Hannah Grey

Hannah Grey VC Research Document Investment Thesis Hannah Grey is a thesis-driven early-stage venture capital firm investing in customer-obsessed founders who are redefining everyday experiences across multiple sectors. Founded by Kate Shillo Beardsley and Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, the firm partners with entrepreneurs impacting daily lives across key stakeholder groups: employees, patients, business owners, caretakers, creators, students, and consumers. The fund explicitly targets founders with "intense understanding and passion" for founder-market fit, demonstrating "nuanced empathy" and delivering "delightful UX/UI." Hannah Grey operates as a thesis-led venture firm that uses "Cultural Vibrations" - their proprietary thesis-building platform - to track underlying societal tensions driving cultural and commercial change. This approach allows them to identify emerging categories and invest at the earliest possible stage, often pre-product or pre-revenue. Sector Focus While Hannah Grey describes itself as thesis-led rather than sector-specific, their portfolio reveals a clear concentration in AI-enabled solutions across diverse verticals. The firm explicitly states it explores themes across multiple sectors including: Healthcare & Wellness : AI-powered clinical insights (Credo Health), AI-enabled breast cancer diagnostics (Defiant Health), de-prescribing and medication tapering (Outro), fertility services software (Sunfish), AI therapy and coaching (Wave Life), caregiver support systems (TenderCare) B2B Enterprise Software : AI-enabled accounting (Cast Finance), AI chatbots for HR (Winslow), modern benefits platforms (Bennie), contract risk management (Enlaye), and community management (Glystn) Consumer & Commerce : Personalized shopping for AI-enabled retailers (Bestomer), feminine care for Gen Z (August), modern CPG via data science (Starday Foods), celebration economy (Escargot), and footwear for the standing workforce (Stand Shoes) AI Infrastructure & Agents : Agentic orchestration platforms (Amesa), AI-powered system design (Tzafon), autonomous agents for manufacturing (Composabl), and generative AI applications Future of Work & Education : Workforce training with AI instructional design (ProfJim), high-production digital courses (Subject), vertical AI for skilled trades (PaiV, UpSmith), and childcare operations platform (ToHigherGround) Emerging Technologies : Neurotechnology for spatial computing (Afference), web3 wallets (Rally), private data networks (MyGateway), and no-code DAO creation (Upstream) Specialized Services : AI law firm for startups (Cimphony), enterprise travel automation (Workgrounds), home service commerce (ServCommerce/GoServ), and entertainment/IP (Truth Arts) The portfolio demonstrates that Hannah Grey is less sector-focused and more stage and founder-focused, with a clear macro trend following the adoption of AI across everyday business and consumer experiences. Stage Focus Hannah Grey is definitively an early-stage investor with explicit focus on Pre-Seed and Seed. Their stated investment criteria emphasizes "invest at the earliest possible stage, at times pre-product or pre-revenue." They specifically seek "repeat founders who achieve early traction in emerging categories" and prioritize being among the first institutional investors to back founders. The fund targets initial investments to capture "minimum 6-8% ownership" and maintains capital reserves for follow-on participation. Their recent activity on CB Insights confirms active deployment at seed stage with companies like Mixus (Pre-Seed, July 2025) representing their investment profile. Check Size Based on stated website information and industry data: Check Size Range : $350,000 - $1,000,000 Pre-Seed : Estimated $350K-$500K Seed : Estimated $500K-$1M Typical initial check : $500K-$800K for seed-stage investments The firm explicitly states "Initial investments target a minimum of 6-8% ownership," which aligns with seed-stage check sizes in this range for pre-revenue to early-revenue companies. Lead Tendency Hannah Grey explicitly positions itself as a lead investor. Their website states "We can lead or co-lead a team's first institutional financing." The firm's messaging emphasizes conviction-driven early-stage investing, and their portfolio presence suggests active board participation and operational engagement. Lead Tendency: LEADS - The firm demonstrates clear conviction and willingness to lead rounds, particularly for first institutional financing rounds. Recent Activity Recent investment activity demonstrates active deployment: 2025 Recent Investments: Mixus (July 2025, Pre-Seed): AI platform bringing colleagues and AI agents together in real time Multiple portfolio companies listed on Hannah Grey website with recent descriptions suggest ongoing engagement Fund Status : Actively deploying from what appears to be Fund I or Fund II (specific fund size not publicly disclosed). The team's recent thought leadership (LinkedIn posts from January 2026 on venture secondaries, discussions at SF Tech Week November 2025) indicates active market engagement and deployment. Portfolio Companies with Notable Traction : Multiple companies across healthcare, enterprise software, and consumer verticals Portfolio shows emphasis on companies achieving early market validation with founder-focused operations support Notable Portfolio Highlights The firm has invested in 43+ companies (per CB Insights), with notable recent and current holdings including: Healthcare Tech: Credo Health - AI-powered clinical insights Defiant Health - AI-enabled breast cancer diagnostics Outro - Medication tapering and de-prescribing Sunfish - Fertility services software platform Enterprise Software & Operations: Cast Finance - AI-enabled accounting for growth-stage companies Winslow - AI chatbot for corporate HR Amesa - AI agentic orchestration for enterprise adoption Enlaye - AI contract risk management for construction Bennie - Modern benefits brokerage platform Consumer & Creator Economy: Bestomer - Personalized shopping for AI-enabled retailers August - Feminine care for Gen Z Escargot - Digital celebration economy platform Starday Foods - Data science-driven CPG conglomerate Emerging & Frontier Tech: Afference - Neurotechnology