Listening to angel investors and venture capitalists is crucial for early stage startups looking for capital.
One often overlooked platform for the early investment game is the often overlooked LinkedIn.
It’s brimming with seasoned VCs, whose feeds encapsulate years of industry knowledge and invaluable insights. It’s also a great place to network with the venture capital community and ultimately find financing.
To help you get started, we’ve handpicked 15 top VCs to Follow On Linkedin.
Travis Jamison, CEO of Smash Digital and Founder of AMZ Pathfinder
Travis Jamison is a prominent figure in digital marketing and SEO. He founded Smash Digital, showcasing his deep passion and over a decade-long involvement in SEO. His successful entrepreneurial ventures in various industries, notably in SaaS, e-commerce, and services, have been significantly propelled by his expertise in SEO.
Beyond his SEO expertise, he has expanded into investments with Smash.vc, aiming to support and collaborate with bootstrapped lifestyle businesses. Leveraging his entrepreneurial and investment experience, Smash.vc focuses on creating mutually beneficial partnerships, offering guidance and mentorship while respecting the autonomy of the businesses it partners with.
Additionally, Jamison is actively involved in the SaaS sector, having founded, grown, and successfully exited a b2b SaaS company. He applies this experience to support other SaaS projects through both Smash Digital and Smash.vc.
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Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn and Partner at Greyscale VC
Truly a juggernaut in the entrepreneurial and venture capital ecosystem, Reid Hoffman managed to transform LinkedIn from a small startup to a multi-billion enterprise.
His thought leadership revolves around scale-ups, network effects, and entrepreneurship, offering entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors insightful advice through his posts.
Thanks to his pioneering perspective on growing businesses, Hoffman is a must-follow figure in the venture capitalism industry.
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Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva
Guy Kawasaki is an acclaimed author, marketing specialist, and podcaster.
With years in the tech industry, including two notable stints at Apple where he was an evangelist and later Apple Fellow, he brings invaluable wisdom and insights to any entrepreneur or investor.
His LinkedIn posts share eclectic business knowledge, highlighting practical strategies for growth and innovation.
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Raj Kapoor, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Climactic
Raj Kapoor is a former Chief Strategy Officer at Lyft turned climate-friendly investor.
As an early stage tech vc, he understands the challenges that startups face in the rapidly expanding tech-driven markets. He aims to be a kickass entrepreneur mentor to businesses that are innovating sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges through Climactic VC.
His LinkedIn content provides a glimpse into the world of climate tech, highlighting investment opportunities, and championing promising startups in this field.
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Jason Calacanis, Founder and CEO at the LAUNCH Accelerator
Jason Calacanis is a renowned angel investor, entrepreneur, and author. He has backed up countless successful startups after first getting wiped out in the early dotcom boom.
As a mobile industry pioneer, he has recently started teaching at Founders University and sharing his immense knowledge with others. As Founder and CEO of The LAUNCH Accelerator, he also advises budding entrepreneurs and offers them actionable feedback. His portfolio companies include Uber, Evernote, Gowalla, ChartBeat, and over 60 other startups.
All this means his LinkedIn feed is a goldmine for entrepreneurs, with posts giving valuable insights into the world of angel investing, fundraising strategies, and startup growth.
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Mark Cuban, Owner of Dallas Mavericks
Mark Cuban, a self-made billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and a mainstay on the hit show ‘Shark Tank,’ is known for his sharp business acumen and outspoken personality.
His investments span industries, reflective of his instincts for disruption and innovation.
On LinkedIn, Cuban shares candid insights and advice drawn from his diverse business experiences, but mainly focuses on Big Pharma issues and his Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company set to lower drug prices.
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Phil Stover, Co-Founder and CEO at PvP.com
Phil Stover is an angel investor and venture capitalist with a knack for identifying potential across diverse sectors.
He’s also the co-founder and managing partner of Blue Skies Venture, the venture capital firm through which he invests in early stage startups.
From gaming and social media to fast-fashion technology brand FABFAD, the wedding planning app Vowla, and Shipsomnia, a music festival cruise experience, his portfolio companies are a wide variety of successful ventures.
Stover uses LinkedIn to share valuable insights on entrepreneurship, product development, and investment.
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Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founder of Reddit
Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and Initialized Capital, is a seasoned entrepreneur and a serial investor. He knows a thing or two about turning a business idea into a wildly successful company.
He’s more than willing to share the lessons he learned throughout his thriving career to help early stage business owners get their entrepreneurial journey properly started.
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Garry Tan, President, CEO, and Group Partner at Y Combinator
Garry Tan is a Stanford alumnus, designer, PM, engineer and venture capitalist with some enviable credentials on his resume.
Besides running the startup accelerator Y Combinator, he’s also the founder, board partner, and advisor at Initialized Capital, an early investment firm boasting more than $3.2 billion in assets.
All this qualifies Tan as worthy of following on LinkedIn.
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Aaron Harris, Co-Founder at Magid & Company
A former general partner at Y Combinator, Aaron Harris is an influential figure in the venture capital world thanks to his contributions to backing up and nurturing numerous successful companies.
On LinkedIn, he provides actionable advice and broad insights on the startup landscape, derived from his experiences of working closely with ambitious entrepreneurs.
Want to learn how to land meetings with investors and secure funding for your new startup? Check out both his blog https://aaronkharris.com/ and LinkedIn profile.
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Nina Stepanov, Growth at Alloy
Nina Stepanov is a rising star in the venture capital universe.
