The subsequent era of New York Metropolis buyers are already making their mark within the Large Apple.
They arrive from big-name enterprise companies like Feminine Founders Fund and Lerer Hippeau and smaller ones like Chai Ventures. They work in areas like development, shopper, and well being. They canoe, hike, and play pickleball on the weekends. We chatted with a few of the younger buyers — suppose, underneath 30 — who’re serving to to form the way forward for enterprise capitalism in New York Metropolis.
Right here’s who’s on the record to date.
(This record shall be up to date periodically.)
Layla Alexander — Feminine Founders Fund
Background: Alexander, 25, first entered the trade by means of an internship with Cleo Capital and Harlem Capital, earlier than touchdown at FFF as an investor in 2022.
Why this VC is notable: She’s excited concerning the care financial system, enterprise local weather tech, and healthcare (all very buzzy — and profitable — sectors lately). Her agency’s portfolio contains the astrology app Co-Star and mannequin Winnie Harlow’s Cay Pores and skin.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her hobbies embody working, studying, the sauna, and Pilates. She’s in search of founders who deeply know their market, retain customers, and have analysis that exhibits their corporations can scale.
Talia Askowitz — Deerfield Administration
Background: Askowitz, 26, is a principal at Deerfield Administration the place she grew to become the agency’s youngest associate at simply the age of 25, in keeping with Forbes. She beforehand labored at AMC Well being as a enterprise intelligence intern and was a volunteer analysis assistant at Mount Sinai Well being Methods.
Why this VC is notable: She made the Forbes 30 Below 30 record for 2025 and, in keeping with the outlet, has helped deploy over $500 million in capital.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: She co-authored three papers whereas at Mount Sinai Well being Methods.
Lori Berenberg — Bloomberg Beta
Background: Berenberg, 29, labored in technical and product administration roles after school till she caught the attention of Bloomberg Beta. Transitioning from product administration to enterprise capital was a threat, however she says her background offers her a novel perspective whereas evaluating startups, permitting her to “bridge the gap between technical innovation and go-to-market,” she informed TechCrunch.
Why this VC is notable: One of many options she led whereas working at MongoDB as a product supervisor is now awaiting a patent.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her hobbies embody needlepoint and classic trend. She desires to again corporations with the potential to be greater than nice. “It needs a shot at the extraordinary.”
Alex Chung — Chai Ventures
Background: Chung, 26, received into the enterprise trade by means of her mentor, Serena Dayal, a associate at SoftBank Imaginative and prescient Fund, who shared tips about the right way to navigate the ecosystem. “Most importantly, she imbued me with confidence,” Chung informed TechCrunch.
Why this VC is notable: She’s into ladies’s well being, figuring out it as an space for a lot potential because the sector — and its want for innovation — steps into the nationwide highlight.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her hobbies embody working, racquet sports activities, and needlepointing.
Besart Çopa — Antler
Background: Çopa, 27, began at Antler simply this yr. He beforehand held an internship at a16z, then began Chestr, a web based purchasing platform. The corporate closed and Copa then joined Antler. He considered founding one other startup however felt he didn’t have an thought he was captivated with, “so the second best thing was to support others who did.”
Why this VC is notable: He’s a founder turned principal investor at one of many hottest accelerator packages round. “If I hadn’t chewed glass myself, I would have found it impossible to truly sympathize with the journeys of the founders I support.”
Enjoyable info and pursuits: He disagrees with the trade’s seeming obsession with younger founders. “Let teens be teens,” he stated. “Fall in love. Watch the stars. You can still build on the side. If you have an idea you feel in your bones that it must exist, then go for it. Otherwise, you can always start a B2B SaaS [company] later.”
His hobbies embody studying historical past and portray. As a pre-seed investor, he has a founder-centric strategy to investing and says he’s in search of those that are constructing targeted options for area of interest person issues. “The more niche, the better!”
Ethan Daly — Shine Capital
Background: Daly, 27, began out in funding banking earlier than shifting to Shine, the place he has been for the previous 4 years. He’s now a associate on the agency.
Why this VC is notable: He was lately promoted to associate at Shine.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Shine Capital’s portfolio contains the collector group Flamingo and the office platform Notion.
George Easley — Outsiders Fund
Background: Easley, 29, began at Outsiders Fund in 2021 and is now a principal on the fund the place he helps lead investments in sectors similar to AI and robotics. He was beforehand a senior analyst at ICONIQ Capital, in addition to held affiliate and analyst roles at Bridgewater and Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth, respectively.
Why this VC is notable: He made the Forbes 30 underneath 30 record for 2025 and, in keeping with Forbes, he’s helped make investments greater than $25 million in corporations similar to Breedr and Cercle.
Enjoyable Information and Pursuits: In accordance with his LinkedIn, he studied historical past and geography at Dartmouth, the place he performed each tennis and desk tennis.
