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Papa Bear Ventures
Josh Futterman runs Papa Bear Ventures, a hybrid venture fund for pre-seed and seed B2B software startups, mentoring founders to their next round.
Papa Bear Ventures
Papa Bear Ventures is a unique hybrid venture capital fund and investment group focused on pre-seed and seed startups. We combine capital with mentorship to help founders get through the toughest part of the founder journey. We help find additional investment and have a commitment that at least 30 p
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, United States
Principals
Josh Futterman
Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Papa Bear Ventures?
Founder Josh Futterman drives all investment decisions. He operates as the central figure in sourcing, selection, and portfolio support, reflecting the firm's highly concentrated architecture. There is no indication of additional investment partners or a formal investment committee.
How does Papa Bear Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
The firm relies heavily on Futterman's network as a five-time founder and global startup mentor. Its website emphasizes a founder-first approach rather than a structured outbound sourcing engine. This network-driven model likely generates deal flow through founder referrals, accelerator relationships, and the founder's personal reputation in the early-stage ecosystem.
What does 'hybrid venture fund' mean at Papa Bear Ventures?
The firm describes itself as a hybrid venture fund and investment group. This likely means Papa Bear Ventures combines traditional fund commitments with other capital deployment methods, such as syndicated deals or special purpose vehicles. However, the firm has not disclosed its specific fund structure, so the exact blend of capital sources remains private.
Does Papa Bear Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Papa Bear Ventures primarily makes direct investments in pre-seed and seed-stage companies. There is no public information indicating the firm makes commitments to other venture funds or acts as a limited partner in third-party vehicles. Its model is oriented toward hands-on, direct startup engagement.
Which sectors does Papa Bear Ventures explicitly avoid?
The firm states it does not invest in Future of Work, Web3, EdTech, HR/Recruitment, or Music Tech startups. These exclusions are carved out publicly to signal focus within the broader B2B software landscape. Outside of these areas, the firm describes itself as mostly vertical agnostic.
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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