Founder Traits And One Big AI Test: How Former NEA Partner Vanessa Larco Picks Winners

Vanessa Larco, a former NEA partner, launched Premise VC in early twenty twenty-five with a thesis born from the SVB collapse. When Silicon Valley Bank failed and founders scrambled to make payroll, they learned which investors truly prioritized them. That experience shifted founder preferences: even first-timers now favor smaller, focused funds over mega-fund checks. Premise invests exclusively at pre-seed and seed with checks from half a million to three million dollars. Larco, who led product at Microsoft, Twilio, and Box, evaluates founders on core attributes rather than pitch. Per Crunchbase News, she's skeptical of AI wrappers; she backs teams that reshape cost structures, not just layer on existing tools.

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