186,000 miles per second represents the constant speed of light.

we like to back founders & companies who have the potential to grow really fast.

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TESTIMONIALS

Founders & Operators

Slater Victoroff
Founder & CEO @ Mythica, 186 funded

I met Giuseppe nearly a decade ago when we were both in the early phases of building our first companies. I reconnected with him and met Julian early on as I was ideating on my next chapter and starting to build out Mythica. In the fast-paced realms of AI, deep tech, and gaming, 186 Ventures stands out as a beacon of support and expertise. Their unwavering commitment to their founders sets a new standard in the investment landscape. It's rare to find a team that not only invests capital but also invests their time, knowledge, and resources so generously. At every step, they've worked for us, demonstrating a remarkable dedication to providing value far beyond funding. Their understanding of our industry's nuances and their steady, experienced hands have guided us through critical decisions and pivotal moments. Above all, the team at 186 Ventures are genuinely good people - the kind you not only want in your corner but are grateful to have as part of your journey. Any founder in the AI, deep tech, or gaming space would be fortunate to have 186 Ventures as their ally, mentor, and partner.

Sonny Singh
Founder & CEO @ Beluga, 186 funded

I met Giuseppe and Julian at the Goldman Sachs Private Innovation Conference in 2022, and they've been some of my closest thought partners since I began my latest journey with Beluga. They were instrumental at the early stages of ideation of Beluga, even before we officially incorporated the company. They were one of my earliest backers and just "get it". Also, their extensive network in New York, Boston, and San Francisco have been instrumental in opening doors and creating connections. Working with the 186 team has been a game-changer for Beluga.

Christina Pawlikowski
Co-Founder & CEO @ Causal, 186 funded

I'm so grateful that we get to work with Giuseppe, Julian, and Sophie. 186 has been an incredible partner to Causal. They invested in our seed round and have been so helpful to us in so many ways—advice, expertise, introductions, events. They have an incredible network and they are so generous with it. Whenever we ask for any kind of assistance, 186 comes through for us. I recommend them to every founder I know.

Jose Luis Cruz, Jr
Founder & CEO @ Integrated Projects, 186 funded

Raising capital as a founder is an intense process. In that process, I met a lot of people and got a lot of advice, but few left a lasting impression. Giuseppe and Julian are those exceptional few. When I started, I hadn't considered 186 Ventures as part of our top 20 investor list. After my first meeting with 186 Ventures, that quickly changed. They stood out to me not just for their thoughtful investment acumen, but their ability to take the time to understand me as a founder, my business, and my team. They recognize that fundraising isn't the endgame, but just the start for a founder. And their actions prove it. Their ability to make quick decisive decisions, or be a call away when I've needed them, or even move mountains by seeking the right introductions for me—it's the reason why I consider Giuseppe and Julian as one of my favorite investment partners.

Anthony Mironov
Founder & CEO @ Wingspan, 186 funded

The 186 team is an incredible partner to have on our cap table in a meaningful way. From day one, they showed unwavering support for our vision and continue to give tons of guidance and mentorship, beyond what most early stage VCs offer. They were instrumental in getting our Series A done (led by a16z) at a time when we needed to grow even faster. We are all very grateful to have 186 on this journey with us!

Kevin Flynn
Founder & CEO @ Nova Dental, 186 funded

I had the privilege of co-founding a company with Giuseppe and now, having him as an investor. The energy, thought, passion and precision that he brings to company building is unparalleled. A non-negotiable for me in starting my next company was having him on my cap table. He’s one of the best founders, operators, advisors and people I know. Working with Giuseppe and Julian together is an incredible advantage to any CEO and founding team. The two hustle as hard as any investor out there, will work to help find the right answers, connect you with the right people, and think through the right challenges.

Dave Hanrahan
Founder & CEO @ Kredit, 186 funded

Giuseppe & Julian believe in backing structural change in legacy industries, which takes conviction. But more importantly and tactically, they tell you exactly where they stand. Most investors won't. As a CEO, the thing I appreciate most is that their clear feedback enables me to operate decisively.

Kendall Hope Trucker
Founder & CEO @ Stealth company, 186 Ventures Founder Partner, 2 time 186 portfolio founder, 186 funded

When I built Knoq, I raised money from incredible investors across the United States. Even though I met 186 Ventures later in my journey, Giuseppe & Julian represented a strong and differentiated type of tech investor that the Boston community does not have enough of. They combine founder know-how and operational integrity with a huge vision and a willingness to bet on earth-shattering companies. I have no doubt they are going to bet on all the big winners in the next few years which is why they are the first VC that I introduce promising startups to.

