Fred Wilson
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Union Square Ventures (USV)
Check: $1M-$25M
Backs 'trusted brands that broaden access to knowledge, capital, and well-being by leveraging networks, platforms, and protocols.' The access thesis is the through-line: every investment should make something important more accessible to more people. Willing to invest in companies without a business model if the product will attract millions. Lives with uncertainty. Now investing in climate tech (both bits and atoms) through a dedicated fund. Fred is thesis-driven — USV publishes its investment thesis publicly and updates it periodically. Each fund has a specific thesis, and every investment must fit. Historically moved through phases: Web 2.0 networks → mobile → crypto/web3 → climate. One of the earliest VCs to take crypto seriously (invested in Coinbase in 2013). Co-founded USV with Brad Burnham in 2003 after learning hard lessons from the dot-com bust at Flatiron Partners.
Series ASeries B