CapitalG

An accomplished growth-stage investor in companies such as Citrix, TIBCO, Ellucian and iCIMS, Conner Lovely was drawn to CapitalG because he found the Google network to be helpful both in opening doors and in driving real value for portfolio companies. Read on to learn more about Conner Lovely in the final part of our series highlighting CapitalG's talented investment VPs 1. Why did you join CapitalG, and what do you like most about the job? CapitalG's view on portfolio construction coupled with the tangible value-add we can provide really resonated with me. As a growth-stage investor, I find that being concentrated and convicted in your bets allows you to take advantage of the power laws of venture in a fairly unique way. However, earning the right to act as a partner for and an investor in these businesses is quite difficult, so having the Googler network is exceptionally helpful in opening doors and in driving real value for our companies. 2. Where do you focus your investments, and what key factors do you consider when evaluating potential investments and leadership teams? I spend the majority of my time focused on infrastructure software across data and analytics. Having spent a large part of my career in this sub-segment of the software market, I've gained a deep appreciation for the importance of playing in fast-growing, rapidly-evolving parts of the infra stack while maintaining high-product velocity. 3. If you could teach a class, what would it be? I would teach a class on modern literary fiction predicated on learning more about worldbuilding and mythology. 4. What are some items on your bucket list? The bucket list items I haven't completed yet are some mix of outdoorsy activities, good music, delicious food, and long plane rides – such as hiking in Patagonia, surfing in Iceland, and sailing in Greece. But, I have found that I've been getting just as much enjoyment in those big moments as I do in some of the little ones like playing fetch with my dog Effie and cooking for my family over the holidays. For more on Conner and CapitalG's other investment VPs Jamie Rosen, Army Tunjaicon, Manmeet Gujral and Kelly Barton, read the full blog post at https://lnkd.in/eGiQY-W5

She had planned to pursue an economics PhD, but research showing technology companies' impact on economic growth inspired Jamie Rosen to become a #VC to support incredible founders pursuing outsized positive impacts on the world. This week we highlight CapitalG investment VPs, today focusing on Jamie Rosen who worked on investments in Dataiku, ID.me, Expel, DTEX Systems and Orca Security. 1. What was your journey to venture capital? Before joining CapitalG, I worked at Bain & Company and planned to pursue a PhD in economics. As I prepared to go back to school, I revisited research by Paul Romer that pointed to technology companies as the primary driver of recent economic growth. This research really struck a chord with me and ultimately led me to change my own course to pursue investing. I believe technology companies will continue to have an outsized positive impact on the world. It’s an honor to partner with remarkable companies and founders on their audacious journeys. 2. Why did you join CapitalG, and what do you like most about the job? Back in 2019 when I was making the jump to venture capital, the levels of investment in the venture ecosystem were at an all time high. What made CapitalG particularly exciting to me and helped it stand out from other firms was the opportunity to leverage the scale, experience and resources of Google to support founders in a differentiated way. It’s quite difficult to earn the right to partner and invest in transformational businesses. The best companies tend to have their pick of investors, even in so-called “soft markets.” Our access to the Googler network helps us open doors and drive real value for our companies. 3. Who is your hero and why? My late grandmother is my hero. Born in Germany, she escaped with her parents at the age of 12 during WWII. Moving first to Panama and then to New York, she had to learn an entirely new language, make new friends, and build a new life. She went on to attend NYU and became a real estate agent, supporting her family and paving the way for me to have the opportunities I have had in my life. I had a very special relationship with her growing up. Each week we all gathered to celebrate Shabbat. This left an impression on me: watching her continue to celebrate her religion and beliefs despite the persecution brought upon her family. She taught me to stick to my values, be resilient, and always work hard. 4. What is an item on your bucket list that you have completed? Before I went to college I attended a policy program in Washington, DC where I had the opportunity to sit next to Ruth Bader Ginsburg at a dinner. She has always been an inspiration to me, given her incredible contributions to women’s rights and gender equality, so the chance to share a conversation with her over dinner was a dream come true. Learn more about Jamie, Kelly Barton, Army Tunjaicon, Manmeet Gujral and Conner Lovely at https://lnkd.in/eGiQY-W5

