Melissa Withers

RevUp Capital Founder and Managing Partner Melissa Withers is one the most experienced female early stage investors in the U.S.. She is also a bullish advocate for innovating the ways in which new companies are funded and supported throughout their lifecycle. In 2016, Melissa and her partners created RevUp—one the first revenue-based funds in the world to serve earlier stage companies. In freeing themselves from the “exit or bust” constraints of equity, the team pioneered a powerful new way for investors and founders to define success. In 2023, RevUp began deploying its 7th Fund. For Melissa, the progression of the RevUp portfolio— and the results these companies have produced for investors—is proof enough that the only barriers to innovation in investing are the ones that investors set for themselves. Beyond building new economic models for investing, Melissa is also committed to efforts that direct more entrepreneurial funding to those underserved and overlooked by traditional VC. With a background in life sciences and a graduate degree in science communications, Melissa started her career at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, working at the intersection of basic research, communication, and public policy. She’s also spent time in public service at the state and municipal level. Most importantly, she’s a proud mom, an amateur boxer (with a title belt!), and a lover of the great outdoors.