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David Rosenthal is a General Partner and co-founder at Wave Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. He is known for his expertise in investing in consumer and marketplace businesses, leveraging a background that includes both operational experience as a founder and significant roles in growth equity.
David Rosenthal primarily invests in early-stage companies within the consumer and marketplace sectors. His focus areas include e-commerce, digital media, future of work solutions, fintech, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms that serve consumer needs.
David Rosenthal works as a General Partner at Wave Capital. He is also a co-founder of the firm, which is a prominent early-stage venture capital firm focused on consumer and marketplace investments.
David Rosenthal is the San Francisco-based co-host of the Acquired podcast and a General Partner at Wave Capital. He co-founded the venture firm alongside former Airbnb executives Riley Newman and Sara Adler, helping close its debut fund at $55 million in 2018 to target marketplace startups. Previously, Rosenthal served as a Principal at Madrona Venture Group and earned an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Through Acquired, he reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners per episode and recently hosted a sold-out live event at the Chase Center featuring Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He has also conducted extensive interviews with prominent business leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Charlie Munger. Rosenthal currently focuses on early-stage venture capital deployments while producing comprehensive media analysis on corporate strategy and technology company histories.
David Rosenthal is a highly respected General Partner and co-founder at Wave Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to backing transformative consumer and marketplace businesses. At Wave Capital, Rosenthal plays a pivotal role in identifying, evaluating, and nurturing promising startups from their earliest stages. His investment philosophy centers on supporting visionary founders who are disrupting traditional industries and creating new market categories.
Rosenthal's investment focus areas are broad yet strategic, encompassing the evolving landscape of consumer technology. He actively seeks opportunities in areas such as e-commerce, digital media, future of work solutions, fintech innovations, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms that cater to consumer needs. His keen eye for market trends and deep understanding of consumer behavior enable him to spot companies with significant growth potential and lasting impact.
Before co-founding Wave Capital, David Rosenthal built a distinguished career marked by both operational experience and successful venture investing. He previously held a significant role at Insight Venture Partners, a renowned growth equity firm. During his tenure there, he was involved in investments in high-profile companies that have since become household names, demonstrating his ability to identify scalable business models. Furthermore, Rosenthal's entrepreneurial spirit is evident from his experience as a co-founder of The Daily Muse (now Muse), a career development platform. This hands-on experience as a founder provides him with invaluable empathy and insight into the challenges and triumphs faced by the entrepreneurs he now backs.
Wave Capital's impressive portfolio, shaped in part by Rosenthal's contributions, includes several well-known brands. While specific individual investments by Rosenthal are often part of a broader firm effort, Wave Capital has been instrumental in supporting companies like Allbirds, Poshmark, and The RealReal, among others. These investments highlight the firm's commitment to backing companies that redefine consumer experiences and build strong, enduring brands. David Rosenthal's blend of operational acumen, strategic investment insight, and dedication to founders makes him a key figure in the venture capital ecosystem, driving innovation and growth in the consumer and marketplace sectors.
