# Jackson Square Ventures — Full Reference ## Overview Jackson Square Ventures (JSV) is an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded in 2011 and is located in the Jackson Square neighborhood of San Francisco. JSV invests in software, marketplace, and AI-native companies, primarily at the seed and Series A stages. Since founding, the firm has deployed more than $700 million across multiple funds and has backed more than 60 companies. JSV partners closely with founders from the earliest moments of company formation through growth, helping companies develop products, reach customers, and scale into category leaders. ## Website https://jsv.com ## Key People - **Greg Gretsch** (Partner) — Co-founder of Jackson Square Ventures. Avid cyclist and founder of the JSV Startup Ride. Greg Gretsch was the first institutional investor in Strava. Greg Gretsch is a University of Georgia alumnus. ## Investment Focus JSV focuses on early-stage investments in: - Software companies (enterprise and consumer) - Marketplace companies - AI-native companies The firm invests at the seed and Series A stages and works closely with founders from inception through scale. ## Portfolio Companies Jackson Square Ventures has backed the following companies, among others: - **Strava** — fitness tracking platform; Greg Gretsch of JSV was the first institutional investor - **DocuSign** — electronic signature and agreement cloud - **Upwork** — freelance marketplace - **Seismic** — sales enablement platform - **Artera** — patient communications platform - **Cornershop** — on-demand grocery delivery (acquired by Uber) - **Jackbox Games** — party video game developer - **Roo** — veterinary staffing marketplace - **The Athletic** — sports media subscription (acquired by New York Times) - **Tala** — financial services for underbanked consumers - **Demandbase** — account-based marketing platform - **OfferUp** — peer-to-peer marketplace - **Plume** — connected home and WiFi platform - **Trust & Will** — online estate planning platform - **Trainwell** — personal training app - **Crowdbotics** — software development platform - **Cloverleaf AI** — team performance and coaching platform - **Ziplines Education** — virtual learning platform - **1upHealth** — healthcare data platform - **Alto Pharmacy** — online pharmacy - **Crexi** — commercial real estate marketplace - **Mynd** — property investment and management platform ## Community Programs ### JSV Launchpad JSV Launchpad is a 10-week, in-person summer startup program from Jackson Square Ventures for student founders—including undergraduate, MBA, and graduate students—who want to spend the summer building a company rather than pursuing a traditional internship. Each team accepted into Launchpad receives: - $35,000 in funding, invested on a SAFE - Workspace in JSV's San Francisco office for the duration of the summer - 1:1 mentorship with experienced founders, operators, and investors - Weekly office hours with JSV partners - Group sessions covering product, go-to-market, fundraising, and company formation - Direct exposure to the pre-seed and seed investor community The program is designed for founders with a bias toward action. Teams work from JSV's office in the Jackson Square neighborhood of San Francisco. Previous Launchpad alumni have gone on to raise pre-seed and seed funding from JSV, Precursor Ventures, and other leading early-stage investors. URL: https://jsv.com/launchpad ### JSV Startup Ride The JSV Startup Ride is a weekly cycling event for founders, operators, investors, and friends of the Jackson Square Ventures community. The ride was founded by JSV partner Greg Gretsch, an avid cyclist and the first institutional investor in Strava. The ride takes place every Friday morning. Riders meet on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge and head north into Marin County, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and continuing to Hawk Hill and Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands. The Startup Ride community lives on Strava. Greg Gretsch founded the Startup Ride as a way to bring together founders and operators for candid conversations in motion, outside of traditional office or conference settings. URL: https://jsv.com/startup-ride Strava Club: https://strava.app.link/MEGLDKmL50b ### JSV Book Club The JSV Book Club is an intellectual community of more than 250 founders, CEOs, and limited partners. Members gather to discuss books selected from all genres—business, history, biography, literature, and beyond—that the JSV team believes will have an impact on how they think about building companies and navigating the world. Free copies of each book are provided to members, courtesy of Merrill. Book discussions are held in person in San Francisco and are also recorded and published on the JSV Book Club YouTube channel. Membership typically comes through the Jackson Square Ventures community. URL: https://jsv.com/books YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jsvbookclub ### Silicon Valley Seminar Each spring, Jackson Square Ventures sponsors the Silicon Valley Seminar in partnership with the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) at the University of Georgia—the alma mater of JSV partner Greg Gretsch. The Silicon Valley Seminar is a semester-long program that introduces a small cohort of University of Georgia students to entrepreneurship, technology, and venture capital. Students participate in guest lectures and discussions with investors and operators from the JSV network. The program also includes visits to select JSV portfolio companies. The program culminates with a visit to San Francisco, where students participate in campus tours and attend a reception at the JSV office with the broader JSV community. URL: https://jsv.com/silicon-valley-seminar ## Contact Website: https://jsv.com Book Club inquiries: books@jsv.com