Velvet Sea Ventures

Velvet Sea Ventures is a New York City-based early-stage venture capital firm, co-founded by industry veterans Mike Jones, former CEO of MySpace, and Scott Belsky, Chief Product Officer at Adobe and founder of Behance. Established with a mission to empower visionary entrepreneurs, the firm primarily focuses on investing in Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds. Their investment philosophy centers on identifying companies with strong product-market fit and disruptive potential, often leveraging the founders' deep operational experience in technology and media.

The firm has demonstrated significant growth and increased capacity since its inception. Velvet Sea Ventures successfully closed its first fund at $100 million, followed by a second fund of $200 million. Most recently, in January 2023, the firm announced the closing of its third and largest fund, securing $300 million in capital commitments. This progression in fund size reflects their expanding reach and commitment to supporting a broader range of early-stage companies. Typically, Velvet Sea Ventures writes initial checks ranging from $1 million for Seed-stage companies up to $15 million for more mature Series A or early Series B opportunities, adapting their investment size to the specific needs and stage of the portfolio company.

Beyond capital, Velvet Sea Ventures prides itself on providing hands-on support and strategic guidance to its portfolio companies. The partners actively engage with founders, offering insights derived from their extensive experience in scaling technology businesses, building brands, and navigating complex market landscapes. Their network and operational expertise are key differentiators, aiming to help entrepreneurs transform their visions into market-leading realities. The firm's portfolio includes a diverse array of successful ventures across various sectors, underscoring their broad investment thesis and ability to identify promising startups.