Invest with Founders First
$80.9k
Typical Investments
5
Deals Last 12 Months
1521
Unique LPs have invested
Note from Founders First
Founders First was founded by Jordan Fliegel and Jeremy Levine ("J&J") and is currently operated in partnership with Gaingels. The Syndicate leverages J&J's and Gaingel’s access and relationships built over a decade of operating and investing in startups.
Jeremy is co-founder & CEO of Underdog, which recently raised a Series B at a $485M valuation. J&J were previously the co-CEOs of Draft.com, which was acquired by Paddy Power Betfair in 2017 for $48M. Before Draft.com, Jordan was Founder & CEO of CoachUp.com, the sports coaching marketplace that raised $14M in venture with NBA MVP Stephen Curry as its spokesman. Jordan is now Managing Director of the Techstars Sports Accelerator and Techstars NYC Accelerator, which are two of the best performing startup accelerators in the world.
J&J raised funding for their companies from firms including Blackrock, General Catalyst, Upfront Ventures, SV Angel, and Founder Collective, and from celebrities from the sports and music industries like Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Nas, Future, and the Chainsmokers.
J&J have been angel investing together for a decade, and have backed 300+ startups at Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A, including Carta, Ramp, SuperHuman, mParticle, Fight Camp, Ergatta, Gametime, Merit, Digits, Yotta, Ovia Health, Botkeeper, Atoms, Lemon Perfect, 10% Happier, HqO, Kafene, Freight Farms, Braavo, Hawthorne, WelcomeHomes, and StandardBots.
Gaingels is amongst the most active LGBTQIA+/Allies venture investors in the world, but represents an otherwise extremely diverse group of investors and check writers from many backgrounds, and we particularly seek to promote diversity and inclusion at our portfolio companies through direct and network support.
Anyone considering an investment in one of our syndicates should understand that these investments represent absolute risk, and there is a meaningful risk that they can lose all their money. There is no guarantee of a "soft landing" or acquisition if things do not go as planned. In addition, there is no guarantee that, even in a successful company, there will be opportunity for liquidity for the shares represented and an investor should be prepared to have their capital committed for ten years, or more without liquidity.
Dealflow
Founders First deal flow comes from the many relationships "J&J" have built through years of operating 4 VC-backed startups in NYC & Boston and from being Seed/Series A investors in 250+ startups. Many of the founders they back are long-term relationships, now building their second (or third) companies, or follow on investments from early venture rounds out of the partner's prior funds. Join the Founders First syndicate to get access to some great companies!
