Episode 408 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Matt Fates, Partner at Innospark Ventures.
Did you know that the first modern venture capital firm was started right here in the Boston area? It’s true. Back in 1946, Georges Doriot founded the American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC), marking the birth of an industry that has fueled the entrepreneurial dream for nearly 80 years.
Matt Fates entered the industry during the “Internet 1.0” era, a time when VC firms were just beginning to gain major visibility. Over the course of his career, he has invested in over 100 companies. Through those investments, he has developed a deep expertise in data-driven enterprise and infrastructure startups—experience that has perfectly positioned him for the current massive shift toward AI.
Innospark Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in AI-native companies solving previously intractable problems across healthcare, life sciences, and the enterprise.
In this episode of our podcast, we cover:
- Advice on landing a job in Venture Capital.
- Matt’s background story and his time spent living in London for five years.
- Studying Computer Science and Economics at Yale and getting his career started in investment banking.
- His career in Venture Capital at Norwest Venture Partners and Ascent Venture Partners
- His current role at Innospark, plus all the details on the firm and what they are targeting for investments.
- Portfolio companies examples.
- And so much more!
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