CapitalG's investment VPs are a lot more than just skilled VCs--they're also really interesting people. Join us behind the scenes as we highlight a different investor every day this week. Today's post focuses on CapitalG's own #AI wunderkind Manmeet Gujral who invested, along with Jill (Greenberg) Chase Chase, in the hot AI startup Magic. 1. How did your background before CapitalG frame your view on investing? Prior to CapitalG, I worked in go-to-market at AI & ML infra startup Tecton and at Bain & Company consulting for technology companies and investors. Both roles exposed me to the complexities of building a business. I dread hearing investors say “just do” X, or “just hire” Y to founders. There’s no “just” in building a business. Companies are complex systems and a reflection of the humans within them. Each decision requires careful thought and coordination and has a direct impact on real people. These experiences inspire me with a sense of awe when a company is truly “working” and a sense of humility in trying to help when something is not. 2. Where do you focus your investments, and what key factors do you consider when evaluating potential investments and leadership teams? I help lead CapitalG’s investments in AI & ML, infrastructure, and horizontal application software. Each founder is unique, but over time I’ve gravitated towards two things. First, founders who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, honesty and drive. Second, founders with big, but clear, ambitious theses from day one. In other words, vectors with both high magnitude and clear direction. I aim to partner with generational companies and founders across stages and categories. At the end of the day, I believe investing to be a craft and competency in and of itself focused on finding those rare companies that can avoid reversion to the mean and can compound for long periods of time. 3. What was your first job, and what made it memorable? Between my first and second year of college, I split time between two very different internships: one as a software engineer at a small electronic health record startup and the second as an intern in the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Very few times in my life have I felt as big of a day-to-day brain stretch as trying to learn how to program in C# on Monday while fielding inbound constituent phone calls about the Iran Nuclear Deal on Tuesday. 4. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a doctor. I grew up in a family of doctors, and I wanted to be in the “family business.” That early desire was also rooted in my grandfather’s (“Nanapapa”) consistent encouragement. As an immigrant entrepreneur, he sought more stability for his children and grandchildren than he had himself. For more on Manmeet Gujral and CapitalG's other investment VPs Jamie Rosen, Army Tunjaicon, Kelly Barton and Conner Lovely, read the full blog post at https://lnkd.in/eGiQY-W5

We're excited to announce our investment in Grafana Labs as part of their latest funding round. With more than 20M users around the world, Grafana Labs has been revolutionizing the observability space for over a decade. They have deep roots in open source, and we’re excited about their commitment to remaining a true OSS company and impressed by their dedication to their community. It’s already been a big year for the company – crossing 5K customers, surpassing $250M ARR, ranking at #23 on Forbes Cloud 100, and its recent inclusion as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Observability Platforms. Congratulations to Raj Dutt, Torkel Ödegaard, and the rest of the Grafana team on all their momentum. We look forward to supporting your continued growth and success! Mo Jomaa Derek Zanutto Conner Lovely https://lnkd.in/gGA8uZ9p

A former member of MIT's rowing team, Kelly Barton is an Ironman triathlete who competes in world championships across the globe. She's also an investment VP at CapitalG. CapitalG's investors are a lot more than just skilled VCs. This week we share more about the people and places that shaped our investment VPs, their approach to working with founders, and their passions beyond the workplace. Read below to learn more about #fintech investor Kelly Barton: 1. Kelly, describe your journey to venture capital. I have always loved learning, so I’ve looked for jobs where I could explore different industries and tackle a range of challenges. Earlier in my career, I spent time on a trading floor, at a consumer start-up, and consulting for F500 companies. Shifting to VC felt like the perfect fit. The constant pace of innovation enables me to always learn something new and meet people with different perspectives. I'm grateful to the founders we work with for sharing the expertise and passion they pour into their companies! 2. Where do you focus your investments, and what key factors do you consider when evaluating potential investments and leadership teams? I focus nearly all of my time on fintech and vertical software. I get really excited by products that have the potential to change how everyday end consumers experience the world by disrupting the underlying infrastructure. I love working with leadership teams who balance their passion for building innovative, disruptive products with thoughtful, grounded approaches to scaling within a complicated end market. 3. What is something about your background that people would be surprised to learn? I train competitively for long distance triathlons, focusing mostly on the half-ironman distance. Over the last three years, I have competed in 11 half-ironmans, one full ironman, and four short distance triathlons, including three world championships,10 wins in my age group, and six overall wins. My next race is the half ironman world championships in New Zealand this December. 4. What is something on your bucket list that you have yet to complete? I’d like to see all 34 paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer. I am currently at 24; the first I ever saw were the two in the Louvre. I loved museums as a kid and found it fascinating that he had so few paintings compared to his peers, so I decided I would make it a goal to travel the world to see all of them in their "home" museums. For more on Kelly and CapitalG's other investment VPs Jamie Rosen, Army Tunjaicon, Manmeet Gujral and Conner Lovely, read the full blog post at https://lnkd.in/eGiQY-W5

