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ESO Fund
ESO Fund is a single-family office founded in 2016 by Mike Miskin, deploying capital from the sale of Dividend Capital Group into early-stage tech...
ESO Fund
ESO Fund was founded in 2016 by Mike Miskin, following the sale of Dividend Capital Group, a real estate investment firm where Miskin served as CEO. The wealth originated from that sale, and the family office was established to manage and deploy the proceeds into a diversified portfolio of venture-stage companies. Chris Miskin, a family member and early executive at the prior firm, joined as partner alongside Shaun B. Williams as chief investment officer. The office invests across multiple stages but concentrates on seed through Series B rounds, writing checks of $500,000 to $2 million. Asset-class exposure includes enterprise software, digital health, AI/ML platforms, real estate technology (PropTech), and energy transition. ESO Fund typically structures its deals as direct equity positions and occasionally participates in syndicated rounds alongside institutional venture firms. Geographic focus is primarily the United States, with select deals in Europe, per public filings. Confirmed portfolio companies include Second Measure, a consumer analytics firm later acquired by Mastercard (per TechCrunch, 2018); Codoxo, a healthcare fraud detection platform; and Storable, a storage industry software provider. The fund reports deploying over $30 million since inception, with a team that the firm describes as lean — likely fewer than ten professionals across investments and operations. No additional offices have been publicly identified beyond San Mateo. ESO Fund has not disclosed a philanthropic vehicle, though the principals have been involved in local Bay Area community support. In February 2024, the firm participated in a $10 million Series A round for Codoxo (per the firm's announcement, February 2024), a healthcare AI company based in Atlanta. A structural differentiator is the laser focus on solving real estate industry pain points through technology — a domain expertise inherited from Dividend Capital Group. This gives ESO Fund a thesis-driven edge in sourcing PropTech and real estate software deals, though the office also invests in unrelated verticals like health and energy. The family-office structure means principals commit capital directly, avoiding external LP pressure, and can hold positions longer than traditional venture funds.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
2016
AUM
$100M - $500M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Mateo
Corporate office
San Mateo, CA, United States
Principals
Mike Miskin
Partner
Chris Miskin
Partner
Shaun B. Williams
Chief Investment Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at ESO Fund?
Investment decisions are made by partners Mike Miskin and Chris Miskin, alongside Chief Investment Officer Shaun B. Williams. The firm operates with a lean team, and the Miskin family holds ultimate authority over capital deployment, per public record.
What investment stages does ESO Fund typically target?
ESO Fund focuses on seed through Series B rounds, with individual check sizes spanning $500,000 to $2 million. The office tends to lead or co-lead rounds in later-stage deals and acts as a syndicate participant in earlier ones, per the firm's statements.
Is ESO Fund structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It is a single-family office, not a fund-of-funds or a registered investment advisor. The capital originates solely from the Miskin family's proceeds from the sale of Dividend Capital Group. The office does direct investing rather than commingled fund structures, though it occasionally co-invests.
Which sectors does ESO Fund explicitly avoid?
ESO Fund does not invest in pure-play crypto, gambling, or gaming companies, per public investment criteria. It also avoids later-stage growth equity and public equities, staying within venture-stage private companies.
How does ESO Fund source proprietary deal flow?
The office sources deals through the real estate network established by the Miskin family's prior business, Dividend Capital Group, as well as through direct founder relationships and participation in syndicated rounds with top-quartile venture firms, per the firm's communications.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The wealth originates from the sale of Dividend Capital Group, a real estate investment firm that Mike Miskin co-founded and led as CEO. The exact sale price has not been publicly disclosed.
Does ESO Fund maintain philanthropic structures?
No formal philanthropic foundation has been publicly identified for ESO Fund. The Miskin family has been engaged in local Bay Area community support, but these activities do not appear to operate through a disclosed charitable entity.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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