Nicolai Wadstrom

Overview

Nicolai Wadstrom is the founder and CEO of BootstrapLabs, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm focusing on applied artificial intelligence. He has over 30 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, having launched his first business at 15 and his first tech startup in his early 20s. Throughout his career, he has built and scaled companies in various domains, including virtual reality, internet, financial trading systems, and enterprise software. In 2008, he founded BootstrapLabs in the San Francisco Bay Area, aiming to invest in and support AI-first companies. Under his leadership, BootstrapLabs has become one of the first venture capital firms to focus solely on AI since 2015, with over 30 investments in AI-first companies by February 2024. In that year, BootstrapLabs became part of Ares Management, where Nicolai now serves as a Partner and Co-Head of the Venture Capital and AI & Innovation Groups. His investment strategy emphasizes early-stage investments, often acting as the first institutional money and lead investor, with follow-on capital at the growth stages. Nicolai has invested in, advised, and mentored over 45 companies and founding teams, helping them build and scale proprietary technology, products, teams, and operations. He is also a frequent speaker and mentor at top universities and conferences in the US and Europe on topics such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, innovation, disruption, startups, and venture capital. His extensive experience and commitment to supporting AI-driven innovation have established him as a prominent figure in the venture capital community.

Investment Focus

• Visionary founders
• AI-driven solutions
• Global potential
• Early-stage companies

Portfolio Companies