We write checks ranging from $1-2M for pre-seed, $4-5M for Seed to $10-12M for Series A rounds.
We look for outstanding founders who aim to build the future. No opportunity is too early for us. Most of our investments are in founders who came to us with an idea on a page. We look for large addressable markets, strong product vision and clear insight into hair-on-fire problems. We are comfortable investing pre-revenue and often pre-product. If you have already raised more than a few million dollars, we are not a good fit.
We look for founders that have tremendous technical product depth and a passion for go-to-market excellence. We look for great story tellers who have authentic experience in the problems they want to address. We look for founders who have a track record for building, have deep curiosity and a unique understanding of the world, who have the humility to acquire skills they don't yet have, and the ability to attract and hire amazing leaders.
Unusual is a hands on investor that improves your odds of winning. We are operators first and foremost who get in the trenches with you from the beginning to help with strategy, recruiting, marketing, sales and whatever else it takes to find product-market fit.
Our founders wanted to make Unusual the VC firm they had always dreamed of - the world's first seed-stage full service fund. As a serial entrepreneur, Jyoti Bansal repeatedly encountered the need for extensive hands-on support at the earliest days when it was hardest to come by. As a longtime investor, John Vrionis saw an industry that professed to deliver value to founders, but often failed to live up to that expectation. Unusual Ventures was built to deliver the tactical, hands-on value that helps ensure a startup's long-term success.
Our team has more operators than investors, and they directly serve our portfolio as true contributors — not passive advisors — helping founders achieve tangible everyday goals across hiring, sales, community, education, marketing, and design. We further surround you with a community of successful founders and expert workshops to help you level up and scale your business.
Unusual's team is armed with unique expertise aimed at helping companies go from seed to Series A.
We don’t spray and pray. We build deep conviction in our investment themes and support our founders by building with them. Our team of operators have been where you are, and honed the Unusual Method™ to apply their expertise. They live and breathe emerging technologies so you can get the tailored support you need from the start.
From post-deployment monitoring and observability to data tooling and deep learning, machine learning is changing the way we work. Learn more about what we are betting on with emerging trends in AI.
As technology and society evolve, securing companies and their customers from threats continues to be a challenge. As an example of our investment thesis in cybersecurity, here’s why we invested in Traceable.
Companies need to work smarter and faster today than ever before while adapting to a distributed, remote-friendly culture. They are buying SaaS tools that are data-first, easy to use, and work seamlessly with the rest of their stack. To learn more about our approach to new-age Saas, check out why we bet on Endgame.
Developers are the key decision makers of how software companies should build products. Empowering them with the tools they need to be productive is paramount. Learn more about our focus on tools for builders with our investment in CoScreen.
The companies that dominate the world of finance today are still incumbents that started 50+ years ago. At Unusual, we see a massive opportunity for new fintech infrastructure that modernizes the industry and makes sophisticated finance accessible to all. To learn more about our interest in fintech, check out our investment in Alto.
In a digital-first world, marketplace businesses seamlessly match demand and supply to make sure that no creator or small business is at a disadvantage. As an example of our approach to investing in marketplaces, learn why we bet on Contra.