After many years of advising companies and helping dozens secure funding, I'm formally beginning to invest, and NPS will invest primarily in Pre-seed and Seed rounds with select opportunities at later stages.

So, why "NPS"? A few reasons

NPS is short for New Picks and Shovels. I've been in eCommerce for a decade and believe that one of the biggest growth sectors opportunities is Commerce Infrastructure. My experience includes
1. Running a Digitally Native Vertical Brand ("DNVB"), Modify, for 7 years full time (sold to CustomInk). We were a Shopify storefront for 5 years, and I used a breadth of tools/vendors to run the business. Modify was primarily a Direct to Consumer (DTC) business, though I do have wholesale, retail and pop-up experience which is relevant for this problem space.
2. Serving as a vendor to the new wave of consumer brands via my previous company, Passport Shipping. I've formally and informally partnered with dozens of vendors in this space including agencies, systems integrators, returns companies, other logistics companies, inventory management systems, marketing products, etc.
3. Selling to many of the top DTC 3pl's including ShipMonk, Ruby Has, AMS, etc. I closed deals with a bunch of consumer brands including Tommy John, Native, Man Repeller, and more.
4. Served as CBO at Returnly, a returns infrastructure company
I'm a Zappos fanboy, and believe that experience is eating the world (not just software). Net Promoter Score (NPS) is the metric that resonates most, as it reveals if customers like your product or service enough to refer you to their friends.

There are a few reasons why I believe that NPS is positioned to succeed

Focus on Commerce Infrastructure. I've been in the space for a decade, have a big network there, and am sent companies that are actively fundraising, both for me to vet and to help the founders.
Broad deal flow from a decade in Silicon Valley where I've consistently built community and directly helped startups. I'm receiving more than one intro / week right now to founders, and with the launch of NPS will activate a few networks to increase that deal flow. Founders and investors refer me leads because they know I'm helpful. NPS Ventures will enable me to invest in what I believe are the top companies.
I earn allocation, even from "hot" deals. Right now I review investor decks and provide markups to ~1 company/week. After revision, I refer to appropriate Angel, Seed and A investors. Founders already create space for me to invest as a thank-you, and that will be a formal ask in the future.
I only invest in companies that I intend to actively help. My track record of adding value is strong, and I intend to earn pro rata (or more) in subsequent rounds of financing.

Invest with NPS Ventures | Aaron Schwartz

$282k

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