Building the Rosecliff Ventures Platform

Since 2016, the Rosecliff Ventures team has made over 70 investments in everything from seed stage startups to growth equity technology companies, including Keeps, Allbirds, Cargo, JuicePress, Squarefoot, ForDays, Petal Card, Wheels Up, and Roman.

I’m working with the team here to define and build the firm’s first ‘platform’. The VC platform is a nebulous concept, largely defined by the needs of the portfolio and brand vision of the firm. I’m reminded of a quote from Herman Melville that says;

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” — Herman Melville

I think of the Rosecliff Platform as a “network of a thousand fibers”, connecting innovative architects and builders to their users. Rosecliff founders are solving problems in multiple verticals, including fintech, consumer packaged goods, healthcare technology, and marketplace software.

Think of the skills brought to the table by this growing network of 70+ companies and the brilliant teams that power them. My goal is to understand, grow, and measure the impact of Rosecliff’s “network of a thousand fibers”, ie: human capital. I’ll be following the tips outlined by Jackie Vouthouris, Stephanie Manning, Bethany Crystal, and other platform experts.

First, I’ll interview each founding team in our portfolio, in order to better understand the challenges they face. Depending on fundraising stage and sector, their needs will vary. I’ll record these stories and develop the ‘Rosecliff Toolkit’. As researcher Brene Brown says;

“Stories are just data with a soul.” — Brene Brown

Startups are companies with a soul. They are born from stories of frustration or struggle, producing the innovative products that Rosecliff Ventures has the strategic foresight to support. (More on the breakdown of our portfolio in posts to come). Michael Caso, managing partner at Rosecliff, has a tailored plan to assist growing teams;

“When investing early, we help the company and add value as it scales. We can make introductions, help with business decisions, and assist in hiring quality talent … There’s no better feeling than being hands-on with founders and helping them achieve greatness.” — Michael Caso, Managing Partner, Alleywatch

What are you building? Should we know about it? Shoot me a note at battistin@rosecliff.com