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Spike Ventures Community Newsletter — May 2022

Content at the intersection of entrepreneurship, venture capital, and our Stanford community.

Stanford campus
Written by

Todd McIntyre

Published on

IN THIS ISSUE: Still time to join Spike Fund 5, investing with Andreessen Horowitz in global business bank Jeeves, Q&A with new Senior Associate Naren Ramaswamy (’15, ’17, ’21), and more.

Still Time to Join Spike Ventures Fund 5

We are in the collections period for Spike Ventures Fund 5. Our team is helping investors finalize their paperwork, and we are taking final calls for a few open spots. Investors in the fund will own a diversified portfolio of ~20-30 investments, including companies like Jeeves — a global business bank co-founded by CEO Dileep Thazhmon (MBA ’12). See below to learn more about Jeeves or make a commitment to Spike Fund 5.

New to the fund? Create your account.

Spike Ventures Portfolio Updates

Jeeves, co-founded by CEO Dileep Thazhmon (MBA ’12), is building a global business bank with payments, lending, and treasury functions that work across countries and currencies. Spike invested in a $180 million Series C led by Tencent, with additional participation from Andreessen Horowitz, CRV, GIC, Silicon Valley Bank, and others. Jeeves raised the round at a $2.1 billion valuation — seven months after its $57 million Series B and less than two years after participating in Y Combinator’s 2020 summer cohort. Read More »

GRO Biosciences: Redefining Protein Therapeutics

See video policy below.

GRO Biosciences is a biotechnology firm that combines synthetic biology, and computational protein design. The company’s first commercial application of its core technology is the creation of a reliable, once-weekly insulin injection for diabetes patients. Spike invested in a $25 million Series A led by Leaps by Bayer and Redmile Group, with participation from Digitalis Ventures and Innovation Endeavors.

Click here to learn more about GRO and career opportunities at the company.

Spike Portfolio Companies in the News

Meet Senior Associate Naren Ramaswamy (’15, ’17, ’21)

We’re pleased to welcome Naren Ramaswamy (’15, ’17, ’21) as a Senior Associate for Spike Ventures, Alumni Ventures’ fund for Stanford alumni and friends of the community. Naren combines a technical engineering background with experience at startups and VC firms. Read more about his background and why he decided to join AV. Read More »

FOR CURRENT INVESTORS
Semi-Annual Investor Reports

Our latest Investor Reports are now available. These are semi-annual updates covering our fund’s performance and some of the exciting steps our portfolio companies have taken over the past ~6 months. Visit our Club portal to view your reports and read other exclusive updates from Managing Partner Todd McIntyre (MBA ’94) and our team. Visit Club Portal »

Thinking of becoming an investor? Access Materials »

Campus and Community Update

Stanford University is one of the pioneers in AI. Today, Stanford AI has broadened to a multidisciplinary field, drawing experts in medicine, psychology, economics, law, art, and humanities. Stanford HAI professors Fei-Fei Li, Chris Manning, and others describe the history of Stanford AI and what the future holds for this technology. Read More »

What’s New at Alumni Ventures

AV portfolio company Axiom Space became the first organization to deliver an all-private crew of astronauts to the International Space Station. Watch exclusive footage our team captured during the launch. Read More »

AV Talent Referrals

Interested in joining a cutting-edge startup or know someone who might be? Our portfolio companies are growing and always looking for high-caliber talent. Check out their open positions on our job board. If you find a match, fill out this short form, and we will try to make a personal referral. Visit Job Board »

Contact [email protected] for additional information. To see additional risk factors and investment considerations, visit av-funds.com/disclosures.

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