Rapper, T.I., Launches ‘Tech Cypha’ Investment Syndicate for Guilded Mentorships

Published on February 22, 2019

There’s no question that the tides of investment syndicates are turning towards the entertainment industry. Whether we are talking about Ashton Kutcher, Joe Montana, or Tyra Banks, celebrities galore have flocked towards “angel investments” for startups as a “second act.”

Now, urban artists from ATL want in.

Rapper Clifford Harris Jr. or “T.I.” as the rest of the world knows him, recently launched Tech Cypha, an investment syndicate in collaboration with longtime partner, Jason Geter, and Brandon Lewis. The team is focused on providing startups with capital, marketing, and branding direction through guilded mentorship and various partnerships that include leveraging influencers. 

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOW WE’RE HERE

This investment enterprise has been leveraging both beginning and more experienced and successful companies. As entertainers, perhaps they understand what starting from the bottom is like.

Tech Cyphia is an investment company attempting to provide more than just financial resources to startups. To be successful in the entertainment industry you must know how to get into the news and become known. It is with this knowledge and experience that they can provide important marketing  strategies to their startup companies.

Tech Cyphia also allows individuals to participate in these investment and business deals. This offer is specifically aimed at high-net-worth investors. For instance, Tech Cyphia’s technology can provide up-to-date information for their varied partners.

They have made a name for themselves recently by investing in start-up giants and well-known businesses. Some of the moves that have put them on the map include investments in Airbnb, Lyft and Lime.

Remixing entertainment up with ‘culture genesis’

While Tech Cyphia is not the team’s only focus, the team behind this investment vehicle has also created Culture Genesis, their own start-up.

While investing may seem out of left field for this rapper-based group, Culture Genesis is one that stays closer to the team’s original musical roots.  Based in a collaborative digital studio, this start-up serves to create musical remixes for a variety of artists.

dropping the beat on some sick investments

Though creating a successful investment syndicate may seem surprising from entertainers, the team had some early experience. Originally T.I. and Geter invested in a website called Streetcred.com. This specific investment did not materialize into anything. However, taught them about investing and lead them to drive towards investing in other technology-based start-ups.

Geter and T.I. envisioned breaking into the growing start-up industry and assisting young businesses. They broke into the scene by taking advantage of their large platform in Atlanta. With Atlanta’s combination of Georgia Tech University and hip hop fans, Geter thought it would have the best demographic for a rapper-based tech investing company.

Geter and T.I. had the right idea as in 2018 Atlanta’s start-ups raised around $1.15 billion. They realized to succeed they would have to pool their resources with other influencers. Geter and T.I. were then joined by Lewis who is a well-known branding, partnering and marketing industry leader. This partnership —as well as others with their entertainer-based team— surged their position to one of interest and success.

Along with the three partners, Tech Cyphia is mostly made up of rappers like Lil Duval and Killer Mike. Tamika ‘Tiny’ Harris, T.I.’s wife and member of R&B group Xscape joins the investment team as well. This wide-ranging group of influencing investors also includes Tai Green and BJ Kerr. Others on the team are Stephanie Shirley, Korey Roberson and more known names.

The Tech Cyphia team now aims to bridge entertainment—the industry they all took part in and technology—the industry that is taking over.

Sophie Price is a Contributor at GritDaily. She was born in Montreal and resides in Toronto, Canada.

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