Army Tunjaicon was a monk in Thailand who taught himself English by providing free tours to tourists when he was 15. Today he's an investment VP at CapitalG--and a top player in the World Series of Poker. CapitalG's investment VPs are a lot more than just skilled VCs. They're also really interesting people. Join us behind the scenes this week as we highlight a different investor each day, beginning with this Q&A with Army: 1. Army, why did you join CapitalG, and what do you like most about it? I joined CapitalG in 2024 after working as an early growth-stage investor at IVP. Two things in particular attracted me to CapitalG. First, CapitalG chooses its investments in a very strategic way, beginning with in-depth thesis-based research and extending to an extremely thorough vetting process. Second, CapitalG’s association with Google and the resources that relationship unlocks create both a unique platform for the firm and an extremely compelling offering for our companies. 2. Where do you focus your investments, and what key factors do you consider when evaluating potential investments and potential leadership teams? I tend to focus on early growth investments shortly after companies find product-market fit. When evaluating potential investments, I always look for an obvious answer to the question of “why now?” Is there a macroeconomic factor or technology advancement that makes this business the right opportunity, right now? When meeting with leaders, I am always impressed by founders who can succinctly explain their solutions using relatable language and tangible examples that highlight what led them to their idea, why they founded their company, and what problem their company solves.  3. What is something about your background that people would be surprised to learn? I was a monk in Thailand before I moved to the US at the age of 15. At the time, I knew very little English. To help me improve my language skills in the weeks leading up to the move, I frequented a popular tourist area in Bangkok where I’d find English-speaking travelers and offer to tour them around at no cost. 4. If you could teach a class, what would it be and why? I do teach a class! I am a semi-pro poker player and play in the World Series of Poker. At the 2023 event, I placed in the top 5th percentile. To help share my passion with others, I teach a recurring poker class to entrepreneurs and fellow executives. Personal plug: Feel free to reach out if you are interested in joining! For more on Army and CapitalG's other investment VPs Jamie Rosen, Kelly Barton, Manmeet Gujral and Conner Lovely, read the full blog post at https://lnkd.in/eGiQY-W5

What do you get when you combine the unstoppable 20VC Harry Stebbings with CapitalG's inspiring managing partner Laela Sturdy? A must-listen conversation in which they dig into meaty topics including: - What outlier metrics Laela looked for when investing in companies like Duolingo, Stripe, UiPath, Gusto and Whatnot - Why spikiness and followership are critical characteristics found in world-class founders like Luis von Ahn, Daniel Dines, Grant LaFontaine, Josh R., Patrick Collison and John Collison - Why even the best founders in the world can benefit from investors who add value - Common mistakes companies make while scaling--and how to avoid them - Factors to consider when gauging a company's readiness to go public - The role of outlier data in predicting an investment's impact and return - Why company building is a team sport - How having Alphabet as its sole LP helps CapitalG serve as a lasting partner to generational companies Tune in to Spotify at  https://lnkd.in/gBqZc2fj and to YouTube at https://lnkd.in/g93eBhd5

December 1991: I got on my very first airplane as a 9 year old and landed in SFO as a refugee with the rest of my family, fleeing persecution in the USSR with very little to our name. August 2024: Webflow, the company I co-founded with Sergie and Bryant more than a decade ago, launches its first major brand campaign throughout the exact same airport, as well as many other parts of San Francisco. Feeling immensely proud and grateful for the hundreds of Webflow team members — past and present — and more than 300,000 customers who made all this possible. And so very thankful for the country that welcomed my family of immigrants with open arms. If this isn't an example of the American Dream at work, I don't know what is... 🥰🇺🇸

Congratulations to all of the fantastic businesses named to the 2024 Forbes Cloud 100 list, including #CapitalGfamily companies: Databricks - led by Ali Ghodsi Stripe - led by Patrick Collison and John Collison Gusto - led by Josh R. Dataiku - led by Florian Douetteau Collibra - led by Felix Van de Maele Webflow - led by Linda Tong Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology - led by Jack Newton. We're inspired by your innovation, drive and relentless devotion to customer success and are honored to support you on your journeys. Kudos to Alex Konrad and Kenrick Cai for once again compiling such an exhaustive list. Derek Zanutto Laela Sturdy Alex Nichols Jane Alexander Jesse Wedler https://lnkd.in/etRHGNfs

Huge congratulations to Yevgeny Dibrov, Nadir Izrael and the entire Armis team for surpassing $200 million in ARR. We're honored to support you on your incredible, inspiring journey. #CapitalGfamily Derek Zanutto Mo Jomaa