Wave Capital

What is Wave Capital?

Wave Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm rooted in San Francisco, California, with a strategic focus on empowering marketplace ventures. They are passionate about nurturing pre-series-A companies and typically invest between $100,000 and $10,000,000, with a sweet spot around $1,000,000.

With $55,000,000 assets under management, they target meaningful 20% ownership stakes by writing checks in the range of $1 to $2 million. Their spectrum of interest spans various industries, including Software (Web, Marketplace, SaaS), Business Solutions, Retail (& E-Commerce), and Consumer sectors. Wave Capital values a concentrated, selective portfolio, limiting themselves to four major investments per year which allows them to lead without overextension.

They pour their efforts into businesses that exhibit a strong, clear mission and are lead by founders whom they respect and envision themselves working for.

The founding partners at Wave Capital are proud of their significant operating backgrounds from prominent tech backgrounds at companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Facebook. When investing, they aim to be more than just financers; they serve as early team members, lending their extensive experience to the startup's growth strategies.

This hands-on approach has set a high bar for potential portfolio companies, reflecting the excellence they've experienced in their previous endeavors. They emphasize a deep partnership with the founders they back, seeing their success as a primary measure of their own.

What they say:

We invest in venture firms specializing in marketplaces.