Co-Founder & Managing Partner
BoxGroupCheck size: $500K-$5M (recently raised a $550M fund in Oct 2025, significantly larger than previous funds)
One of the most active and respected seed investors in NYC. Co-founded TechStars NYC (now Techstars NYC), deeply embedded in the New York startup ecosystem since its earliest days. Known for being highly accessible, fast to decide, and genuinely helpful post-investment. Just raised a $550M fund (Oct 2025) — a massive step up from previous funds, signaling BoxGroup's evolution from small seed fund to significant early-stage player. Not thesis-driven — David reacts to founders and ideas he finds compelling rather than fitting investments into a predefined framework. This flexibility has served him well — his portfolio spans fintech (Plaid), healthcare (Oscar, Ro), consumer (Harry's, Away), and more. The common thread isn't sector but founder quality and early product-market fit signals. David is deeply connected to the NYC startup ecosystem and has helped shape it over the past 15+ years. He's often one of the first calls founders make when starting a company in New York.
Founders building something they deeply understand from personal experience. Early traction signals — even small ones. Clear product thinking and user obsession. NYC-based founders especially, though invests nationally. Founders who are already building, not just planning. Products where early users are passionate advocates. Companies that feel inevitable once you hear the pitch.
Deep tech requiring years of R&D before revenue. Companies without any form of early validation. Founders more excited about fundraising than building. Overly theoretical pitches without evidence of execution. Companies targeting tiny markets without expansion potential.
Show early signals. Even at pre-seed, show that you've talked to users and have some evidence of pull. David is accessible — reach out directly (Twitter DM, email, warm intro). He's not thesis-driven, so don't try to fit a framework — show him something compelling. Be direct and clear about what you're building and why. If you're NYC-based, that's a plus but not required. Have a working product or at minimum a clear demo. Be ready to move fast — if David is interested, the process moves quickly. Don't oversell — he values honesty and directness. If you know BoxGroup portfolio founders, a warm introduction helps but isn't required.
BoxGroup is explicitly not thesis-driven. David evaluates each opportunity based on the founder's quality, insight, and early evidence of product-market fit rather than trying to fit investments into a predefined sector or stage thesis. This flexibility has produced a diverse, high-quality portfolio.
Even at the earliest stages (pre-seed and seed), David looks for signals of genuine product-market fit — passionate early users, organic word-of-mouth, founders who deeply understand their customers. These signals are more predictive than market size analysis or business model sophistication.
In seed investing, speed is a competitive advantage. The best founders have options, and the investor who responds fastest, decides quickest, and is most helpful gets the deal. David is known for being one of the most responsive investors in the industry.
New York's startup ecosystem has unique advantages: proximity to finance (fintech), media (consumer), healthcare, fashion, and real estate industries. NYC founders tend to be more business-model-focused from day one. BoxGroup leverages deep NYC networks as a competitive advantage.
Active Twitter presence sharing insights on seed investing, the NYC startup ecosystem, and founder advice. Less formal than long-form writing but consistently insightful on early-stage dynamics.
Extensive experience running TechStars NYC batches — has worked with hundreds of early-stage founders through the accelerator process. Shares insights on what separates companies that break out from those that don't.
Regular speaker and panelist on the evolution of New York's startup ecosystem. Has firsthand perspective on how NYC went from an afterthought in tech to one of the world's most important startup cities.
“I'm not thesis-driven. I invest in founders and ideas that feel compelling. The best investments often don't fit neatly into a framework.”
— Interviews
“The best thing about New York is that founders here are building for real businesses from day one. There's a practical, revenue-focused DNA in NYC startups.”
— NYC tech ecosystem talks
“Speed matters at seed. The best founders want investors who respond quickly, decide quickly, and help immediately. That's what we try to be.”
— Interviews
“I've been a founder too. I know what it feels like to be building something that nobody believes in yet. That empathy matters.”
— Interviews (referencing Spring Labs)
“Even at pre-seed, I want to see that you've talked to potential customers. Ten real conversations are worth more than a hundred pages of market research.”
— Talks on seed evaluation
Co-founded TechStars NYC (now Techstars NYC) in 2011, becoming one of the key figures in building New York's startup ecosystem. Comes from the Tisch family — one of New York's most prominent families (Loews Corporation, NYU Tisch School of the Arts). This background gives him deep networks across finance, media, and real estate in New York. Co-founded BoxGroup with David Goldberg and Adam Rothenberg. BoxGroup started as an angel syndicate and evolved into a structured venture fund. Under David's leadership, BoxGroup has grown from small seed checks to a $550M fund. He was instrumental in proving that world-class startup investing could happen in New York, not just Silicon Valley. Also co-founded Spring Labs (identity and data verification for financial services), giving him founder perspective. Known for being one of the most responsive and accessible investors in the industry — founders consistently cite his speed and directness.