# Proofpoint Capital

Proofpoint Capital is an Asset Manager based in Sunnyvale, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Sunnyvale, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Sunnyvale, CA, United States
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** proofpointcapital.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/proofpoint

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 340658
- **SEC file number:** 802-135721
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/340658

## About

Proofpoint Capital provides smart capital for early-stage Vertical AI and partners with founders building the next category-defining companies. The firm invests with a core focus on Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Financial Services. Its approach is operator-led, informed by 25+ years building, advising, and investing in vertical software companies.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- Digital Health
- FinTech

## People

- Dan Goldsmith — Co-Founder & Partner
- Jonathan Brassington — Co-Founder & Partner
- Matt Wallach — Co-Founder & Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Proofpoint Capital?

Co-Founders Dan Goldsmith, Jonathan Brassington, and Matt Wallach oversee investment decisions. The firm’s Principal, Jon Gulardo, leads deal origination, diligence, and execution. The partnership model relies on all three co-founders engaging directly with portfolio companies as active board members and operational advisors, drawing on their respective histories as CEOs and Presidents at scaled vertical SaaS companies.

### How does Proofpoint Capital source proprietary deal flow?

The firm sources through the founders' 25-year networks in vertical software, especially former Veeva, Instructure, and Capgemini executives. Its 'Activated Operator Network' is described as a community of former operators who refer founders, provide diligence, and actively work alongside portfolio companies. The partners' personal track records — and endorsements from CEOs of portfolio companies like Veho and Artera — act as a founder-facing sourcing funnel.

### Does Proofpoint Capital participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

From its stated model, Proofpoint Capital focuses on direct early-stage investments. The partners invest their own capital and raise external funds, concentrating on high-conviction bets rather than primary fund commitments or secondaries. The team's prior experience at FFO Capital and Osage Venture Partners included fund-of-funds and secondary transactions, but Proofpoint’s public positioning centers on direct company building.

### What investment stages does Proofpoint Capital target?

Proofpoint targets early-stage companies, described by the firm as partnering at the seed stage through early growth. The co-founders frame their support around scaling from startup to enterprise, covering initial product-market fit, senior team hiring, and board construction, rather than late-stage pre-IPO checks. Their most publicized endorsements come from founders they backed at the earliest stages of their ventures.

### Which sectors does Proofpoint Capital explicitly focus on?

The firm concentrates on Vertical AI with declared core focuses on healthcare, life sciences, and financial services. Proofpoint’s website frames these as industries where domain expertise, proprietary data, and deep workflow ownership create competitive moats. While the partners’ experience covers broader vertical software, their current investment thesis narrows to these regulated, data-rich sectors.

### How is Proofpoint Capital distinct from the cybersecurity company Proofpoint?

Proofpoint Capital is a venture firm run by Dan Goldsmith, Jonathan Brassington, and Matt Wallach. It shares a name but has no corporate relationship to Proofpoint, Inc., the publicly traded cybersecurity company. The firm’s domain name and branding are distinct, and all of the partners' prior operating experience is in vertical software, not security infrastructure.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:49.000Z

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