Sabertooth VC Places Smaller Bets, Holds Longer

Justin Ernest founded Sabertooth VC in 2025 to make fewer investments but hold them longer—a shift from the typical venture model of spreading capital across many companies fast. The move reflects a harder funding environment: with IPO exits rarer and investors demanding better returns, deeper positions in complex, capital-heavy startups may now outperform volume-based approaches. Ernest also advises Playground Global, Andy Rubin's $1.2 billion deep-tech fund.