pre-seed
Where we lead
Our thesis

Backing yeshiva and seminary founders does two things at once. It builds wealth and creates jobs for our community. It also delivers real ROI. Pre-seed funds simply are not recruiting from yeshivas and seminaries, so these exceptional founders go unseen and undercapitalized. We get to fund them, deliver great returns to our investors, and make a positive impact on our community.

Our story

Crown Ventures began with Rabbi Yehoshua Werde at CHYE, who saw a persistent gap: talented founders emerging from yeshiva with exceptional drive, strong networks, and grit, but little access to early-stage capital. He set out to build a bridge between that community and the world of venture investing, creating a pathway for yeshiva-educated entrepreneurs to turn ideas into real businesses.

Rabbi Yehoshua brought in the Crown Ventures team to carry the mission forward. Crown Ventures operates as an independent for-profit seed fund that protects investor capital, ensures every portfolio company meets strict quality standards, and backs only founders with the drive and execution to build something real.

We continue to partner closely with CHYE, whose deep roots in the community surface exceptional founders early and keep our deal flow strong.

Our team
Daniel Cotlar

Daniel Cotlar

General Partner

A seasoned venture investor, advisor, and board member with roots in digital marketing. As the near-founding CMO at Blinds.com, he led the marketing that drove the company to scale and an exit to The Home Depot. He invests in and mentors early-stage startups and PE-backed consumer-services companies.

Danny Fishman

Danny Fishman

General Partner

A long-time leader in the medical device industry, currently Partner at Axcess Surgical and President and Founder of TeDan Surgical Innovations. Danny brings deep operational expertise and a track record of building and selling successful organizations.

Levi Sudak

Levi Sudak

General Partner

An entrepreneur and investor. He founded Etico Parking, which was acquired by USInfravest. He brings hands-on operating experience and founder empathy to help early-stage companies build real traction, scale efficiently, and avoid common early execution pitfalls.

Who we back

We aim to be an address for Yeshiva / Seminary alumni to raise the early-stage capital needed to develop their proof of concept and meaningfully de-risk their businesses.

We partner with founders who

01

Grit and total commitment

Have grit and total commitment to the business, and are prepared for the harsh realities of early execution.

02

Unique industry insight

Bring unique insight into their industry, through prior roles, family background, operating experience, or firsthand use of existing alternatives.

03

A real, unsolved problem

Are addressing a real, unsolved problem, operating in a market without a clear incumbent or dominant winner.

04

Structurally scalable

Are building structurally scalable businesses, where growth is not primarily constrained by linear increases in labor, physical locations, or founder time.

05

Large potential outcomes

Are addressing problems experienced by many customers, enabling large outcomes if the solution works.

06

A clear use of capital

Can clearly articulate how capital will be deployed to reduce risk, validate assumptions, and reach the next meaningful milestone.

07

Early traction

Have demonstrated early traction, such as LOIs, pilots, or verbal commitments from prospective customers prior to fundraising.

08

Tech leverage and a clear "why now"

Use tech to do more with less, in a business model that clearly answers "Why now?"

Portfolio

Companies backed by our partners.

Selected investments made by the partners before and alongside Crown Ventures.

Apply

Are you building something?

We're always looking for exceptional founders. If you're building at the early stage and want a partner who truly understands your journey, reach out. A partner reads every application.

A partner reads every application and replies within a week.