True Ventures

How We Invest

We partner with promising entrepreneurs at the earliest stages in the highest-growth segments of the technology market, where history demonstrates the best rates of return. We invest not the most we can, but the amount that makes the most sense for the business. Our investment gives the fund a meaningful ownership position, but more importantly reflects the actual needs and true value of the company.

We provide hands-on management support to guide our portfolio companies through the challenges of early growth.

In subsequent financing rounds, we work with trusted colleagues at other top-tier funds to build valuable syndicates for your company, but we have the financial strength to participate for the long term.

We believe our focus and experience mitigate risk, and we hope our values create shared success.

The Details

Optimal Fund Size

With $195 million dollars, our fund is small enough to work with entrepreneurs at the earliest stages but large enough to provide significant follow-on financing in later rounds. We are also there for entrepreneurs who need us on a rainy day. We are committed to aligning the needs of the entrepreneurs and the investors.

Early Stage Technology Focus

We target the newest entrants into the largest emerging technology markets, including software, Internet, mobile, and digital media. The long-term growth potential of these markets are outstanding. We see it all around us in the global adoption of high-speed internet infrastructure, next generation open API architectures, vast shifts in the way people create, share, and consume media, and the proliferation of mobile technologies.

Investing in the Right People

Talented people are the biggest driver of success. People are our first, second, and third criteria for a new investment. And our long careers in the technology and venture industries has led to a powerful network that we contribute to every new deal. Through our friends and colleagues, we will meet the rising stars early, and with our experience, we can help the most promising people meet their potential.

What we’ve done

Collectively and individually, we have experience investing in and managing early stage companies. Our record of past successes speaks for itself. Our team has experience with over 100 early stage investments that have generated significant investment returns before, during, and after what we affectionately refer to as the first internet boom.

Who we know

Over the past 20 years, we’ve developed relationships with exceptional people—the founders, CEOs, and senior managers with whom we’ve worked. This network of friends and colleagues provides the source of the most promising deals and valuable insights.

We also have good relationships with venture capitalists at other funds. Given our strategy of being the first institutional investor, these other funds represent important financing partners for additional rounds of funding.

The opportunity in the market

Historically, early stage venture investing has shown the highest rates of return. Recently, the proportion of early stage deals has dropped. From more than 50% of all deals in 1995 to less than 30% in 2008.

As funds and firms have grown larger, fewer professional resources are available for time-consuming, early stage investments. As funds participate in larger and later rounds, early stage investments are systematically underserved.

This gap in the early stage market represents True opportunity.