Vice Ventures

What is Vice Ventures?

Vice Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund that distinguishes itself by investing in companies operating in industries that are often stigmatized or misunderstood. Typically avoided by traditional investors, these sectors include alcohol, cannabis, energy, harm-reducing nicotine, psychedelics, sex tech and wellness, skill-based betting, sports betting, MDMA, ketamine, and other emerging 'vice' spaces. They target superior returns by focusing on 'good companies in bad industries.' The fund is known for its broad approach towards investing in non-traditional verticals, striving to conquer stigmas associated with its chosen markets.

Vice Ventures has a dynamic investment range, with the minimum investment size being $100,000, a 'sweet spot' around $1,000,000, and a maximum of $10,000,000. They primarily engage at the Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A stages of business growth, showcasing their commitment to nurturing and scaling early-stage startups.

Founded in 2018 by Catharine Dockery, a professional experienced in retail M&A, equity trading, and high-yield credit research, Vice Ventures stands out in the venture capital landscape through this unique focus. Catharine's background in finance and neuroscience and her tenure on Walmart’s digitally native vertical brands team have informed her strategy of identifying top quality brands and lucrative market opportunities.

This innovative approach and Dockery's expertise have positioned Vice Ventures as a pioneering presence in the venture space, earning Dockery recognition including Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2020. Vice Ventures commenced with several SPVs and achieved its Fund I's first close in 2019.

The firm is headquartered in New York and treasures its identity as a trademark of Vice Ventures Management LLC, unaffiliated and independent from Vice Media LLC or its affiliates.

What they say:

We are a venture capital fund.

What we look for: We invest in seed-stage companies operating in non-traditional sectors.