Marina Girgis — Precursor VC
Background: Girgis, 29, began out on the finance aspect, researching information and semiconductors. She liked studying about rising tech however stated she needed to have extra of a direct influence on the businesses she researched, so she pivoted and has since turn into fairly bullish on investing in corporations on the pre-seed stage.
“I chose to become a generalist and invest at the earliest stage possible, idea-stage companies, so I could get to know the people behind the companies and witness their transformation from the very beginning,” she informed TechCrunch.
Why this VC is notable: Identified for her knack at choosing pre-seed corporations, like AI safety startup Edera, and for shifting quick to make the end-to-end funding course of really feel seamless.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her outdoors hobbies embody jigsaw puzzles and studying homicide mysteries. One factor she wish to see change within the trade is inflexible pondering on what kind of founders to again. “There are no hard and fast rules in venture,” she stated, including that anybody can fail no matter background. “You should learn from your past experiences as an investor, but my hope is to stay open-minded.”
Laura Hamilton — Notable Capital
Background: Hamilton, 26, has been an investor at Notable Capital since 2023. She received her begin within the trade by sending many chilly emails and making chilly calls to alumni. She landed her first VC job by making use of chilly on LinkedIn, “proving the hustle strategy works,” she informed TechCrunch.
Why this VC is notable: At Notable, she’s specializing in information, cloud infrastructure, developer instruments, and cybersecurity. “Right now, I’m especially interested in agent infrastructure,” and he or she is trying to again extra founders with deep ardour and goal.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her hobbies embody internet hosting a podcast known as Companion Path, the place she dives into the success tales of rising buyers and founders. She additionally helps run FemBuild Collective, a group for feminine engineers and technical founders within the Metropolis.
Emily Herrera — Gradual Ventures
Background: Herrera, 25, is an investor at Gradual Ventures, whose portfolio contains supply service Postmates, ladies’s footwear model Birdies, and the social app Citizen. She beforehand labored at Evening Ventures and makes a speciality of shopper investing and the creator financial system.
Why this VC is notable: Her forward-thinking strategy to creator financial system investing got here as others have been nonetheless pondering the sector’s influence.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: She has a protracted historical past in enterprise, interning all over the place from Harlem Capital to Dorm Room Fund. Quick Firm hailed her as one of many “savviest creator economy investors” in 2022 for her work at Evening Ventures, which backed corporations similar to influencer advertising and marketing platform Pearpop and NFT app Zora.
Bryce Johnson — Major Enterprise Companions
Background: Johnson, 25, frolicked working in software program and product at Large Tech. He heard Josh Wolfe from Lux Capital communicate at an occasion one yr and have become fixated on the concept of early-stage investing. He pivoted to administration consulting and used that community to land an analyst function at Major.
Why this VC is notable: One of many solely junior VCs at his agency, he’s identified for being an advocate for range inside VC.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: He loves classical music and backpacked Southeast Asia final summer season. For work, his focus is in healthcare, shopper, SMB tech, and vertical SaaS.
Bradford Jones — SignalFire
Background: Bradford, 28, is a principal at SignalFire. Earlier than that, he was an investor at Perception Companions.
Why this VC is notable: He made the Forbes 30 underneath 30 record in 2025 and Forbes stories that he leads SignalFire’s NYC workplace, the place he focuses on the intersection of utilized AI and SaaS, serving to lead investments into corporations like Tofy and Shade.
Enjoyable Information and Pursuits: In accordance with his Linkedin, he performed D-1 soccer on the College of Michigan
Will McKelvey — Lerer Hippeau
Background: McKelvey, 29, partnered with just a few classmates and raised a fund to begin backing startups whereas attending UC Berkeley. After commencement, he moved to New York and joined Lerer Hippeau.
Why this VC is notable: Launched a scholar enterprise fund at Berkeley that’s nonetheless making investments.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: One factor he wish to change concerning the trade is the quantity of ego and vanity that persists, which might trigger buyers to overlook out on alternatives and expertise. “Many VCs have always been the star student, went to the fancy schools, and got the fancy job, so they misguidedly carry that attitude into this role,” he continued. “This industry could use a heavy dose of humility.”
His hobbies embody softball, basketball, and seaside volleyball. He desires to know two issues from the founders who pitch him. “What is the insight you have that everyone else is missing, and how did you unearth it?” he stated. “What is driving you to take on the titanic effort of building a company from scratch?”
Mason Murray — NEA
Background: Murray, 28, joined the agency after a quick profession in funding banking. He’s largely a generalist however focuses on software program corporations promoting to companies or shoppers.
Why this VC is notable: Unprompted, three folks on this record requested to ensure he was included. In accordance with NEA’s web site, he has made six investments, together with within the publication firm beehiiv and AI video firm Tweleve Labs.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: He joined the agency after a quick profession in funding banking. He’s largely a generalist however focuses on software program corporations promoting to companies or shoppers.
He’s bullish on AI and wouldn’t thoughts seeing extra AI founders coming to New York. “We have talent, customers, capital, and great academic institutions,” he informed TechCrunch. “I’m bullish on New York.”
