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Ensemble VC is a venture capital firm founded in 2023 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with an additional office in Salt Lake City, Utah. The firm manages a debut fund of $100 million, focusing on early-stage startups across various sectors, including defense technology, cybersecurity, healthcare, and artificial intelligence. Ensemble VC emphasizes the importance of team quality and execution in its investment strategy, seeking to build relationships with startup teams well before they seek funding.
The firm has a highly concentrated investment approach, typically backing only a handful of companies each year. Ensemble VC's team consists of experienced professionals with a track record of success in venture capital, having previously backed notable companies such as Zoom Video, Udemy, Rover, Carta, ICON, Salsify, Aqua, and Groww. This extensive experience informs their investment decisions and operational support for portfolio companies.
Ensemble VC's commitment to data-driven insights is evident in their investment model, where over 50% of management fees are allocated to a proprietary data platform for team evaluation. This approach allows them to identify promising startups and provide tailored support throughout their growth journey.
Ensemble VC invests primarily in early-stage startups at the pre-seed, seed, seed-plus, and Series A stages. The firm targets sectors such as defense technology, digital assets, cybersecurity, healthcare, and artificial intelligence. Their investment strategy is characterized by a data-driven approach that emphasizes the quality of the founding team and their execution capabilities.
Ensemble VC seeks to identify exceptional teams that are poised to create impactful companies. They often invest in startups before they achieve significant traction, allowing them to support founders from the earliest stages of their journey. The firm values strong team dynamics and iterative development, which they believe are critical for long-term success.
In addition to financial backing, Ensemble VC provides functional advisors across various domains, including operations, finance, product/engineering, and HR. This comprehensive support model is designed to help portfolio companies scale effectively and navigate the challenges of early-stage growth.
Ensemble VC's portfolio includes a diverse range of companies across various sectors, showcasing their commitment to supporting innovative startups. Notable portfolio companies include:
These companies reflect Ensemble VC's focus on sectors such as defense, cybersecurity, healthcare, and AI, aligning with their investment thesis of supporting exceptional teams that aim to create impactful solutions.
Collin West - Managing Partner: Co-founder of Ensemble VC, Collin has a strong background in venture capital and has previously led investments in several successful startups.
Conrad Shang - Managing Partner: Co-founder of Ensemble VC, Conrad has experience as a venture LP at UTIMCO, where he managed investments in various funds.
Gopi Sundaramurthy - Head of Data Science: Gopi brings expertise from his previous role as a data scientist at IBM, where he focused on data analytics and machine learning.
Ian Heinrich - Senior Associate: Ian has a background in venture capital and works closely with portfolio companies to provide operational support.
Aidan Gold - Investment Associate: Aidan assists in sourcing and evaluating potential investments, contributing to the firm's data-driven approach.
Nesta Lenhert-Scholer - Principal Software Engineer: Nesta provides technical expertise and support to portfolio companies, particularly in product development.
Lilly Vernor - Data Scientist: Lilly focuses on data analysis and insights to support investment decisions and portfolio management.
Hannah Vu - Data Engineer: Hannah works on the firm's data platform, ensuring that the data-driven insights are accurate and actionable.
Caroline Trant - Investor Partnerships & Capital Formation: Caroline manages relationships with limited partners and oversees capital formation efforts.
Rooney Pitchford - Chief of Staff: Rooney supports the firm's operations and strategic initiatives, ensuring smooth functioning across teams.
Nicole Stump - Executive Assistant: Nicole provides administrative support to the team, facilitating communication and coordination.
Submit your pitch through their website's contact form for consideration.
In March 2026, Ensemble VC participated in a $16.2 million Series A round for Loti AI, a startup focused on AI identity protection and deepfake defense. This investment was led by Khosla Ventures.
In the same month, Ensemble VC led the Series A round for Manifest, a cybersecurity startup founded by veterans from Palantir, which builds software transparency and SBOM platforms.
Ensemble VC also backed CHAOS Industries at Series B, which recently raised a $275 million Series C led by Accel and NEA, achieving a valuation of $2 billion. This investment has been cited as one of the breakout successes of Ensemble VC's Fund II.
Ensemble VC's debut fund of $100 million was launched in April 2023, marking a significant milestone for the firm as they focus on supporting early-stage startups.
What are Ensemble VC's investment criteria?
Ensemble VC focuses on early-stage startups at the pre-seed, seed, seed-plus, and Series A stages. They prioritize exceptional teams and employ a data-driven approach to evaluate potential investments.
How can startups apply or pitch to Ensemble VC?
Startups interested in pitching to Ensemble VC should reach out through their website's contact form. They do not accept pitches through this channel, so a warm introduction is recommended.
What makes Ensemble VC different from other venture capital firms?
Ensemble VC differentiates itself by emphasizing team quality and execution in its investment strategy. They conduct 360-degree leadership reviews post-investment and invest significantly in a proprietary data platform for team evaluation.
What is Ensemble VC's geographic focus?
The firm primarily invests in startups based in the United States, targeting companies across various sectors, including defense, cybersecurity, healthcare, and AI.
What is the typical check size for investments?
While specific check sizes are not disclosed, Ensemble VC targets early-stage investments, often participating in rounds that align with their focus on pre-seed to Series A funding.
What kind of post-investment support does Ensemble VC provide?
Ensemble VC offers functional advisors across operations, finance, product/engineering, and HR to help portfolio companies scale effectively. Their data-driven insights also guide startups through their growth journey.
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