Andrew McCormack

Overview

Andrew McCormack is a founding partner at Valar Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to identifying and supporting transformative technology companies outside the United States. Based in New York City, he spends much of his time traveling internationally to work with portfolio companies and prospective investments. His career in technology includes business and corporate development roles at eCount, which was acquired by Citibank, and Yahoo!. In 2001, he joined PayPal, where he worked closely with Peter Thiel in preparing for the company’s IPO. After PayPal’s sale to eBay, McCormack helped start Clarium Capital Management. In 2003, he founded a restaurant group in San Francisco, operating two restaurants, Frisson and Laiola, before rejoining Peter Thiel at Thiel Capital in early 2008. In 2010, they launched Valar Ventures, focusing on high-margin, fast-growing financial technology companies globally. Valar Ventures has invested in a diverse range of startups across various sectors and stages, including AI, FinTech, and Consumer Internet. Notable investments include Xero, TransferWise, N26, Stash, Qonto, BlockFi, Octane, Moss, Kuda, Point, Neo Financial, Syfe, Bitpanda, Velocity, Starship, Jetty, Coya, Bestow, Petal, TaxFix, Albo, Bukuwarung, Bank Novo, Parker, Majority, Portofino, Shares, Hatch, Vauld, Syfe, ShopUp, XanPool, Yellow Card, Breather, EyeEm, Even, Kalo, Homie, Dinda, Granify, Vend, and ContaAzul. McCormack's investment strategy focuses on identifying and supporting transformative technology companies outside the United States, with a particular emphasis on financial technology. His extensive experience in business and corporate development, combined with his entrepreneurial ventures, has equipped him with a unique perspective on scaling innovative companies in diverse markets.