With expertise in early stage startup investing, she has cultivated a powerful network of entrepreneurs and investors through her tenure at Forum Ventures.
Her LinkedIn feed provides a fresh perspective on the latest Silicon Valley trends, fundraising for technology startups, and everything else entrepreneurs might find interesting and useful.
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Gustaf Alströmer, Group Partner at Y Combinator
Previously a product lead at AirBnB and now a partner at Y Combinator, Gustaf Alströmer advocates climate tech and decarbonization solutions.
As an angel investor, he is making important strides in supporting businesses driving environmental sustainability. On LinkedIn, Alstromer shares his insights into tech product development, raising funds, and green innovation.
Entrepreneurs in the cleantech space seeking a keen understanding of the investment dynamics in this sector will find Alstromer’s posts highly insightful.
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Dan Martell, Founder at SaaS Academy
Dan Martell, a renowned Canadian angel investor, serial entrepreneur, and coach, is known for helping early stage SaaS startups find their footing.
He has successfully founded and sold multiple companies, an experience that provides him with unique and invaluable insights into the entrepreneurial journey.
Through LinkedIn, Martell actively shares his wisdom and lessons learned from his ventures, discussing topics from investment strategies to growth hacking. Check out both his Twitter feed (1) Dan Martell (@danmartell) / X (twitter.com) and LinkedIn.
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Brett Berson, Partner at First Round
Brett Berson, a partner at First Round Capital, is known for his hands-on approach to venture capital investing.
He deeply believes in getting closely involved with early stage companies and steering them towards success with solid startup advice.
He and his venture capital firm helped founders raise $18 billion in follow-on capital and scale their businesses.
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Kirsten Green, Founder and Managing Partner at Forerunner
Kirsten Green is a trailblazer in the VC field, pioneering eCommerce investments long before they became mainstream.
Known for her foresight and strategic approach, she has backed successful ventures like Dollar Shave Club and Warby Parker. On LinkedIn, Green shares considerable insights about the rapidly evolving retail and consumer sector, showcasing her unique ability to identify industry trends.
Entrepreneurs, particularly those in consumer and eCommerce sectors, can learn a lot from Green’s expert commentaries.
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How to Capture the Attention of Venture Capitalists on LinkedIn
LinkedIn, the corporate Tiktok, is a powerhouse platform for entrepreneurs aiming to connect with venture capitalists.
Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn offers a more formal and business-centric environment, making it an ideal space for startups to shine.
But with millions of profiles and a sea of content, how can one stand out and grab the attention of discerning VCs?
Here’s a roadmap to success:
- Optimize Your Profile: Before reaching out, ensure your profile is polished and professional. Use a high-quality profile picture, craft a compelling headline, and detail your entrepreneurial journey in the ‘About’ section. Highlight your startup’s milestones, awards, and significant achievements.
- Share Thought Leadership Content: Regularly post articles, insights, and updates related to your industry. By positioning yourself as a thought leader, you not only showcase your expertise but also demonstrate your commitment to staying updated with industry trends.
- Engage Actively: Don’t just post; engage. Comment on posts by influential VCs, participate in relevant group discussions, and share content from others in your network. Genuine engagement can lead to meaningful connections.
- Leverage Recommendations: Encourage colleagues, employees, and business partners to leave recommendations on your profile. Positive testimonials can significantly boost your credibility in the eyes of potential investors.
- Attend Virtual Events: LinkedIn often hosts webinars, seminars, and virtual networking events. Participate actively, ask questions, and connect with speakers and attendees. These events can be golden opportunities to get noticed.
- Craft Personalized Connection Requests: When reaching out to VCs, avoid generic messages. Tailor your connection request, mentioning any common connections, interests, or specific reasons you wish to connect.
- Stay Consistent: Building a strong LinkedIn presence is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency in posting, engaging, and networking is key to gradually capturing the attention of venture capitalists.
In essence, LinkedIn offers a unique blend of professional networking and content sharing. By harnessing its features and maintaining an active, authentic presence, entrepreneurs can significantly increase their chances of catching the eye of potential investors.
Why Connecting with Venture Capitalists on Social Media is a Smart Move
Social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, have become essential tools for professionals across industries. For entrepreneurs, these platforms offer more than just networking opportunities; they provide direct access to some of the brightest minds in the business world.
Here’s why connecting with venture capitalists on social media is a good idea:
1. Market Insights:
Venture capitalists are always on the pulse of the latest market trends. By following their posts and discussions, you can gain insights into emerging industries, consumer behaviors, and potential business opportunities.
2. Business Strategy:
VCs often share articles, case studies, and personal experiences that shed light on effective business strategies. This can be invaluable startup advice.
3. Investment Tips:
If you’re looking to secure funding, there’s no better place to learn than from the experts. VCs often discuss what they look for in potential investments, giving you a clearer idea of how to position your startup for success.
4. Personal Connections:
Beyond the professional insights, connecting with VCs on social media allows you to build personal relationships. Engaging with them, commenting on their posts, and sharing relevant content can put you on their radar. Who knows, maybe the introduction you make today will turn into a venture partner in the future.
In Conclusion
While social media offers a vast network of connections, strategically engaging with venture capitalists can provide targeted insights and opportunities. It’s not just about gathering information. It’s about building relationships that can propel your business forward.
Tap into the collective knowledge and experience of these 15 venture capitalists on LinkedIn and learn from their entrepreneurial mistakes and wins. And if that’s not enough, here’s more investors to follow.
Remember to check out every venture capital blog in this article!
