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Form Ventures

Disrupting regulated markets or creating new markets that will be regulated
Form Ventures
Leadership team

Joe Blair (Founder)

John Borthwick (Founder)

Number of Employees
0 - 50
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Established
2021
Social Media
Summary

Form Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups focused on building solutions for the future of work. The firm was founded in 2020 by Bobby Yazdani, a serial entrepreneur and investor with a track record of building successful startups. Form Ventures has a mission to support founders who are building innovative solutions that have the potential to transform the way people work and collaborate.

Form Ventures invests in companies that are leveraging technology to address the challenges of the future of work. The firm's investment criteria include a focus on founder/market fit, product/market fit, traction, business model, team, and industry focus. The firm is particularly interested in startups that are building solutions in areas such as productivity tools, remote work, collaboration software, and HR tech.

The firm is guided by a set of values that include founder empathy, innovation, diversity and inclusion, growth mindset, and long-term partnerships. By embracing these values, Form Ventures is able to create a culture of support, collaboration, and innovation that benefits both its portfolio companies and its investors.

History

Form Ventures is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2021 by Joe Blair and John Borthwick. The firm is based in New York City and focuses on investing in startups that are building the "metaverse," which refers to the concept of a fully immersive, virtual world.

Joe Blair has a background in venture capital and has worked at firms such as Accel, where he was an investor in companies such as Slack, Dropbox, and Squarespace. John Borthwick is the CEO of Betaworks, a startup studio that has incubated companies such as Giphy and Digg.

Form Ventures has raised $30 million for its debut fund, which it plans to use to invest in early-stage companies that are working on the metaverse. The firm's portfolio includes companies such as Spatial, which is building a collaborative, virtual workspace, and SuperWorld, which is a platform for buying and selling virtual real estate.

The concept of the metaverse has gained popularity in recent years, with companies such as Facebook investing heavily in virtual reality and other technologies that could enable a fully immersive virtual world. Form Ventures aims to be at the forefront of this trend and to support startups that are working to build the metaverse. Form Ventures is a relatively new venture capital firm with a specific focus on the metaverse. With its experienced founders and its growing portfolio of investments, the firm is poised to play an important role in shaping the future of virtual reality and the metaverse.

Investment criteria

Form Ventures invests in early-stage startups focused on building solutions for the future of work. The firm has a set of investment criteria that it uses to evaluate potential investment opportunities. These criteria include:

  • Founder/market fit: Form Ventures looks for founders who have a deep understanding of the problems they are trying to solve and the market they are operating in. The firm prefers to work with founders who have prior experience in the industry or have a strong passion for it.
  • Product/market fit: The firm looks for startups that are building products that solve real problems in the market. The startup should have a clear value proposition and a strong competitive advantage over existing solutions.
  • Traction: Form Ventures looks for startups that have shown early signs of traction. This could be in the form of user engagement, revenue growth, or other key metrics that demonstrate product-market fit.
  • Business model: The firm looks for startups that have a clear and scalable business model. This means the startup should be able to grow and generate revenue in a sustainable way.
  • Team: Form Ventures looks for startups with strong teams that are capable of executing their vision. The team should have a mix of technical and business skills and should be able to work well together.
  • Industry focus: The firm focuses on startups that are building solutions for the future of work. This includes areas such as productivity tools, remote work, collaboration software, and HR tech.
Values
  • Founder empathy: Form Ventures believes in building relationships with founders based on empathy, trust, and respect. The firm seeks to understand the founder's vision, mission, and values and work collaboratively with them to achieve their goals.
  • Innovation: The firm is passionate about investing in startups that are building innovative solutions for the future of work. Form Ventures believes that innovation is the key to unlocking new opportunities and improving the lives of people in the workplace.
  • Diversity and inclusion: The firm believes that diversity and inclusion are critical to building successful and innovative startups. Form Ventures is committed to supporting startups founded by people from diverse backgrounds and actively works to foster an inclusive and supportive culture.
  • Growth mindset: The firm believes in a growth mindset, which means that it values learning, resilience, and adaptability. Form Ventures believes that startups need to be able to pivot, learn from their failures, and continuously improve in order to succeed.
  • Long-term partnerships: Form Ventures believes in building long-term partnerships with its portfolio companies. The firm provides ongoing support to its portfolio companies and works to help them achieve sustainable growth over the long-term.
Mission

"Our mission is to empower visionary founders who are building the future of work. We believe that work should be fulfilling, productive, and accessible to all, and we are committed to supporting startups that are working towards this vision. We provide capital, mentorship, and resources to help our portfolio companies succeed and build sustainable businesses that create value for their customers, employees and society as a whole. Our goal is to create a better future of work for everyone."

The mission statement reflects Form Ventures' focus on supporting startups that are building solutions to address the challenges facing the modern workplace. The firm believes that work should be a positive and fulfilling experience for everyone, and it is committed to investing in startups that share this vision. 

By providing capital, mentorship, and resources to its portfolio companies, Form Ventures is able to help startups succeed and create value for their customers, employees, and society as a whole. Overall, the mission statement reflects the firm's commitment to creating a better future of work for everyone.

Portfolio

Form Ventures invests in early-stage startups focused on building solutions for the future of work. The firm has a diverse portfolio of companies that are leveraging technology to transform the way people work and collaborate. Some of the companies in Form Ventures' portfolio include:

  • Anywhere: Anywhere is a platform that provides remote workers with access to coworking spaces around the world. The platform helps remote workers connect with each other and access the resources they need to be productive and successful.
  • Chameleon: Chameleon is a platform that helps companies build and manage interactive user guides for their products. The platform makes it easy for companies to create personalized user experiences and improve user engagement.
  • Deel: Deel is a platform that helps companies hire and manage remote workers from around the world. The platform provides companies with tools to manage payroll, compliance, and taxes for their remote workers.
  • Kitemaker: Kitemaker is a platform that helps teams manage their product development workflows. The platform provides teams with a centralized workspace to collaborate on product development, from ideation to launch.
  • Rho Business Banking: Rho Business Banking is a digital banking platform that provides businesses with a suite of financial tools, including checking accounts, loans, and credit cards. The platform is designed to help businesses manage their finances more efficiently and effectively.

These companies are just a few examples of the innovative startups that Form Ventures has invested in. The firm's portfolio reflects its commitment to supporting founders who are building solutions that have the potential to transform the future of work. By providing these startups with access to capital, expertise, and support, Form Ventures is helping to build a better future of work for people around the world.

References
Form Ventures
Leadership team

Joe Blair (Founder)

John Borthwick (Founder)

Number of Employees
0 - 50
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Established
2021
Social Media