Wisdom Ventures – an unconventional venture capital firm focused on promoting mindfulness, compassion, well-being, and human connection – recently successfully closed its inaugural Fund I with an oversubscribed raise of $10 million. And this achievement represents a significant milestone for Wisdom Ventures and demonstrates the interest in this opportunity-rich field and trust in its esteemed Limited Partners (LPs).
Since the initial $5 million close last year, Wisdom Ventures has strategically deployed its capital in fifteen start-ups, engaging with nearly 150 founder teams. Wisdom Ventures has invested in leading AI companies and many other mental health, workplace well-being, and psychotropics companies such as Betterleave, Alkeme, Seven Starling, Juno, Ami, and more.
The notable investors in Fund I include Reid Hoffman (Founder of LinkedIn), Elizabeth Koch (Founder of Unlikely Collaborators), Evan Williams (Founder of Medium), Esther Dyson (Chair of EdVenture and Founder of WellVille), Jeff Weiner (Executive Chairman of LinkedIn), Danielle Krettek (Founder of Google Empathy Lab), Ho Nam (Altos Ventures), and more.
The firm’s exceptional team comprises seasoned professionals with diverse expertise. And Bradley Horowitz, (Long-term Google exec) brings invaluable insights to the team. Other team members include Ruchika Sikri (Former Head of Well-being Learning at Google), Cecily Mak (start-up COO, attorney, and revenue lead), Diego Perez (NYT Best Selling author known as Yung Pueblo), Soren Gordhamer (Founder of Wisdom 2.0), and Jack Kornfield (Renowned meditation teacher and author).
With a focus on advancing diversity in both investment efforts and the broader ecosystem, Wisdom Ventures proudly showcases 50% of their LPs and 80% of their founders representing diverse gender, race, and age demographics. And the firm has received interest from over 900 founders seeking funding, while more than 200 investors have expressed interest in investing in the firm.
As Wisdom Ventures distributes investments from Fund I, they are simultaneously laying the groundwork for a larger Fund II. And the firm remains committed to supporting its portfolio companies, providing not only financial backing but also supporting their growth and overall well-being.
KEY QUOTES:
“Unlikely Collaborators is thrilled to be partnering with Wisdom Ventures which shares our values and ethos. We believe in supporting entrepreneurs’ deep inner work, since we believe that leadership self-awareness is the first step towards thriving as teams, companies, and communities.”
— Elizabeth Koch, Founder of Unlikely Collaborators
“We are thrilled and humbled to reach this fundraising milestone for Fund I. Building a bridge connecting well-intended investors with fully aligned founders is a privilege—and to do it while prioritizing our core values, including diversity across all cohorts—brings a longstanding vision to life.”
— Cecily Mak, General Partner at Wisdom Ventures
