Ethos VC

Investment decisions sit with the general partners, led by co-founders Mick Eddy and John Andreini and Partner Justin Ho. Eddy built the firm out of his angel-investment practice at Night Owl Ventures; Ho was CEO of rideOS, which Gopuff acquired for roughly $175M. The firm’s website identifies Ho as leading ideation and creation of Uber’s self-driving and mapping units, giving the partnership significant operational depth in autonomy and mobility.

Ethos leans on the operator networks of its partners. Eddy’s extended angel network from Night Owl Ventures and Ho’s relationships from rideOS, Uber, and Citadel create a sourcing funnel built on founder referrals and repeat entrepreneurs. The firm also cites its presence in emerging markets, though the specific local networks are not detailed publicly.

Ethos is a traditional venture capital firm with general-partner discretion, not a single-family office or multi-family office. It was incorporated in 2020 by two active angels and has since built a team that includes an investor from ICONIQ Capital and a COO who built the platform at PPB Capital Partners.

Ethos describes itself as investing directly into companies, primarily at seed and Series A, with a focus on deep tech and AI. The firm’s website and available materials do not mention making fund-of-fund commitments or acting as an LP in other venture firms; the model is built around direct equity stakes.

The firm explicitly states seed and Series A on its website, occasionally extending into growth-stage positions through later syndicate participation. Anthony Zepponi’s hire from ICONIQ Capital — where he covered late-stage deals for Datadog, Zoom, and Snowflake — suggests bandwidth to follow on into growth rounds when the firm chooses.

Ethos does not publish a formal avoidance list. Its mandate is positive and tightly defined: deep tech and AI businesses powering the automation economy. Consumer internet, biotech, and traditional hard goods do not appear anywhere in its portfolio or stated focus, implying de facto exclusion.

Philanthropic activity at Ethos is individual rather than institutional. Justin Ho advises Humanity Forward, a bipartisan nonprofit, and Anthony Zepponi volunteers with St. Anthony’s Young Professionals Council in San Francisco, but the firm does not operate a dedicated foundation or donor-advised fund as part of its corporate structure.