Mike J. Email and Phone Number
I am a Partner and co-founder of Founders Circle Capital. I invest in growth stage technology companies and have had the good fortune to invest in a number of leading companies including Hashicorp (IPO: HCP), Twilio (IPO: TWLO), DoorDash (IPO: DASH), Poshmark (IPO: POSH), Udemy (IPO: UDMY), AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco), AlienVault (acquired by AT&T), Ebates (acquired by Rakuten), Dollar Shave Club (acquired by Unilever) and Gainsight (acquired by Vista Equity Partners), among others. Founders Circle is a growth stage venture firm that “invests in people,'' wholly committed to those who are leading today's fastest growing companies and navigating the unique challenges of transitioning from product-market fit to hyperscale. Founded in 2012, Founders Circle Capital manages ~$1.3B in assets, with a portfolio that includes over 90 companies, of which 21 have gone public. We focus on “people building” by way of two services: flexible capital to meet the needs of growth-stage companies and a private leadership community called The Circle, connecting over 500 CEOs and CXOs who collectively engage in peer-to-peer professional development. Before starting Founders Circle Capital I was a partner at Panorama Capital, a venture spinout of JPMorgan Partners, where I began my venture career in 2003. Before venture, I held executive operating roles as Vice President of Corporate and Business Development at Ask Jeeves (acquired by IAC), where I led teams responsible for M&A, strategic partnerships and incubation of new products. I was also VP of Corporate Development at the Exigen Group, responsible for alliances, business development and M&A. I'm also the founder of Alpha, a peer networking organization comprised of over 1000 founders, CEOs, executives and venture capitalists in technology ecosystem. Early in my career, I advised technology companies as an investment banker with Robertson Stephens and an attorney with Gunderson Dettmer. I graduated from the University of Michigan with a JD/MBA and received a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Partner And Co-FounderFounders Circle Capital Apr 2012 - PresentSan Francisco, UsFounders Circle is a growth stage venture firm that “invests in people'', wholly committed to those who are leading today's fastest growing companies and navigating the unique challenges of transitioning from product-market fit to hyperscale. Founders Circle focuses on “people building” by way of two services: flexible capital to meet the needs of growth-stage companies and a private leadership community called The Circle, connecting 250+ on-the-ground CEOs and CFOs who collectively engage in peer-to-peer professional development.
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FounderAlpha Jun 2005 - PresentAlpha is a private network of entrepreneurs and industry executives passionate about the next generation of technology. Alpha was born of a need for founders to have a forum to engage with their peers in candid, thoughtful conversation. Today Alpha consists of over 1000 members, across several geographies, including SF, LA, Seattle, Toronto, Boston and Chicago. Over the past decade we've hosted well over 500 live and virtual events to help entrepreneurs connect, create and learn.
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PartnerPanorama Capital Jul 2006 - Sep 2012At Panorama Capital, we focused on investing in early and mid-stage technology and life sciences startups. I learned how to identify companies headed for breakout growth, along with the challenges those companies faced getting there.
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PrincipalJpmorgan Partners Feb 2003 - Jul 2006One of my investments at JPMorgan Partners stands out as a moment when I realized the importance of founder liquidity. It is a classic story of a founder who paid himself nothing while starting his business, took time to find the right product/market fit, and lived through the ups and downs of the dot-com bubble. Once he found that fit and began scaling his company, we invested. When I learned that for five years before we invested, he had barely paid himself. In addition to growth capital, part of the financing provided him and his co-founder with some liquidity, to give them some much needed breathing room to focus on building his business, but also to have the financial security for this "other" startup - starting a new family.
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Vice President, Corporate Strategy And DevelopmentExigen Group Aug 2001 - Jan 2003UsLike Ask Jeeves, working at Exigen helped me understand what is like to be an operator in a fast growing, highly dynamic technology company. Working closely with a founder with a grand vision provided a lot of insight into all of the ups and downs a founder experiences. Scaling a business is non-linear. It's filled with ups and downs and peaks and valleys. Helping connect founders with other founders who have negotiated this path before is something that I've always strived to do. -
Vice President, Strategic Corporate DevelopmentAsk Jeeves Jun 1999 - Aug 2001New York, Ny, UsPromoted from Director in 2000Working at Ask Jeeves was a powerful experience. I personally learned a lot about how a company experiencing breakaway growth grows from 50 to 500 employees in the span of 2 years. I developed a first hand understanding of what to do (and not do!), when scaling an organization in short order. One of the reasons I founded Founders Circle was because of my own personal experience at Ask Jeeves - where I saw so many, myself included, so focused on building a business that they often neglected their own personal financial needs. -
Senior Associate, Technology M&ARobertson Stephens Aug 1998 - Jun 1999At Robertson Stephens, we worked almost exclusively with fast growing tech startups. As an M&A advisor, I worked with many entrepreneurs who ultimately sold their companies. Understanding that process, from a financial, strategic and importantly, a personal perspective, was tremendous. It taught me a lot about how companies think when they’re acquiring a company, and how entrepreneurs should navigate those discussions.
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Corporate AssociateGunderson Dettmer Oct 1996 - Aug 1998Redwood City, California, UsGunderson was a "startup" law firm when I joined - my first taste of building a fast growing startup. Working at Gunderson gave me a deep understanding of how to structure transactions and advise and work with entrepreneurs and VCs alike. Instead of just being able to design a building, Gunderson taught me how to "build" it, brick by brick.
Mike J. Education Details
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University Of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School Of BusinessFinance And Corporate Strategy -
University Of Michigan Law SchoolJd
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University Of California, BerkeleyPolitical Economy Of Industrial Societies
Frequently Asked Questions about Mike J.
What company does Mike J. work for?
Mike J. works for Founders Circle Capital
What is Mike J.'s role at the current company?
Mike J.'s current role is Partner and Co-Founder at Founders Circle Capital.
What schools did Mike J. attend?
Mike J. attended University Of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School Of Business, University Of Michigan Law School, University Of California, Berkeley.
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