Webinar
How (and Why!) to Invest in Triphammer Ventures
Join us for an on-demand presentation about Triphammer Ventures, Alumni Ventures’ Cornell-focused venture capital fund. This is an excellent opportunity to see the Triphammer Ventures team and hear their approach to investing in private-stage companies.
See video policy below.
Post Webinar Summary
Brian Keil and Wesley Yiu introduce Triphammer Ventures, a venture fund within Alumni Ventures focused on supporting the Cornell alumni community through diversified investments in venture capital. With portfolios of 20-30 companies, the fund leverages Cornell’s network and relationships with top-tier VCs like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz to access high-quality deals. They emphasize the benefits of venture capital, including its historical outperformance and low correlation with public markets, offering strong portfolio diversification. The team highlights attractive investment conditions in the current market, their focus on themes like AI and healthcare, and the value-added support they provide portfolio companies. With a minimum investment of $10K, the fund offers options for various investors, including cash, trusts, and retirement accounts. Keel encourages consistent investment across multiple funds to maximize diversification and returns, noting that this is an excellent time to invest in venture capital.
During this session, we will discuss:
- HomeThe goal and structure of the fund
- HomeThe value of the Alumni Ventures’ model
- HomeSome examples of current AI portfolio companies
- HomeThe benefits of diversifying into venture capital
- HomeThe minimum requirements needed to invest in the fund
About Alumni Ventures
Top 20 VC Investors in North America (2024)
#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the U.S. (2023)
#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the U.S. (2022)
World's Most Innovative Companies (2022)
Note: You must be accredited to invest in venture capital. Important disclosure information can be found at av-funds.com/disclosures.
About your presenters
Brian is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 20 years of investing experience across a range of industries. Before joining Alumni Ventures, Brian was the Managing Director for New York Ventures, the venture capital arm of the State of New York. Prior to that, he was VP of Strategy & Corporate Development at Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) and a Managing Director at the Peacock Fund, the venture capital arm of NBC Universal. Before joining the Peacock Fund, Brian worked at GE Capital and Bain & Co. Brian holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School and a BS in Industrial Engineering from The University of Southern California.
Wesley brings a cross-disciplinary approach to venture investing, grounded in a deep curiosity for how advanced technologies can reshape legacy industries. His work focuses on the convergence of vertical software, AI, and automation—areas where domain expertise meets technical innovation to unlock entirely new business models. At Alumni Ventures, Wesley is a Partner, where he leads investments at the intersection of deep tech and sector-specific applications. He is particularly interested in companies developing AI-native software and robotics platforms that drive efficiency and transformation in complex industries. His sector focus includes healthcare, legal, manufacturing, logistics, and financial services, where purpose-built solutions are often required to deliver impact.
Funds actively worked on:
- Triphammer Ventures
Investment Areas of Focus:
Wesley’s investment thesis centers on the power of verticalized AI—software and automation tools designed for high-value, high-complexity sectors. He gravitates toward founders who embed technical insight into sector-specific challenges, creating products with durable competitive advantages and scalable market fit. Beyond software, Wesley is also passionate about robotics and the future of human-machine collaboration, exploring opportunities in autonomous systems, industrial robotics, and next-gen interfaces.
His recent investments reflect this dual thesis: OfferFit, a machine learning platform optimizing customer engagement; Iambic Therapeutics, an AI-driven drug discovery company; Wander, a vertically integrated smart home hospitality platform; Glacier, a robotics company tackling recycling and waste automation; and Arc, which streamlines financial operations for startups. These companies demonstrate Wesley’s conviction that the next wave of transformative innovation will come from deeply integrated, intelligent systems tailored to the needs of specific industries.