Olaf Sakkers is betting he can beat the emerging-manager squeeze

Olaf Sakkers, a South African-born venture capitalist, is challenging the prevailing trend where established funds dominate early-stage investments. According to PitchBook data, large funds have captured a staggering 88.2% of U.S. venture capital funding in the past three quarters of 2026, leaving only 4.5% for first-time fund managers.

Sakkers, however, has defied the odds by founding RedBlue Capital in 2021 and closing its first fund with $5 million in capital commitments the following year. He is now in the process of raising a second fund projected to be at least $50 million in size.

Sakkers, who studied anthropology at Princeton and later served in the Israel Defense Forces, has built his fund by joining deals led by other investors and providing practical help, such as introductions to lead investors and potential customers. Despite the small size of his checks, often ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, Sakkers emphasizes the importance of discipline and trust-building.

His fund focuses on the "real economy," including robotics, logistics, manufacturing, and energy, and has already achieved a net internal rate of return of "significantly above 50%" on 15 out of 28 investments.

Sakkers' approach involves publishing thesis essays and maintaining a custom database to track relationships, meetings, and introductions. This systematic method allows him and his team to work asynchronously, even employing AI agents when necessary. He remains undeterred by the long exit timelines typically associated with physical-world companies, as he believes that even a small $50 million to $100 million fund can sell stakes on the secondary market.

While the venture capital landscape may seem challenging, Sakkers remains committed to his mission, viewing it as a long-term game of building trust and demonstrating performance over time.