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Don Katz is a renowned entrepreneur and investor, best known as the founder and former CEO of Audible.com. He is currently a Managing Partner at Newark Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund.
Don Katz, through Newark Venture Partners, invests in early-stage technology companies. His focus areas include urban innovation, media technology, e-commerce, and enterprise solutions, often with a connection to the Newark, New Jersey tech ecosystem.
Don Katz works as a Managing Partner at Newark Venture Partners (NVP), an early-stage venture capital firm based in Newark, New Jersey.
Don Katz is a highly respected figure in the technology and investment landscape, renowned for his entrepreneurial vision and his commitment to fostering innovation. Best known as the founder and former CEO of Audible.com, a company that revolutionized the way people consume audio content, Katz has since transitioned his formidable expertise into the world of venture capital. Today, he plays a pivotal role as a Managing Partner at Newark Venture Partners (NVP), an early-stage venture fund dedicated to building a vibrant tech ecosystem in Newark, New Jersey.
At Newark Venture Partners, Don Katz is instrumental in shaping the fund's investment strategy and guiding its portfolio companies. As a co-founder of NVP, his mission extends beyond simply providing capital; he is deeply involved in mentoring founders, leveraging his extensive network, and creating a supportive environment for startups to thrive. NVP focuses on seed and Series A investments, targeting promising technology companies that demonstrate strong potential for growth and innovation.
Katz's investment focus areas at NVP are broad yet strategic, encompassing sectors such as urban innovation, media technology, e-commerce, and enterprise solutions. He and the NVP team are particularly interested in companies that can benefit from or contribute to the burgeoning tech scene in Newark, often seeking out startups with diverse founding teams and impactful missions. This localized approach not only aims for financial returns but also seeks to drive economic development and job creation within the community.
Before his impactful work in venture capital, Don Katz built a distinguished career that began in journalism. He was an acclaimed author and correspondent for prestigious publications like Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine, where his insightful reporting earned him widespread recognition. This background in storytelling and deep analysis undoubtedly contributed to his ability to identify compelling narratives and market opportunities in the tech world.
His most significant entrepreneurial achievement came with the founding of Audible.com in 1995. Katz foresaw the potential of digital audio long before it became mainstream, creating a platform that made spoken-word entertainment accessible to millions. Under his leadership, Audible grew from a pioneering startup into the world's largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word content. The company's success culminated in its acquisition by Amazon in 2008 for approximately $300 million. Katz remained CEO of Audible post-acquisition, continuing to drive its expansion and innovation, solidifying its position as a global leader in the audio content industry.
Through Newark Venture Partners, Don Katz has been instrumental in backing a diverse portfolio of promising startups, helping to transform Newark into a recognized hub for technological advancement. While specific personal investments are often private, the success of NVP's portfolio companies reflects his strategic vision and commitment to fostering the next generation of innovators. His journey from award-winning journalist to groundbreaking tech CEO and now to influential venture capitalist underscores his remarkable ability to adapt, innovate, and lead across various fields, always with an eye towards future possibilities and community impact.
Don Katz is the Founder of Newark Venture Partners and the Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Audible, based in Newark, New Jersey. He established Audible in 1995, guiding the audio technology enterprise through its 1999 initial public offering and its subsequent $300 million acquisition by Amazon in 2008. Katz served as the chief executive until 2019 and remained as Executive Chairman until 2022 before transitioning fully to investment initiatives. Prior to his corporate career, he spent twenty years as a professional journalist and authored acclaimed books including The Big Store. Additionally, he holds a bachelor's degree from New York University and also attended the London School of Economics. Katz currently focuses on early-stage venture capital and urban economic development, actively managing an investment portfolio of nearly 100 software companies at Newark Venture Partners.
