4Degrees

Based in Chicago, Illinois, 4Degrees provides an artificial intelligence-powered relationship intelligence and customer relationship management platform designed specifically for deal-driven professionals operating in private markets. The company operates on a business-to-business software-as-a-service subscription model, targeting financial and advisory firms in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, and commercial real estate. Its core software analyzes internal communication data to automatically map professional networks, eliminate manual data entry, and help teams manage their ongoing deal flow. 4Degrees currently operates with fewer than 25 employees and generates an estimated $6.2 million in annual revenue. The enterprise has secured over $5 million in total venture funding, which includes a $4 million financing round backed by recognizable institutional investors such as High Alpha, Chicago Ventures, Techstars, and Pritzker Group VC. 4Degrees was officially founded in 2017 by co-founders Ablorde Ashigbi and David Vandegrift.

High-Level Overview

4Degrees is a Chicago-based SaaS company building a relationship intelligence CRM platform powered by AI and machine learning. It helps deal-driven teams in industries like venture capital (VC), private equity (PE), real estate, recruiting, M&A/investment banking, and beyond—from startups to Fortune 500 companies—identify key connections, strengthen relationships over time, and activate networks to source, drive, and close deals more effectively.[1][2][3][6][8] The platform automates tedious tasks like data entry by integrating with email, calendars, and social channels, providing actionable insights on who you and your team know, warm introductions, customizable pipelines, and contact enrichment without needing add-ons.[2][4][8] It solves the problem of fragmented, manual network management in relationship-heavy sectors, equalizing opportunity by democratizing access to social capital and optimizing cross-team leverage, with clients showing double-digit monthly growth.[1][2][3]

Origin Story

4Degrees was founded in 2017 by Ablorde Ashigbi (CEO) and David Vandegrift (CTO) while they worked as investors at Pritzker Group Venture Capital in Chicago.[3][6] Ashigbi, inspired by his West African immigrant family background and experiences in consulting and VC where networking proved pivotal, envisioned a tool to harness the power of professional relationships in a modern, AI-driven economy.[1][3] The idea emerged from replacing outdated tools like spreadsheets and whiteboards with automated tracking of relationships and deals.[3] Early traction came via the Techstars Chicago Accelerator, where they gained mentorship and validated product-market fit, followed by two venture funding rounds, selection for the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, and features in outlets like Chicago Inno and Crain’s Chicago Business.[1][3] Investments from firms like Harlem Capital further fueled growth.[6]

Core Differentiators

• AI-Powered Relationship Intelligence: Automatically scans communications to map networks, suggest reconnections, uncover warm intros, and prioritize high-leverage contacts—tailored for private markets, not generic sales CRMs.[1][2][3][8]
• Deal and Workflow Optimization: Out-of-the-box pipelines for deals, LPs, and portfolio tracking; eliminates manual entry via email/calendar sync and auto-enrichment, saving hours weekly and accelerating sourcing/closing.[4][7][8]
• Industry-Specific Expertise: Founded by ex-investors, it natively understands VC/PE, real estate, recruiting, and M&A workflows, with dedicated customer success managers for seamless onboarding.[1][4][7]
• Customer-Centric Iteration: Product roadmap driven by user feedback, not features for features; promotes authentic interactions over transactional ones, with enterprise-grade security.[2][4][9]
• Team and Culture Focus: Flat decision-making, diverse inputs, rapid iteration ("rinse and repeat"), and authenticity foster high-impact outcomes.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

4Degrees rides the wave of AI-driven CRM evolution in the $26B U.S. market (projected 14% CAGR to $31B by 2025+), targeting relationship-intensive niches like finance, real estate, and private markets where social capital trumps cold outreach.[6][8] Timing aligns with post-pandemic remote work amplifying network fragmentation and rising demand for "relationship intelligence" amid economic pressures on deal velocity.[1][3] Market forces favoring it include CRM fatigue with generic tools (e.g., Salesforce) and the shift to automated, intelligent platforms that boost efficiency in VC/PE fundraising, sourcing, and LP relations—evident in adopters like Cube Ventures optimizing Latin American startup ecosystems.[7] It influences the ecosystem by empowering underrepresented founders (e.g., via Black Founders Fund nod) and deal teams to "give first," democratizing access in a network-dependent economy.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

4Degrees is poised to expand beyond its core verticals (VC/PE, real estate, recruiting, M&A) into broader enterprise use cases, leveraging momentum from funding, accelerators, and proven ROI like double-digit client growth.[1][3][6] Key trends shaping it include AI advancements in predictive networking, CRM consolidation for private markets, and hybrid work demanding seamless team alignment.[2][8][9] Its influence could evolve by setting standards for authentic, intelligence-led relationship management, potentially capturing more of the exploding CRM TAM while fueling equitable deal flow in tech ecosystems—turning personal networks into scalable assets, much like Ashigbi's founding vision to equalize opportunity through stronger connections.[1][2]