Max Lyman
Co-Founder & CEO @ Solon, 186 funded

There are many transactional relationships in the world of venture capital. I have met plenty of prospective investors who have promised the world in terms of support, but most fall flat on their face. I have never met anyone as truly supportive, caring, and passionate as Giuseppe, Julian, and Sophie. Groups like 186, in my experience, are few and far between.

I love working with the 186VC team since day one. Giuseppe, Julian, and Sophie are the real deal. They are founders, builders, doers and go above and beyond to help you unconditionally. You want a passionate & genuine partner to ride the journey with you, a partner who has been through it before. It is telling when the whole firm is on your Telegram, Discord, iMsg, Signal, and using your product. We are lucky to have them in our family.

Cem Kozinoglu
Founder & CEO @ Ghost, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are great! Super helpful, and extremely proactive in finding ways to add value. I have never seen someone go so far out of their way to hustle and help. They go well above and beyond the call of duty to help you out with a great team solely dedicated to helping us. 186 is one best additions to our cap table!

Femi Iromini & Adedapo Sobayo
Co-Founders @ Moni Africa, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian believed in us from the very beginning, investing in Mural's seed round and providing foundational support across strategy, fundraising, and recruiting. They are a rare breed of investor: they value people and pair their passion for building with grit and a unique empathy for the founder journey. We're grateful to count them as close friends and allies, and wholeheartedly believe they would be a critical asset to any early-stage team.

Kevin Fung & Sinclair Toffa
Co-Founders @ Mural, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are great mentors of ours throughout Cuely's journey. What we appreciate the most are their transparent communication and passion for helping founders. Whenever Cuely learned a new insight or reached a new milestone, Giuseppe and Julian were the first to help us see the implications and the best next steps. 186 Ventures has accelerated our trajectory by providing advice, intros, and capital at the right times. We're glad we get to work with them!

Terry Xu
Founder & CEO @ Cuely, 186 funded

Anne Kim
Founder & CEO @ Secure AI Labs, 186 funded

186 Ventures has made an incredible impact on the success of our company from their early investment before we even had a half-baked business strategy. One of their fast introductions accelerated one of our first paid deals and also produced one of the best compliments to our product as 'the Cadillac of Security' from the Chief Data Officer at one of the biggest cancer research hospitals in the world. They have put together an impressive cadre of founders I've had the pleasure to meet with as we tackle the challenging space of digital health together. Excited for 186 and can't wait to meet the next round of amazing founders.

Will Haering
Co-Founder & CEO @ Ponto, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are tenacious supporters and their contributions have been a critical catalyst for our early growth at Ponto. Their unconditional honesty and trust in me as a founder have helped me to set and achieve concrete milestones related to recruiting industry leaders, building our early GTM strategy, and raising capital in record time. They are the single most value-add investors with whom I've had the opportunity to work.”

Jackson Boyar
Co-Founder & CEO @ Mentor Collective, 186 funded

Giuseppe & Julian have provided exceptional advice, perspective, and support since investing in our seed round in 2019. It is hard to find investors who can both be super relatable given their recent operating experience but at the same time provide seasoned, high value add guidance to fast growth tech founders like us. Their network spans far beyond Boston and that is very hard to come by from our experience; we are excited to see how much they can grow as investors over the next few decades.

Mark Kasdorf
Founder & CEO Intrepid Homes, LP, 186 funded

The 186 Ventures team was an early investor of ours and I really enjoyed how they were quickly able to grasp our market & the impact that our business could have on this world. They assisted with a wide range of items from intros to strategic follow on VCs to being a consistent sounding board as we built in the early days. I believe in their ability to scale their early stage investment platform.

Nicole & Ben Greene
Founders @ Givingli, 186 funded

186 Ventures has been an incredible partner to work with! 186 has provided genuine helpful support in many areas, from operational to strategic. As a former operator turned VC, Guiseppe’s guidance on company growth has been invaluable as has helped us take concrete steps in the right direction.

Erik Duhaime
Co-Founder & CEO @ Centaur Labs, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian have been fantastic for Centaur. A lot of investors talk about being founder friendly, but these guys have also walked the walk. They’ve been endlessly supportive from day 1, and they punch well above their weight class in terms of offering advice and making connections.

Hrish Lotlikar
Founder & CEO @ Superworld, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are one of a kind investors. I know, no matter what, they have my back as a Founder. They are always willing to spend their time, provide valuable insights which come from being operators themselves, and do what it takes to help us. They have been instrumental in opening up their network and introducing us to the right investors, in helping formulate our strategy and consistently working with us to solve operational challenges. I am so grateful to have them as early investors in our mission at SuperWorld to Build a Better World.

