Shepherd Ventures

Managing Directors George Kenney and Tom Siegel lead the firm's investment activities. The partnership structure keeps decision-making concentrated with the founding partners, who bring both operating experience and venture capital backgrounds to deal evaluation.

Shepherd's primary focus is Southern California, with San Diego as its anchor market. The firm has historically invested across the broader SoCal corridor, where it maintains proprietary sourcing advantages through decades of relationship-building in the local technology and academic communities.

The firm targets seed and Series A rounds, where it can lead or co-lead early-stage investments. Shepherd typically writes first institutional checks into companies with early commercial traction, preferring to partner with other early-stage funds rather than competing in later-stage rounds.

Shepherd does not publicly disclose current fund sizes or fundraising status. The firm has historically operated with lean capital structures appropriate for its early-stage, regionally-concentrated strategy.

The firm relies heavily on the founders' decades-deep networks across Southern California — including ties to UC San Diego, Qualcomm alumni, and the local defense and technology ecosystem. This relationship-based sourcing often surfaces opportunities before they reach broader venture capital audiences.