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Union Square Ventures

New York, New York · Invests in US; Europe; MENA; Global · Website

SeedSeries AConsumer Apps & SocialE-commerce & MarketplacesMedia & EntertainmentB2B SaaSAI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsDeveloper Tools & InfrastructureFintech & PaymentsHealthcare & Digital HealthEdTechClimate & Clean EnergyEnterprise Software

Thesis

We invest at the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures. We seek companies that enable new behaviors and business models that incumbents cannot pursue, with strong network effects and broad access implications.

Likely not a fit for

No legacy media plays, no incremental improvements to existing markets, no companies without clear path to network effects or market transformation

How they invest

Lead or follow
Usually leads
Typical decision
~2 weeks
Warm intro
Preferred
Involvement
Takes a board seat
Fund status
Actively deploying
Assets under mgmt
$1B
Decision process
Partnership vote

Partners & team

12 contacts on file

MM

Michael Mignano

PartnerPartner · Primary contact

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m•••@us•••.com

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RK

Rebecca Kaden

PartnerPartner

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r•••@us•••.com

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FW

Fred Wilson

PartnerPartner

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AW

Albert Wenger

PartnerPartner

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Andy Weissman

PartnerPartner

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BB

Brad Burnham

Venture PartnerCo-Founder and Venture Partner

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NG

Nick Grossman

PartnerPartner

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SM

Samson Mesele

Platform & OpsPartner and General Counsel

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JH

Jared Hecht

Venture PartnerVenture Partner

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JB

John Buttrick

Venture PartnerVenture Partner

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MC

Matt Cynamon

Library Sciences

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JO

Jess Oynick

Platform & OpsHead of Talent

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Portfolio

General IntelligenceEnterprise Software

Cofounder is a cloud-hosted automation platform that deploys autonomous software agents to orchestrate and optimize a customer's internal business processes, such as customer support intake, data reconciliation, and reporting.

Tutor IntelligenceRobotics Automation

Tutor Intelligence is a robotics and AI company focused on creating intelligent robotic systems that can learn and adapt to complex, real-world production environments. Their flagship product, Cassie, is designed to handle dexterous tasks in logistics and manufacturing, powered by advanced AI.

Electroflow
DoctronicHealthcare Digital

Doctronic is your AI doctor - trained by top human doctors on the world's latest medical data. Get expert answers 24/7 with personalized management plans in seconds.

VolterasClimate Clean Energy

Volteras is a platform that streams energy data in real time by integrating directly with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), enabling businesses in the energy and mobility sectors to access reliable and stable data for their operations.

Humane GenomicsBiotech Life Sciences

Humane Genomics is focused on engineering precision-designed oncolytic viral therapies to selectively target and eliminate cancer cells using RNA viruses.

PluralisEnterprise Software

Pluralis carries out foundational research on Protocol Learning: multi-participant training of foundation models where no single participant has, or can ever obtain, a full copy of the model. The purpose of Protocol Learning is to facilitate the creation of community-trained and community-owned frontier models with self-sustaining economics.

PrestoEnterprise Software

Presto is a leader in drive-thru voice automation, providing AI-driven solutions to improve staff productivity, increase revenue, and enhance the guest experience in restaurants.

GlowClimate Clean Energy

Glow is a pioneering platform that leverages game theory and blockchain technology to enhance the profitability and impact of solar energy projects. By reinvesting revenue from solar farms, Glow maximizes efficiency and transparency, allowing stakeholders to track their contributions to environmental change.

ConsensusEnterprise Software

Consensus is an AI-powered academic search engine designed to make scientific research more accessible and understandable. It helps researchers, students, and clinicians quickly find and analyze over 200 million peer-reviewed research papers, streamlining the process of gathering reliable information.

DaylightClimate Clean Energy

Daylight is a decentralized energy company that transforms everyday homes into mini power plants, enabling families to lower their energy bills, stay powered during outages, and earn rewards for contributing to a more reliable grid. By sending excess energy back into the system, Daylight reduces pressure on aging infrastructure and builds local resilience in energy supply.

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Research briefRead more
Union Square Ventures (USV) Research Document Investment Thesis Union Square Ventures is a thesis-driven venture capital firm founded in 2004 and based in New York City. The firm's core investment philosophy centers on backing companies at the edge of large markets undergoing technological and societal transformation. USV believes that the best opportunities emerge where new technologies enable pr

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