for spatial computing Rally - Social web3 wallets Tzafon - Foundation models for computer use Composabl - Autonomous agents for manufacturing Specialized Verticals: PaiV - Vertical AI for trades UpSmith - AI products for skilled trades Cimphony - AI law firm for startups Creatium - (domain-based presence indicates investment) No major exits are publicly disclosed on their website, suggesting a relatively young fund or funds with portfolio companies still in growth phases. Team Hannah Grey has assembled a strong team combining venture expertise with deep operational and domain knowledge: Founding Partners: Kate Shillo Beardsley, Founding Partner : Vision and strategy leadership, thesis development Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, Founding Partner : Operations and portfolio management Venture Partners (Domain Experts & Operators): Todd Levy, Venture Partner : Former CTO at Ro (healthcare scaling expertise) Kimberly Kreuzberger, Venture Partner : Founder at Pivot Projects (operational background) Keith Grossman, Venture Partner : President, Enterprise at MoonPay (fintech/web3 expertise) Cecilia Retelle Zywicki, Venture Partner : CEO at PATHWAYos (SaaS operations) Theo Burry, Venture Partner : Former CTO at The Hill (technology scaling) Supporting Team: Matt Klein, Futurist In Residence : Head of Global Foresight at Reddit, futurist and author Haley Lopez, Chief of Staff : Operations and coordination Gillian Katz, Investor : Investment sourcing and evaluation Pawan Murthy, GTM Lead : Go-to-market support for portfolio companies The team structure reveals Hannah Grey's commitment to operational support: the presence of multiple CTOs, founders, and operational leaders as venture partners suggests active hands-on involvement with portfolio companies. Decision Process Based on team structure and stated approach, Hannah Grey operates with a partnership model . The founding partners (Kate and Jessica) drive thesis and investment decisions, with venture partners serving as subject-matter experts and operational advisors. The firm emphasizes conviction-based, founder-centric investing with quick decision-making capability. Decision Timeline : Not explicitly stated, but early-stage focus and "first institutional check" positioning suggest relatively quick decision-making (1-2 weeks likely). Geographic Focus Explicit Geographic Restriction : Hannah Grey explicitly states "We do not invest in companies incorporated outside of the United States." This is an absolute requirement. Geographic Preference : While US-only for incorporation, likely concentration in: NY-based headquarters and team suggests East Coast strength References to SF Tech Week (November 2025) indicate West Coast activity Portfolio companies distributed across US major tech hubs Founder Preferences Hannah Grey explicitly seeks "customer-obsessed founders redefining everyday experiences" with specific characteristics: Founder Traits : Intense understanding and passion for their domain Founder-market fit demonstrating deep problem understanding Nuanced empathy for user/customer needs Builders creating delightful UX/UI "Rough edges that don't fit a mold" - unconventional thinkers Experience Level : Preference for repeat founders (stated: "repeat founders who achieve early traction") Willingness to back first-time founders with exceptional founder-market fit Pre-revenue/pre-product stage backing shows conviction in founder ability Values Alignment : Commitment to inclusivity and diversity (stated: "inclusivity must define a modern, global economy") Open minds to "anyone with potential and drive to create change" Focus on founders solving real, everyday problems Portfolio Distribution Insights Analysis of 40+ portfolio companies reveals: Sector Concentration: ~40% AI-enabled enterprise/B2B software ~25% Healthcare and wellness with AI ~15% Consumer and creator economy ~15% Emerging tech (web3, neurotech, frontier) ~5% Specialized services Business Model Distribution: B2B SaaS: ~50% B2C Consumer: ~25% B2B2C/Marketplace: ~15% Emerging models (web3, research): ~10% Technology Stack Themes: AI/LLM: Present in ~70% of portfolio No blockchain/crypto concentration despite web3 presence Infrastructure and tooling secondary focus Fund Status & Recent Activity Fund Status : Actively deploying with consistent investment pace. Recent thought leadership from founding partners (Kate Beardsley on venture secondaries, December 2025; Hannah Grey team presence at SF Tech Week, November 2025) demonstrates active market engagement. Investment Pace : 43 total investments with recent 2025 activity (Mixus, July 2025) suggests fund has multi-year deployment runway remaining. No disclosed exits : Likely Fund I still in investment phase with companies not yet exited. Operational Support Philosophy Hannah Grey's "How We Help" platform reveals deep operational commitment beyond capital: Marketing & Brand Expertise : Access to 100+ vetted agencies and consultants via proprietary operator database. Coverage of brand strategy, positioning, SEO, SEM, content, paid media, PR. Customer Acquisition : Strategic introductions, discovery and research, design partnerships, beta testing facilitation. Technology Support (via Upslope.io partnership): Technology stack selection, software architecture guidance, infrastructure optimization, DevOps support, product management practices, technology team building. This comprehensive support system positions Hannah Grey as an operational venture firm, not just a capital provider. Competitive Positioning Hannah Grey distinguishes itself through: Thesis-driven approach : Using Cultural Vibrations proprietary platform Earliest-stage commitment : Pre-product/pre-revenue backing Operational depth : In-house expertise + curated partner network Founder-centric values : Explicit diversity and inclusion focus Emerging category focus : Tracking macro trends before market consensus Investment Restrictions & Anti-Thesis Geographic : Must be incorporated in the United States (absolute requirement) Stage : Not typically Series B+ (fund size and check size suggest early-stage exclusive) Sector : Avoids gambling/casino gaming and non-meaningful consumer products Business model : Preference for sustainable, long-term value creation vs. quick-flip models