Darwin moves at half-speed in venture capital, allowing mediocrity and outdated ‘best practices’ to persist, much to the detriment of founders and LPs. The long time horizons, risk aversion incentives, and opaque flow of information all contribute to this stasis. What’s one possible solution? Release new hungry and competitive species into the pool. That’s Screendoor.
I’ve not written much about Screendoor here – it was important to do the work first – but we’re moving quickly these days.
2021
- We start Screendoor with some of our industry friends to back new VC firms with $90m+ of Institutional capital from leading endowments, foundations, and other long term supporters of the asset class.
2021-2023
- Start investing in amazing new VC firms, often anchoring the raise as one of their largest funders. Giving them access not just to capital and one another, but to our amazing roster of foundering VC Advisors.
2023
- Lisa Cawley joins Screendoor as our founding Managing Director.
- We continue to invest in amazing people.
2024
- Lisa hires two more partners into Screendoor – Layne Johnson and Jamie Rhode. All three have significant experience backing venture firms from previous LP positions. Collectively they are the type of folks that elicit statements such as “What a good get,” “I love [Lisa/Layne/Jamie],” and my favorite, the slightly passive aggressive “I can’t believe you were able to hire her!!!”
- We continue to invest in amazing people.
- And add four more VC heroes to our diligence and advising group – Mar Hershenson (Pear VC), Rob Hayes (First Round Capital), Wayee Chu (Reach Capital), and Zal Bilimoria (Refactor Capital)
Booya. It truly feels like we’ve finished Phase One and now are at the start of Phase Two. Screendoor is an economic vehicle which intends to generate best of class outcomes. Our strategy is to support the best new venture firms led by managing partners where their identity, their background, and their networks inform their strategies. Get out there and win.
If you’re an investor contemplating building your firm and would like to share more information with us, no need for a warm intro! We would love to hear from you through our open application. And if you’re an LP who would like to learn more as we expand our efforts, we welcome you to share your info so we can chat!