we’ve been in your seat. now we’re in your corner — for the founders who have to build.
An operator-led venture firm built in New York. We lead/co-lead pre-seed and seed and co-invest at Series A — with empathy, candor, and 25 years of operating muscle. We bring our New York DNA to every company we back, and we show up when it matters most.
WE SHOW UP
At the earliest stages, the bet is always the people.
We've spent 25 years hiring, scaling, and shipping at Apple, Facebook, and Google. That's the operator experience we bring to every founder we back — and the empathy, because we've sat in your seat.
We help solve, we don’t just advise. Candidate interviews, customer intros, hard conversations, the 11pm therapy call. We see you as a person, not a lottery ticket. We optimize for founder outcomes.
And we play the long game. Pivots, down rounds, late nights — we don't disappear. We tell you what we think, not what you want to hear, and we stay close long after the check clears.
founders in our community
Market Cap created by our network
investments since inception
hires leading the next generation
WHERE WE GO TO WORK
PEOPLE
Your first hires set culture, velocity, and trajectory. We've made zero-to-one hires for 25 years — internet, mobile, social, AI. We help you source, interview, and close the people other founders are chasing.
GO TO MARKET
Product-market fit isn't a slide. We help you find it, pressure-test it, and build a sales motion repeatable enough to hire against and defensible enough to raise on.
Capital
Fundraising strategy, deal structure, runway modeling, board prep — the CFO work you need a year before you can afford a CFO.
BACKED BY OCEANS
ASK OUR FOUNDERS
Having Oceans as a lead is like having a high-functioning co-founder. The level of engagement and authentic, intimate, no-BS conversations about the business is something I don't believe can be expected from large multi-stage firms. It's why we chose Oceans to lead our pre-seed. The team has certainly not disappointed.
Oceans is always one late-night call or text away from helping us close the best talent or getting us in the room with our top customers. We're incredibly grateful for Oceans' support and are excited to work with them for the long run.
You know investors are only supposed to say they add value, not actually do it. You're ruining the narrative for the rest of your industry…
We went with Oceans because of the team and relationship. Relationships matter. Oceans GPs are the type of people you hang onto for life. We had several big-name investors that wanted to invest, but our relationship with the team and their persistence in closing were difference makers. I wanted to be a part of their growth story as well.
We chose Oceans as lead because they are experienced startup builders and are able to provide hands-on support. During the fundraise, Oceans stood out from other VCs — they moved quickly and understood how to build a business. The Oceans team will help you build the best company you can.
With Oceans, we have access to tailored advice and hands-on help that is always just right for the stage that we are at. I have never felt like I'm just a number. I get almost immediate responses to my updates. I really feel like Oceans understands where we are at and our business.
This was the easiest decision I've ever made on picking an investor. From Steven, Josh on through the team - this a crew you want in your corner. Sharp, action oriented, get founders and understand what it takes to build a company. They aren't performative, they know how to be helpful because they've been there.