In his private life, he’s a pastime collector, musician, singer, and newbie cook dinner. In his skilled life, he’s in search of founders with a transparent imaginative and prescient on how the world may be totally different, “paired with a precise hypothesis on what it takes to get there.”
Zehra Naqvi — Headline Ventures
Background: Naqvi, 25, labored at just a few shopper startups earlier than formally changing into an investor for Headline final yr.
Why this VC is notable: She’s identified round city for her well-liked enterprise capital publication No GPs Allowed, which affords networking alternatives to buyers round New York.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: She loves being an investor and says though the market is down within the shopper sector proper now, “history has proven time and time again that now is the best time to double down on investing in the future of consumers,” she informed TechCrunch. “Be a contrarian.”
Her hobbies embody going to artwork galleries, touring, taking part in tennis, and watching films (she’s an AMC Stubs member). She’s in search of founders within the shopper area, in each tech and shopper packaged items, between pre-seed and Sequence A.
David Ongchoco — Comma Capital
Background: Ongchoco, 28, has a background in tech, gross sales, and investing, working for locations like Dorm Room Fund, interning at Study Capital, and dealing in gross sales and development at Amplitude and Rutter.
Why this VC is notable: Ongchoco is a co-founder of Comma Capital, which invests on the pre-seed and seed levels.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: He, alongside his co-founder Adarsh Bhatt, made Forbes’ 30 Below 30 this yr for his or her work in enterprise capital. Comma has backed greater than 50 corporations up to now, a few of which have gone on to be acquired by corporations like Stripe and Airtable.
Will Robbins — Opposite
Background: Robbins, 27, is a common associate at Opposite. In accordance with his LinkedIn, he beforehand labored for numerous tech corporations doing machine studying and held common roles at startups.
Why this VC is notable: He made the Forbes 30 Below 30 record for 2025, with the outlet reporting that he has helped elevate 4 funds value thousands and thousands. Investments embody the unicorn Zepto and Alloy Automation.
Enjoyable Information and Pursuits: Forbes additionally says he helps present startup alternatives to underrepresented youth.
Michael Shepard — Perception Companions
Background: Shepherd, 29, is a principal at Perception Companions. Earlier than that, he held roles at iCapital Community and Levine Leitchman Capital Companions.
Why this VC is notable: He made the Forbes 30 Below 30 record for 2025 and labored his approach up from an intern at Perception Companions to a associate. He focuses on SaaS in Europe and North America, with investments together with Kabal and Colab.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: His LinkedIn says he’s the founding father of the startup Lagom.io which creates homepages for browsers.
Alexandra Sukin — Bessemer Enterprise Companions
Background: Sukin, 27, received her begin within the trade whereas at Harvard, the place she was concerned with numerous on-campus actions like Harvard Ventures and was a founding member of the VC agency Opposite Capital. After graduating, she joined Bessemer.
Why this VC is notable: She’s a vice chairman at Bessemer, and her investments embody the fintech Truebill (acquired by Rocket Applied sciences) and enterprise corporations Unito, Rewind, and Contractbook.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Her hobbies embody climbing and snowboarding, and he or she loves spending day out West, as her father’s aspect of the household is from Montana and Colorado. “While I’m investing a lot these days in vertical and SMB software, I am also really excited about AI enabling a wave of consumer companies,” she stated.
Mark Xu — Lightspeed Enterprise Companions
Background: Xu, 24, is a associate at Lightspeed Enterprise Companions, whose investments, in keeping with his LinkedIn, embody Glean, Stripe, Wiz, and Anduril.
Why this VC is notable: One of many youngest to ever be promoted to associate at Lightspeed Ventures.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: Attended the Juilliard Faculty for the violin earlier than heading to Harvard College to check math. Had a background in enterprise growth and funding banking earlier than becoming a member of Lightspeed Ventures.
Claire Zau — GSV Ventures
Background: Zau, 27, is without doubt one of the youngest buyers ever to turn into a associate at GSV, the place she helps lead AI investments, in keeping with Forbes. She beforehand held internships at Pink & Blue Ventures, Julius Bear, and Baring Non-public Fairness Asia.
Why this VC is notable: She made the Forbes 30 underneath 30 record for 2025 with investments together with Tempo AI, Magic Faculty, and Paloma.
Enjoyable info and curiosity: She has an AI publication known as “GSV: AI & Education” that has greater than 6,000 subscribers.
Vincent Zhu — Basic Catalyst
Background: Zhu, 25, is an early-stage investor at Basic Catalyst and, in keeping with his LinkedIn, loves working with founders “building for the digitally native generation.”
Why this VC is notable: He’s made a reputation for himself round city, internet hosting occasions and serving to founders get intros.
Enjoyable info and pursuits: After school, he labored as an analyst at Goldman Sachs earlier than becoming a member of Basic Catalyst two years in the past. The agency’s portfolio contains Stripe, Canva, and Warby Parker.
This piece was up to date to replicate Mason Murray’s most up-to-date investments.
