Copper Wire Ventures

Copper Wire Ventures Research Investment Thesis Copper Wire Ventures is a mission-driven microfund founded on the conviction that women entrepreneurs deserve equal access to venture capital and strategic support. With only 2.7% of venture funding going to women founders in 2019 (and declining further in subsequent years), Copper Wire Ventures was created to directly address this disparity by investing in early-stage companies led by women, particularly in the education and future of work sectors. The fund's core thesis centers on the belief that women-led businesses, especially in edtech and workplace learning, represent high-impact investment opportunities that have been historically overlooked by traditional venture capital. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand for education and workforce technology solutions, validating CWV's proof-of-concept thesis and creating significant opportunities for portfolio companies to scale. Investment Focus Copper Wire Ventures invests across two interconnected sectors: Education Technology (EdTech): K-12 digital learning platforms and tools Parent and teacher engagement platforms Student mental health and wellness technology Learning assessment and personalization tools Special education technology (IEP/IFSP/BIP management) Family engagement and co-learning communities Workforce readiness and skill-building platforms Future of Work & Workplace Learning: Skills training and assessment platforms Remote work and collaboration tools Professional development and upskilling Communication tools for diverse work environments The fund explicitly targets women-led and women-founded companies, with particular interest in first-time and underestimated founders who bring fresh perspectives to solving educational and workplace challenges. Stage and Check Size Copper Wire Ventures is a microfund that specializes in early-stage, "first money in" investments: Primary stage: Seed and Pre-Seed Check size: $100,000 - $500,000 Position: Often first institutional investor in portfolio companies Fund type: Family office-backed, not a traditional fund The fund deliberately writes smaller checks to allow it to diversify across more founders while maintaining meaningful ownership stakes and board involvement. Recent Activity Copper Wire Ventures' most recent public investment activity was in early 2023, with the investment in The Humane Space (a social platform company) in February 2023. The fund has been in a period of transition and consolidation, as noted on their current website, where they state they are "currently in a period of transition and focused work" and are "not reviewing pitch decks or considering direct investment opportunities" at this time. However, Managing Director Jessica Millstone remains actively engaged in the edtech and women founder communities through: Speaking engagements on the future of education and work Conversations with female edtech founders regarding company-building and fundraising strategy Active participation in the NYEdTech Meetup (which she has organized since 2015 with 9,000+ members) Limited partner status in How Women Invest, a $10M venture fund leveraging a network of 13,000+ women investors The fund's web presence indicates they are in an evolution phase, with a new website coming soon, suggesting potential repositioning or fund renewal activities. Portfolio Highlights Copper Wire Ventures' portfolio companies span the education and workplace learning sectors: 2020 Investments: BeforeWeBegin (Maro) - Mental health and wellness digital content for parents and teachers; mobile app launched November 2020 Zoe Immersive - VR creation tools for educators and students Mindprint Learning - Strength-based learning assessment and personalized instruction platform EveryDay Labs - Behavioral science approach to reducing chronic absenteeism; serves 2,000+ schools, prevented 400,000+ absences Chapperone - Mobile app for safer, easier school field trip management LiftEd - IEP, IFSP, BIP management and team communication platform Co-Learn - Co-homeschooling community platform for families Class Rebel - Financial literacy education for underrepresented communities The Social Institute - Gamified platform helping students navigate social media positively weTHINK Inc. - Mobile and interactive learning platform for 21st-century skills assessment Unicycle - Inbox workflow tool designed specifically for educators Advisory & Strategic Roles: Circletime (Founding Advisor) NYEdTech Meetup (Organizer since 2015, 9,000+ members) How Women Invest (Limited Partner in $10M fund) Notable portfolio achievement: EveryDay Labs has scaled to serve students across 2,000+ schools, preventing over 400,000 absences and 150+ million minutes of missed instructional time. Team Jessica Millstone, Managing Director & Co-founder 25+ years in technology sector with deep edtech expertise Spent early career in education technology product development Education Fellow at Joan Ganz Cooney Center (2011-2014), focused on edtech and game-based learning Founded and organizes NYEdTech Meetup (9,000+ members since 2015) Active speaker and thought leader on education, the future of work, and women entrepreneurship Open to conversations with female edtech founders and speaking engagements The fund is co-founded with a mission-aligned family office that provided initial capital and shared the vision of supporting women entrepreneurs. Investment Criteria Founder preferences: Women entrepreneurs and women-led teams Early-stage founders with mission alignment Underestimated founders who bring fresh perspectives Technical or operational expertise in education or workplace learning Company characteristics: Address real pain points in education or future of work Scalable business models Early traction or strong product-market fit validation Clear thesis alignment with edtech or workplace learning Geographic focus: Primarily US-based, with emphasis on East Coast No geographic restrictions, but strongest network in New York area Decision Process Structure: Solo decision-maker (Jessica Millstone) Timeline: Rapid decision-making for first money in situations Process: Relationship-driven and mission-aligned Board involvement: Active investor with board seats or board observer roles Notable Differentiators First Money In Specialist - Willing to invest as first institutional capital Women-Focused Mission - Explicit focus on women entrepreneurs vs. general diversified fund EdTech Domain Expertise - Jessica Millstone's 25+ years in education technology Community Building - Leverage of 9,000+ member NYEdTech network for portfolio support Mission Alignment - Partner with like-minded firms (How Women Invest, MindCET) for ecosystem development Operational Support - Small check size allows for hands-on mentorship and support beyond capital Current Status As of early 2025, Copper Wire Ventures is in a transition period with a new website coming soon. The fund appears to be consolidating, evaluating its existing portfolio, and potentially preparing for future fund activity. Jessica Millstone remains active in the ecosystem through speaking engagements, founder conversations, and community organizing.