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Ariel Poler

North America, California, United States, San Francisco

Description

Ariel Poler is a highly regarded Internet entrepreneur, mentor, and prolific angel investor based in San Francisco. His career spans several decades, marked by a consistent track record of founding and scaling successful technology companies before transitioning into a significant role as an early-stage investor. Currently, he serves as the Co-Founder of Reveri Health, a digital therapeutics company focused on mental well-being, demonstrating his continued engagement in innovative ventures.

Poler's entrepreneurial journey includes founding IPRO, an internet infrastructure company acquired by NetScout for approximately $200 million. He also co-founded AdKnowledge, an online advertising network that was acquired by CMGI for around $190 million, and Topica, an email marketing pioneer. These ventures underscore his deep understanding of internet technologies and his ability to identify and capitalize on emerging market trends, providing him with substantial capital and experience to fuel his subsequent investment activities.

As an investor, Ariel Poler has established himself as a prominent "super angel" with a keen eye for disruptive technologies and exceptional founding teams. His investment portfolio is remarkably diverse, spanning areas such as enterprise software, consumer internet, health tech, and artificial intelligence. He is known for backing companies at their earliest stages, often participating in seed and Series A rounds. His impressive list of early investments includes industry giants like Stripe, Zoom, Palantir, Pinterest, and Cruise Automation, which was notably acquired by General Motors for over $1 billion.

Poler's investment strategy is characterized by a hands-on approach, leveraging his extensive operational experience to mentor founders. He typically focuses on companies with strong product-market fit potential and scalable business models. His long-standing presence and success in Silicon Valley have made him a sought-after partner for entrepreneurs seeking not just capital, but also strategic guidance and network access.

Investor Profile

Ariel Poler has backed more than 41 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 2 rounds, about 5% of its total and boasts 16 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Angel rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, United Kingdom, Mexico.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Social Media, Internet.
  • Typical check size: $100K – $750K.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (39%)
  • Series A (32%)
  • Angel (15%)
  • Pre Seed (7%)
  • Series C (2%)
  • Series B (2%)
  • Series Unknown (2%)

Country Focus

  • United States (80%)
  • United Kingdom (7%)
  • Mexico (5%)
  • Spain (2%)
  • Chile (2%)
  • Brazil (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Social Media
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Apps
  • E-commerce
  • Fintech
  • Payments
  • Analytics
  • Enterprise Software
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Ariel Poler frequently co-invest with?

Floodgate
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 5
First Round Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
CRV
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 4
Transmedia Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 3
500 Global
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
Felicis
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 4
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 5
SV Angel
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 6
Uncork Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
Greylock
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 3

Which angels does Ariel Poler often collaborate with?

RC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 5
GR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
AP
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
EW
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
AT
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
HP
North America, Washington, United States, Bellevue
Shared Deals: 2
JC
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 2
NR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 5
MB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
JG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3

What are some of recent deals done by Ariel Poler?

Reloadly

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Payment APIs to boost mobile user engagement with big brands

Developer APIsDeveloper ToolsFinTechPaaSTelecommunications
Series AJul 18, 2021
Amount Raised: $4,350,000
Openlytics

San Francisco, California, United States

Openlytics – The Visual Data Platform

AnalyticsEnterprise SoftwareSoftware
Pre SeedApr 15, 2021
Amount Raised: $1,200,000
humm

Berkeley, California, United States

humm harnesses cutting-edge neuroscience into products that allow people to learn faster and perform better.

BiotechnologyHuman Computer InteractionNeuroscienceWearables
Pre SeedMay 30, 2019
Amount Raised: $130,000
BIOS

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

BIOS Health uses data-driven insights from the nervous system to build neural digital therapies - the next big trend in precision medicines.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)BioinformaticsHealth CareHuman Computer InteractionMachine LearningMedicalMedical Device
SeedDec 4, 2018
Amount Raised: $4,500,000
Grin Scooters

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Grin Scooters is a micromobility company in Latin America that merged with Yellow to create Grow Mobility

Electric VehicleLast Mile TransportationMobileRide SharingSoftwareTransportation
SeedJun 28, 2018
Amount Raised: $7,000,000
The Podcast App

San Francisco, California, United States

The Podcast App is an audio platform that helps millions of people in their pursuit of happiness.

AudioPodcastSoftware
SeedJan 4, 2018
Kiwibot

Berkeley, California, United States

Kiwibot designs and manufactures a fleet of mobile robots used for food delivery on college campuses.

DeliveryFood DeliveryRobotics
AngelJul 1, 2017
BIOS

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

BIOS Health uses data-driven insights from the nervous system to build neural digital therapies - the next big trend in precision medicines.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)BioinformaticsHealth CareHuman Computer InteractionMachine LearningMedicalMedical Device
SeedMar 20, 2017
Simplifeye

Dunwoody, Georgia, United States

Simplifeye is a software technology company that offers services to practices across the retail healthcare landscape.

AppsInformation TechnologyPayments
SeedMar 9, 2017
Amount Raised: $3,000,000
Returnly

San Francisco, California, United States

Returnly is the provider of digital return experiences for direct-to-consumer brands.

E-CommerceFinancePayments
SeedOct 13, 2016
Amount Raised: $3,220,000