# Lerer Hippeau

Lerer Hippeau is a Venture Capital based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** New York, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 2010
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.lererhippeau.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/lerer-hippeau-ventures

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 162263
- **SEC file number:** 802-76405
- **Registration status:** ACTIVE
- **Latest Form ADV filing:** 2026-03-31T05:00:00.000Z
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **Private funds reported:** 0
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/162263

## About

Lerer Hippeau is a New York venture firm focused on finding founders before they are famous. The firm describes itself as generalist investors specializing in pre-seed and seed. It has backed hundreds of portfolio companies since 2010 and reports $1.5B invested.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- Consumer Internet
- FinTech
- Digital Health
- Media & Entertainment
- PropTech
- Mobility & Transportation

## Offices

- San Francisco, CA
- Cambridge, MA

## People

- Kenneth Lerer — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Eric Hippeau — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Ben Lerer — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Isabelle Phelps — Partner
- Caitlin Strandberg — Partner

## Questions

### How does Lerer Hippeau source its deal flow?

The firm sources through a combination of its operating network — built over decades by its media-executive partners — direct founder inbound from its brand platform and newsletter, and co-investor referrals from later-stage firms that see it as a reliable first-check partner. Its long tenure and volume of deals have created a flywheel where portfolio founders become repeat entrepreneurs and referrers.

### Does Lerer Hippeau lead seed rounds or follow?

The firm both leads and follows at the seed stage. Its newer $130 million opportunity fund, raised in 2023, gives it capacity to take larger positions or pro-rata in follow-on rounds. Historically, it has been comfortable co-leading with firms like General Catalyst and Thrive Capital, and will write the first check in a round that it syndicates to other early-stage investors.

### What is the relationship between Lerer Hippeau and BuzzFeed?

Kenneth Lerer, co-founder of Lerer Hippeau, was a co-founder of The Huffington Post and served as BuzzFeed's chairman. The firm itself does not manage any BuzzFeed capital or operate as a captive vehicle for any single media company. The connection is historical and personal, not structural — Lerer Hippeau is a third-party fund manager raising capital from institutional limited partners and investing independently.

### How is Lerer Hippeau's partnership structured for investment decisions?

The firm operates with a flat partnership structure. Each partner has check-writing authority, which reduces the time between a partner conviction and a term sheet. This decision architecture is designed to compete with individual angel investors and micro-funds that can close on an entrepreneur's timeline without running a full committee process.

## Related profiles

- [Leo Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/leo-ventures)
- [Leste](https://altss.com/profile/leste)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:19.634Z

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