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Cade Ventures is an operator-led venture fund founded by Ryan Engel in New York, NY. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, focusing on category-defining companies across sectors such as consumer tech, healthcare, AI, and robotics. Cade Ventures aims to support extraordinary talent by pairing capital with operational assistance, ensuring that portfolio companies receive the necessary resources to thrive.
Since its inception, Cade Ventures has built a diverse portfolio, investing in over ten companies, including notable exits like Peloton, Latch, and Quit Genius. The firm emphasizes the importance of hands-on support from a network of more than 50 operators, providing expertise in various domains such as marketing, operations, and product development. This operational leverage is designed to enhance the success of the companies they invest in.
As of now, Cade Ventures continues to grow its portfolio and expand its influence in the venture capital space, maintaining a strong focus on North American startups. The firm operates from its office located at 895 Broadway, 4th floor, New York, NY 10003.
Cade Ventures invests in early-stage companies across several sectors, including consumer tech, healthcare, AI, and robotics. The firm targets pre-seed, seed, and seed-plus stages, emphasizing operational support alongside capital investment. Cade Ventures believes that its operator network can add outsized value beyond just financial backing, which is why they focus on extreme founder talent and category-defining potential.
The firm looks for startups that demonstrate near-term commercialization, early customer love, or credible product superiority. Cade Ventures prioritizes companies that can reshape how people live or how businesses operate, ensuring that every founder receives one year of hands-on assistance from its extensive operator network. This support spans various areas, including marketing, operations, growth, revenue, business development, talent acquisition, product development, engineering, design, strategy, insights, and data science.
Cade Ventures has invested in a range of notable companies, showcasing its commitment to various sectors:
Past investments include successful exits such as Peloton, Latch, and Quit Genius, highlighting the firm's ability to identify and support high-potential startups.
Ryan Engel: Founder & Managing Partner. Ryan has a background as an early operator at Peloton, where he joined as the fifth employee and played a crucial role in scaling the company to over 100 stores globally and generating over $1 billion in GMV.
Isabel Glass: Chief of Staff & Investor. Isabel supports fundraising, sourcing, diligence, and portfolio operations. She has previously worked as a Venture Fellow with Impact Engine and has experience in healthcare strategy and operations consulting.
Tyler Magura: Advisor. Tyler is a partner at Rock Creek Capital and has a background as a former Morgan Stanley oil trader and founder of Larkshead Apparel.
COL (R) William “Devon” Capps: Advisor. Devon is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces leader and advisor to Thompson Machinery investments.
Joshua Folarin: Venture Fellow. Joshua has an MBA and engineering experience at Cummins, Tesla, Meta, and AWS, along with startup operating experience at Phaidra.
To pitch Cade Ventures, founders should visit their website at cadeventure.com. It is recommended to include a clear overview of the business model, market opportunity, and how the operator network can add value. While there is no formal pitch form, the firm encourages open communication and is responsive to inquiries.
Founders can expect a rolling application cycle, but specific response times are not publicly disclosed. Warm introductions are appreciated but not required.
In August 2025, Cade Ventures announced its investment in Mecka AI, a company focused on transforming raw sensor data into training-ready datasets for AI and robotics. This investment aligns with Cade's focus on supporting category-defining companies in the tech sector.
Additionally, Cade Ventures has been actively investing in notable companies such as Function Health and Akash Systems, further expanding its portfolio in the consumer tech and healthcare sectors.
What are Cade Ventures' investment criteria?
Cade Ventures focuses on early-stage investments in consumer tech, healthcare, AI, and robotics. They look for category-defining companies with extreme founder talent and proven velocity.
How can I pitch Cade Ventures?
Founders can pitch Cade Ventures through their website at cadeventure.com. They encourage open communication and are receptive to pitches from startups that fit their investment criteria.
What makes Cade Ventures different from other VC firms?
Cade Ventures distinguishes itself by providing hands-on operational support from a network of over 50 operators, ensuring that portfolio companies receive guidance in various areas such as marketing, operations, and product development.
What is the geographic focus of Cade Ventures?
The firm primarily invests in North American startups, particularly those based in New York.
What is the typical check size for investments?
While specific check sizes are not disclosed, Cade Ventures targets early-stage investments in the pre-seed, seed, and seed-plus stages.
What is the decision timeline for investments?
Cade Ventures operates on a rolling application cycle, but specific timelines for decisions are not publicly available.
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