Venture capitalists do a lot of things to show entrepreneurs they aren’t just a bunch of squares, from wearing hoodies to bragging about their NFT purchases. Now Redpoint Ventures—the San Francisco venture firm known for its stakes in Stripe and Snowflake—has a new plan to connect with startup founders: hiring a creator to produce satirical TikTok videos.
The individual will be part of a new online media publication called Start that Redpoint plans to launch early next year, according to a person familiar with the matter. Start is hiring a team of online content producers and will also introduce a newsletter and podcast, as well as create YouTube videos and Instagram posts. It has hired Josh Machiz, former chief digital officer at Nasdaq, to lead the operation, the person said.
Redpoint’s effort is the latest by a VC firm to differentiate itself from the growing pool of investment firms jockeying for deals. Entrepreneurs increasingly favor investors with distinctive brands and large internet followings rather than respected but more under-the-radar firms. In June, Andreessen Horowitz launched its own media operation, Future.
