Neil Parikh

Neil Parikh is a highly active and influential investor in the United States, primarily recognized for his dual roles as a successful entrepreneur and a prolific angel investor. He rose to prominence as the co-founder of Casper, the innovative direct-to-consumer mattress company that disrupted the bedding industry. Under his leadership, Casper achieved significant scale, reaching a valuation that exceeded $1 billion prior to its public listing, demonstrating his capability in building and scaling consumer brands. This foundational experience provides him with invaluable operational insights and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by early-stage companies.

As an angel investor, Parikh has cultivated an extensive portfolio, having personally invested in over 100 companies. His investment strategy predominantly targets seed and pre-seed stage startups, particularly those within the consumer, e-commerce, and technology sectors, areas where his expertise from Casper is directly applicable. He is known for identifying promising early-stage ventures and providing not just capital but also strategic guidance, leveraging his vast network and operational experience to support founders. His high volume of investments underscores his commitment to fostering innovation across diverse industries.

Parikh’s approach as an angel investor is characterized by a founder-friendly stance, often acting as a valuable advisor to the teams he backs. While specific check sizes for his individual angel investments are not always publicly disclosed, his typical first cheques for seed and pre-seed rounds generally range from $50,000 to $750,000, reflecting his capacity to make meaningful contributions to early funding rounds. Beyond his personal angel activities, Parikh also serves as a General Partner at Vanterra Capital, a private equity firm, indicating his involvement in later-stage growth equity investments, though his early-stage angel portfolio remains a distinct and significant part of his investment profile.