Alexis Houssou

Founder & Managing Partner at HCVC · Joined 2015

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Biography

Alexis Houssou is the founder and managing partner of HCVC, the Paris and San Francisco hardtech firm he started in 2015 as Hardware Club, a community-first venture firm that grew to more than 600 member startups across roughly 50 countries. An entrepreneur turned investor, he founded contextual video advertising startup UXUP.tv, spent about five years in finance, and ran Elephants&Ventures, a boutique that invested in and advised hardware startups including Lima, ISKN, and Aryballe. At Hardware Club he co-led early investments in companies such as Prynt, Reach Robotics, and Keecker, and he went on to raise HCVC's $50 million debut fund in 2018 and its $75 million second fund in 2023.

Previous Experience

Notable Investments

PryntReach RoboticsKeecker

Career Timeline

2015
Founded Hardware Club in Paris as a community-first venture firm for hardtech startups.
2018
Closed the firm's $50 million debut venture fund alongside partners Jerry Yang and Aymerik Renard.
2023
Closed HCVC Fund II at $75 million, above target, bringing firm assets under management to $130 million.

Sources & References

HCVC team page ↗French Tech Journal interview, October 2023 ↗daphni chronicles interview (Medium) ↗TechCrunch on HCVC Fund II ↗