Partner Ventures

Investment decisions are led by the firm’s two named principals, Blake and Brett. Their full surnames are not publicly listed on the firm’s website. Portfolio company testimonials reference Blake’s role as a board member and Brett’s expertise in structuring financing rounds, indicating a division of duties between strategic governance and deal structuring.

The firm sources opportunities by working directly with general partners who are rationalizing their venture portfolios and need to sell one or two larger positions. It also accesses a distinct channel through search fund networks, self-identifying as part of a “search fund mafia” with connections to both domestic and international searchers and search fund investors.

Partner Ventures is structured as an asset manager. It does not operate as a family office. Its model of purchasing single direct-secondary positions from venture funds and taking board seats resembles a hybrid between a specialized private equity firm and a concentrated venture investor, but it is categorically not a family office.

The firm targets later-stage, emerging-growth companies. Its stated investment criteria require a minimum of $15 million in revenue, annual growth exceeding 15%, and profitability or a clear path to profitability within 12 months. This puts its focus on expansion and late-stage venture, not seed or early-stage startups.

Partner Ventures executes direct secondary transactions, acquiring individual positions in companies rather than committing to venture funds as a limited partner. The firm explicitly distinguishes itself from larger secondary funds that buy portfolios of assets, instead offering targeted liquidity to general partners for single positions.

The firm co-invests with and purchases positions from external general partners. Testimonials from venture funds such as Versant Ventures and Arboretum Ventures confirm a collaborative dynamic. In AlterG, for example, Partner Ventures accommodated preferred shareholders seeking liquidity while joining the board alongside existing venture backers.

The firm does not maintain a public exclusion list and evaluates opportunities opportunistically. Its website notes that stated sectors are only general guidelines. While it lists areas such as software, medical devices, and financial services as core interests, it states it will “actively consider all opportunities,” implying few formal exclusions.