Investor profile
Drive Capital
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Analyse your fitInvestment thesis
Drive Capital invests in market-defining technology companies across the 'Driveway' — the region spanning from the Hudson River to the Rocky Mountains — partnering with founders from idea to IPO. Founded in 2013 by ex-Sequoia Capital partners who left Silicon Valley for Columbus, Ohio, the firm's core belief is that 'world-class technology companies can be built anywhere' and that 'greatness is in our backyard.' Drive is stage-agnostic, writing checks from seed through growth equity, and takes a high-conviction, high-ownership approach — often as the sole or lead venture investor — so that even sub-unicorn exits can be fund-returning. The firm manages $2.2B in AUM across more than 87 portfolio companies and 24 cities, with notable IPOs including Duolingo and Root Inc.
Notable quotes
“If you were to look at our portfolio, we have companies in Denver, Washington, Atlanta, Toronto, Austin. I think what we're finding is that this opportunity is a broader phenomenon that we're investing in. The most compelling emerging market for venture capital is America.”
“Startups can be scary to work at, but they're not dangerous. What's dangerous is to work somewhere that you perceive is a safe place. It was perceived as very safe to work at Sears, for example. It was scary back then to go work at Amazon. But the reality is that it wasn't dangerous to go work at Amazon — it would have been incredibly smart, because no matter what happens to that startup, you're developing skills that you need to be successful.”
“I left Google and Silicon Valley to join Drive Capital because it is the opportunity of a lifetime. I've been here since we closed our first fund in January 2014 and I have more conviction in our thesis — that America is the greatest place in the world to start and build technology companies — than ever before.”
Recent investments
| Company | Round | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAST Data | Series F | — | 2025-06-01 |
| Path Robotics | Series D | $100m | 2024-10-01 |
| Duolingo | IPO | $521m | 2021-07-28 |
| Root Inc | IPO | — | 2020-10-28 |
| Forge Biologics | Series C | $90m | 2022-09-12 |
| ApplyBoard | Series C | — | 2020-03-27 |
| Hopper | Series F | — | 2021-08-01 |
| Gecko Robotics | Series B | — | 2021-01-01 |
| Immuta | Series C | — | 2021-01-01 |
| Thoughtful Automation | Series B | — | 2022-01-01 |
Frequent co-investors
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