Kevin Hartz
Description
Kevin Hartz is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and venture capitalist, recognized for his pivotal roles in founding and scaling successful technology companies before transitioning into full-time investing. He is the Co-Founder and General Partner of A* Capital, a venture firm he launched in 2021 with his wife, Julia Hartz. Prior to A* Capital, Hartz was a partner at Founders Fund, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he honed his investment acumen and contributed to a portfolio of groundbreaking companies.
Hartz's entrepreneurial journey is marked by significant exits. He co-founded Eventbrite, a global ticketing and event technology platform that went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EB) in 2018. Before Eventbrite, he co-founded Xoom, an online money transfer service, which was acquired by PayPal for approximately $890 million in 2015. His deep operational experience across these ventures provides him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by early-stage startups.
At A* Capital, Hartz focuses on investing in promising technology companies, leveraging his extensive network and operational insights. The firm raised a debut fund of $300 million in 2021, signaling its significant capital deployment capacity. A* Capital typically targets early-stage investments, ranging from seed to Series B, with a particular interest in sectors poised for disruption. Hartz's investment philosophy often emphasizes strong founding teams and scalable business models.
Hartz is also known for his prolific angel investing career, having been an early backer of iconic companies such as PayPal, Pinterest, Airbnb, and Uber. His track record demonstrates a keen eye for identifying transformative technologies and market opportunities. Through A* Capital, he continues to support the next generation of innovators, providing not just capital but also strategic guidance derived from his decades of experience building and investing in high-growth companies.
Investor Profile
Kevin Hartz has backed more than 102 startups, with 4 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 1 rounds, about 1% of its total and boasts 21 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in United States, Ireland, France.
- Strong thematic focus on Software, Internet, Information Technology.
- Typical check size: $1M – $10M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (42%)
- Series A (32%)
- Series B (10%)
- Angel (5%)
- Series Unknown (3%)
- Series C (3%)
- Pre Seed (3%)
- Debt Financing (1%)
- Series D (1%)
Country Focus
- United States (93%)
- Ireland (3%)
- France (1%)
- Canada (1%)
- United Kingdom (1%)
- Germany (1%)
Industry Focus
- Software
- Internet
- Information Technology
- Financial Services
- Saas
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- Fintech
- E-commerce
- Apps
- Social Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.