BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–186 Ventures today announced the close of its $37M inaugural fund in an over-subscribed offering. Founded in August 2021 by Giuseppe Stuto and Julian Fialkow, 186 Ventures plans to fund impact-obsessed, data driven founders who are relentless in their focus on disruption and innovation, with an emphasis on fintech, web3, future of work, and media. Limited partners of the fund include industry leading tech founders and executives, institutional investors, fund of funds, and endowments. Fundraising was completed in under four months, a resounding endorsement of 186 Ventures’ founder-first approach.
186 Ventures was started to help founders who bring a novel approach to large scale markets or who have identified solutions for overlooked problem sets. In this capital abundant environment, it is imperative that founders align themselves with investors who quickly grasp their visions and are ready and equipped to provide support throughout the entire process. 186 Ventures was established to help founders navigate the complex dynamics of bringing a vision to fruition.
“The biggest challenge facing founders can be finding the right team. At 186 Ventures, we actively listen to founders and dig deep into their visions,” said Giuseppe Stuto, Managing Partner 186 Ventures. “Vision first, then mechanics. We have been on both sides of the table, and we started 186 to use that experience to support entrepreneurs. We go to the mat to help founders build.”
Julian Fialkow and Giuseppe Stuto funded 30 early-stage companies together as angel investors before starting 186 Ventures. They met at DraftKings, Inc., where Julian was an instrumental figure in standing up Drive, by DraftKings, the company’s first VC fund. Following a successful exit to DraftKings, Giuseppe was there overseeing product integration. They worked together on several strategic initiatives and a friendship was born. Their partnership is the perfect blend of founder, operator, and financier experience.
186 Ventures brings to founders:
- An unparalleled network. 186 Ventures has amassed eclectic and comprehensive networks across industry leaders, founders, and prominent investors, both on the East and West Coasts. Their investors include downstream VCs who provide invaluable insight and future funding support for 186 portfolio companies.
- Founder urgency. 186 Ventures can immediately empathize with founders and understand their needs at the earliest of stages. This leads to incredible velocity in connecting the dots and building the right support. 186 Ventures rapidly identifies and introduces potential co-investors, advisors, specialized support functions, or informal mentors as needed.
- Experience with hyper growth. 186 Ventures has deep personal experience in how to rapidly scale early-stage companies both operationally and financially.
“We named 186 for the speed of light, which is how quickly we move to add tangible value to companies, even from the first meeting,” said Julian Fialkow, Managing Partner 186 Ventures. “We’ve institutionalized specific support systems to save our founders time when it comes to building their organizations and raising subsequent rounds of financing. Because of our extensive ecosystem of partners, we bring a unique network of resources who are all ready to roll up their sleeves for our portfolio companies.”
To learn more about 186 Ventures, please visit www.186Ventures.com.
About 186 Ventures:
Founded in 2021 by Giuseppe Stuto and Julian Fialkow, 186 Ventures provides pre-seed and seed stage funding to impact-obsessed founders. 186 Ventures leverages a world-class network and deep founder experience to present a differentiated approach to founder relationships, financing, and support. Named after the speed of light, 186 Ventures invests across consumer, enterprise, and disruptive technology.