Ernesto Gaxha
Co-Founder & CEO @ Splitspot, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian have been incredible partners as we have built SplitSpot, not only as investors, but also as advisors, mentors, and fellow entrepreneurs. I know that, if I ever have a problem I need a second opinion on, or a connection I am hoping to make, Giuseppe and Julian are there. On a personal level, they are extremely down to earth, personable, and just all around great guys. I cannot be more excited to continue to grow my company with them on board

Brian Swartz
Co-Founder & CEO, NeighborSchools, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are of the new breed of VCs that respect founders' time and focus and invest in truly ambitious startups. They do their homework and come ready to ask good questions and focus on the dynamics that matter early-stage. When the wires clear they back it up by walking the walk as great operating partners when it's time to get back to work. Highly recommend working with these two.

Victor Santos
Co-Founder & CEO, Onyx, 186 funded

Working with Giuseppe and Julian has been a fantastic experience. They are amazing operators with deep execution experience and bring a fresh take on early-stage VC. They are committed to their founders and easily accessible in helping founders succeed throughout the entrepreneurial journey. They are also very well connected and are happy to make the right introductions to help your business, going out of their way to give personalized assistance to their portfolio companies.

Gautam Ajjarapu
Co-Founder & CEO, Burst, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are one of the most approachable investors on our cap table. From product and GTM deep-dives to strategic investor intros, the 186 team's network and expertise have been the most instrumental parts of our early success. They make a personal effort to help us hit our critical milestones and truly embody a founder-first mentality.

Boris Lipchin
Founder & CEO, Brio, 186 funded

Giuseppe and Julian are the type of investors you need in your corner. They were fantastic to deal with prior to the round, and after the round have continued to stay engaged and provide support quickly and effortlessly. They continue to cultivate a great network of founders, and support us not just with advice but a great ecosystem so critical for early stage companies.

LPs & Advisors

Woodrow Levin
Co-Founder & CEO @ Extend, 186 Ventures Advisor,186 LP

Giuseppe & Julian have an unparalleled ambition and passion compared with most venture teams out there. Not only is their enthusiasm infectious, but their ability to identify a high quality founding team working on a groundbreaking problem is impressive. I'm always interested in what captures 186's attention and excited to be an early supporter and limited partner.

Brandon Deer
VP, Operations & Strategy, 186 Ventures Advisor, 186 LP

One of my favorite things about Giuseppe & Julian is that not only do they possess one of the most eclectic networks out there for early stage investors, but if they invest in your company they become your #1 supporters, in all aspects of the meaning. They work unconditionally to help their founders win and have the experience needed to actually relate to founders building a world changing product. They are of the best to have in your corner at the seed stage.

Ezra Kucharz
CBO @ Draftkings, 186 LP

I’ve worked with Giuseppe & Julian for the last few years. They are two creative and innovative minds that bring unique skills to a saturated VC market. They have continued to exceed my expectations with how well connected they are and how hard they go to bat for founders. The 186 platform brings a competitive approach for startups. I am thrilled to be a 186 investor and look forward to their long term success.

David Lebow
Chief of Staff @ Draftkings, 186 LP

Giuseppe and Julian are inspired! They are creative, they build great relationships, and are highly relatable to the most innovative, contemporary entrepreneurs. And they complement each other perfectly. They hustle and have an eye for great opportunities. I worked closely with both at DraftKings and they added value every single day, looking for the best ways to get things done. I am a raving fan and supporter of Julian and Giuseppe. 186 is already covering a lot of ground and is great.

Chrissie Gorman
VP Corporate Development & Strategy, 186 LP

Giuseppe and Julian bring a unique mix of relationship building, startup leadership experience and analytical decision making to 186 Ventures. They are not only building an investment vehicle, but also a community of founders, executives, and fellow investors that will serve their portfolio companies and the greater Boston (and beyond) startup community well.

John Capodilupo
Co-Founder & CTO @ Whoop, 186 LP

The community of entrepreneurs and investors Giuseppe and Julian have built in Boston is truly unique. It's clear from the enthusiasm of founders they have backed (and even those they have not!) that they provide more than help and advice but truly listen and offer a friendly, sympathetic ear to the challenges an entrepreneur may be going through. Building a company with them behind you is a huge advantage.

Jason Briggs
Sr. Director, Salesforce, former Founder & CEO @ Diffeo, 186 LP

Giuseppe has been a critical advisor during my startup journey from first fundraise to acquisition by Salesforce. He's the full package because he is 1) a deep listener who comes up with actionable solutions for difficult problems, 2) very well connected and has made many strategic intros for me, and 3) super fun to hang out with. I am confident that Giuseppe & Julian are creating a next level venture platform and proud to play a small part in it.

Sean Judge
GP @ Castleisland VC, 186 LP

Julian and Giuseppe are 24/7 - they are constantly connecting entrepreneurs with the right sources of talent and capital. Startups require hustle and grit to go from zero to one and you’re getting that with 186. If you want people on your side to outwork competition, I’d recommend putting Julian and Giuseppe in your corner.