Austin Clements Is Betting $100 Million That Inclusion Pays

Let me tell you about Austin Clements.

One hundred million dollars — that’s the size of the second fund his firm closed, and it was raised on a thesis much of Silicon Valley still treats as a gamble: that the founders everyone else overlooks are the best return in the market.

The Work

Clements is co-founder and managing partner of Slauson & Co., the Los Angeles early-stage venture capital firm he runs with Ajay Relan. The firm is rooted in economic inclusion — it backs founders who’ve been underestimated by traditional networks, and it does so at the earliest, riskiest stage. In September 2024, Slauson & Co. closed a $100 million Fund II, a step up from its debut fund, positioning the firm as a bridge between Silicon Valley capital and entrepreneurs who’ve been left out of it.

Outside the fund, Clements is the founding chair of PledgeLA, the coalition of Los Angeles tech companies and investors working to diversify the city’s tech workforce and where its venture dollars go. Before co-founding Slauson & Co., he was a partner at TenOneTen Ventures, a data-focused seed fund, where he helped lead Grid110 South LA — the accelerator built to support overlooked founders in South Los Angeles. He’s a repeat honoree on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 list of the city’s most influential leaders.

The Roots

Clements’ path into venture ran straight through Los Angeles institutions. He graduated from Morehouse College and earned his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. His first job, according to his LA500 profile, was in the editorial library at the Los Angeles Times — a reminder that the road to a nine-figure fund can start somewhere unexpected.

He built his career across operating and investing roles before landing at TenOneTen and then South LA’s Grid110. Along the way he assembled the kind of network usually reserved for people who already had one — and then spent it opening doors for founders the industry kept walking past.

Why You Should Know Him

Because Clements is running the experiment that matters most in venture right now: whether a firm built explicitly for inclusion can post the kind of returns that make the rest of the industry pay attention. Slauson & Co. isn’t asking for charity capital — it’s competing for deals on the merits. If Fund II performs, it becomes the argument that ends the “pipeline problem” excuse for good. That’s why Austin Clements belongs on your radar.

Quick facts

• Role: Co-founder & Managing Partner, Slauson & Co. (Los Angeles)
• Fund II: $100 million, closed September 2024
• Founding Chair: PledgeLA
• Previously: Partner, TenOneTen Ventures; helped lead Grid110 South LA accelerator
• Education: Morehouse College (BA); NYU Stern School of Business (MBA)
• First job: Editorial library, Los Angeles Times

📸 Photo: Courtesy of Austin Clements / Slauson & Co.

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