About
Obvious Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 by Ev Williams (Twitter co-founder), James Joaquin, and Vishal Vasishth, based in San Francisco with additional operations in Pittsburgh and Palo Alto. The firm operates with an explicit world-positive investment thesis, targeting purpose-driven entrepreneurs reimagining trillion-dollar industries across planetary, human, and economic health. The firm invests across early and growth stages, with check sizes ranging from $1 million to $25 million, typically writing $5 million to $12 million for seed and Series A startups. Obvious Ventures has demonstrated particular strength in early-stage deployment, with 45 Series A investments averaging $21.5 million, 23 seed investments averaging $6.9 million, and 17 Series B investments averaging $76.7 million. The firm maintains a focused, operator-led investment approach and aims to make approximately 10 investments annually. Investment focus areas include health, fintech, energy, and transformative technologies across financial services, consumer goods, and productivity systems. The portfolio spans 113 companies including five unicorns, with notable investments in companies like Diamond Foundry, Enervee, Happiest Baby (SNOO), Devoted Health, Recursion, and Inato. The firm has raised multiple funds, including Obvious Ventures IV with a 2022 vintage and a recently announced Fund Five. Portfolio companies receive not only capital but also experience, focus, and direct access to a founder-centric investment team that maintains deep operational relationships and serves as a preferred co-investor with prominent firms including Sequoia and Y Combinator.