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Override
Joe Montana and Mike Maples Jr. run Override, a venture firm targeting contrarian enterprise and industrial tech startups with operator-led diligence.
Override
Override was founded by NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana and veteran early-stage investor Mike Maples Jr., combining Montana's two decades of personal tech investing with Maples' institutional track record. Montana began angel investing during his playing career, backing companies like Pinterest and Dropbox before formalizing the activity into a dedicated venture platform. The firm operates from the San Francisco Bay Area rather than Kentucky, reflecting Montana's long-established presence in Silicon Valley's startup community. The firm targets seed to Series A rounds in enterprise software, industrial technology, AI and machine learning, and cybersecurity. Override's portfolio reflects an emphasis on deep-tech infrastructure and tools for legacy industry transformation, with confirmed positions including GitLab's early rounds, Coda, and B9. The firm participates in both direct deals and co-investments alongside other institutional funds such as Andreessen Horowitz and Lux Capital. Override invests primarily in North America, but has shown appetite for startups applying technology to physical-world problems in manufacturing and supply chain. Override's team blends operator experience with institutional fund management. Mike Maples Jr. built his reputation as a seed-stage investor at Floodgate, backing Twitter, Twitch, and Lyft before co-founding Override. The firm added operating partners with deep sector expertise, focusing on go-to-market and product strategy for portfolio companies. A significant operational milestone was the closing of its debut institutional fund, bringing together LP capital from endowments and foundations alongside Montana's own commitments. The firm's structural differentiator lies in its operator-gravity model: Montana's celebrity opens the first meeting, but Maples's analytical rigor and the firm's insistence on non-consensus conviction drive investment decisions. Override deliberately avoids the party-round dynamic typical of celebrity-backed funds, instead leading or co-leading rounds with institutional-grade diligence. This hybrid architecture pairs a global personal brand with a disciplined seed framework designed to capture asymmetric returns in markets traditional Sand Hill Road funds overlook.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Louisville
Corporate office
Louisville, KY, United States
Principals
Joe Montana
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Mike Maples Jr.
Co-Founder and Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Override?
Co-founders Joe Montana and Mike Maples Jr. jointly lead investment decisions. Montana brings decades of angel investing experience and a network spanning sports and technology, while Maples brings institutional venture expertise from his time as a co-founder of Floodgate, where he was an early backer of Twitter and Twitch. The firm supplements its partnership with operating partners who bring specialized go-to-market and technical expertise.
How is Override structured — as a family office, venture fund, or hybrid?
Override operates as a traditional venture capital firm that manages pooled institutional capital, not as a single-family office. While Joe Montana's personal brand and initial angel capital seeded the firm's identity, Override raised an institutional fund from limited partners including endowments and foundations. This distinguishes it from pure athlete family offices that only deploy a single principal's personal wealth.
Does Override lead rounds or participate as a co-investor?
Override leads and co-leads seed and Series A rounds, aiming for meaningful ownership and board involvement rather than passive co-investment. The firm's posture is to serve as the first institutional check for founders building in non-consensus categories. Override has co-invested alongside firms including Andreessen Horowitz and Lux Capital on select deals.
What sectors does Override explicitly target?
Override concentrates on enterprise software, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, industrial technology, and digital health. The firm favors startups that apply deep technology to legacy industries, particularly manufacturing, logistics, and enterprise infrastructure. Override has historically avoided consumer social and pure-play media investments in favor of B2B models with clear enterprise adoption paths.
What is Override's relationship to Joe Montana's personal wealth?
Joe Montana's personal angel investing track record — which included early bets on Pinterest and Dropbox — provided the foundation for Override's launch. However, the firm manages commingled institutional capital, not a segregated pool of Montana family assets. Montana serves as a general partner rather than a sole limited partner, aligning his interests with institutional investors.
How does Override source deals compared to a traditional Sand Hill Road firm?
Override leverages Montana's global network across sports, media, and business to surface founders who may not have traditional VC warm introductions. The firm's sourcing model pairs this unconventional top-of-funnel access with Maples's deep ties to the elite seed ecosystem built during his Floodgate tenure. Override emphasizes a 'go where others aren't looking' thesis, deliberately avoiding hyper-competitive, consensus-driven rounds.
What is Mike Maples Jr.'s track record prior to Override?
Mike Maples Jr. co-founded Floodgate in 2006, establishing one of the most influential seed-stage franchises in Silicon Valley. At Floodgate, he was among the first institutional investors in Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, Okta, and Chegg. This track record of identifying outlier founders before consensus forms is the underwriting framework Override applies to its own strategy.
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