Eric Paley

Overview

Founder Collective is a seed-stage venture capital firm established in 2009 by David Frankel and Eric Paley, with offices in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm focuses on providing initial capital to promising entrepreneurs across various industries, including technology, e-commerce, healthcare, and more. Notable investments include Airtable, Coupang, Uber, Shield AI, and The Trade Desk. As of 2025, 24 of the startups Founder Collective has seeded have reached valuations of more than $1 billion. The firm's investment strategy is deliberately anti-thematic, aiming to back visionary founders regardless of industry trends. This approach has led to a diverse portfolio, with companies in sectors such as advertising technology, consumer goods, cryptocurrency, education, media, real estate, automotive, cybersecurity, fintech, media, retail, and software. Founder Collective's funds are intentionally small, aligning with founders through shared incentives and minimizing dilution. Founder Collective's partners have all built and sold technology companies, and their goal is to make the firm the one they wish had existed when they were starting out. They believe in efficient entrepreneurship, encouraging startups to raise as little money as possible to accelerate their businesses while preserving ownership. This philosophy is exemplified by companies like The Trade Desk, which raised just $22.5 million in venture capital before earning a billion-dollar IPO.

Investment Focus

• Founder-led technology companies at the seed stage seeking venture capital investment.
• Technology-driven companies
• Early-stage startups
• Global market potential

Portfolio Companies