At Version One, we are strong believers that early-stage investing is best done by small teams that are aligned around a differentiated investment thesis and are investing with high conviction. The partnership is currently Angela and myself. We’re on our fourth fund and second opportunity fund, and we are looking to add a third partner over the course of the next year or so.
We like to invest at the edges, not in the mainstream. We like to lead, not follow. We are comfortable betting on founders without (obvious) pedigree. We like to back mission-driven founders that are early in new areas. We love investing in people, not necessarily in existing traction and numbers. And we’re happy to back first-time entrepreneurs that nobody has ever backed.
We’ve got a strong conviction in the type of founders we like to invest in…and we’re just as clear as to the type of partner we are looking for as our 3rd partner:
- You have some investing experience, either as a solo GP, junior member of a larger firm and/or frequent angel investor.
- You are a generalist, but you are more interested in the edges of technology markets (crypto, climate, AI, syn bio, deep tech, AR/VR) than the mainstream.
- You want to be a great partner to founders, asking good questions but not always shouting out the answers.
- You’re an independent thinker and always look for the contrarian angle to the mainstream opinion.
- You’re in the flow connecting with people – either online or in person. You learn from others, and they learn from you, which makes your network sticky.
- You’re hungry and want to make your mark on the VC business, acknowledging that this is a decade+ long endeavor.
What does not matter:
- Your degrees
- Your location (but a larger tech ecosystem is a plus)
What we’re not looking for:
- Transactional people: we thrive to have meaningful connections with both our founders and between ourselves and want to keep it this way.
- Candidates that see this position as a springboard to joining a larger fund (if that is your goal, you should apply at such a fund right now).
- Candidates that rely on a playbook (there isn’t one in early-stage investing!)
There is no formal application process for this role. Please find us on the Internet and reach out in the most meaningful way that reflects what we are looking for. We look forward to meeting you.
