Episode 408 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Matt Fates, Partner at Innospark Ventures.
Did you know that the first modern venture capital firm was started right here in the Boston area? It’s true. Back in 1946, Georges Doriot founded the American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC), marking the birth of an industry that has fueled the entrepreneurial dream for nearly 80 years.
Matt Fates entered the industry during the “Internet 1.0” era, a time when VC firms were just beginning to gain major visibility. Over the course of his career, he has invested in over 100 companies. Through those investments, he has developed a deep expertise in data-driven enterprise and infrastructure startups—experience that has perfectly positioned him for the current massive shift toward AI.
Innospark Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in AI-native companies solving previously intractable problems across healthcare, life sciences, and the enterprise.
In this episode of our podcast, we cover:
00:00 Intro
02:22 VentureFizz OG
03:42 How to Land a Job in Venture Capital
07:49 Matt's Background
13:05 Getting into Investment Banking in the Tech Industry
16:22 Transition to Venture Capital
21:07 Dartmouth MBA
24:05 Experience at Ascent Venture Partners
28:59 Details of Innospark
30:39 Foundational Knowledge in AI and Machine Learning
32:41 Area of Focus for Investments at Innospark
37:04 Recent Investments for Innospark
43:36 The State of the Boston Startup Scene
46:51 The Anti-Portfolio - Missed Investments
49:04 Rapid Fire Questions
50:09 Personal Interests
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