At a Glance
Goodwater Capital was founded in 2014 by Chi-Hua Chien, former head of strategy at Facebook, and Eric Kim, former partner at Maverick Capital. The firm distinguished itself by bringing a data-driven approach to consumer technology investing, leveraging proprietary analytics platforms to track app usage, social media trends, and alternative data sources to identify promising startups before they become widely known. Their investment philosophy centers on using quantitative insights to complement traditional venture capital due diligence, allowing them to spot breakout consumer companies earlier in their lifecycle. The firm has made notable investments across consumer technology, fintech, and marketplace sectors, with standout portfolio companies including Brex, the corporate credit card unicorn, Faire, the wholesale marketplace, and even SpaceX. Goodwater typically invests in Series A and later rounds, writing checks ranging from $5M to $25M. Under Chien's leadership, the firm has built a reputation for backing companies with strong network effects and viral growth potential, often identifying them through their proprietary data platforms that track user engagement and adoption patterns across consumer applications.
“Leverages proprietary data science and consumer analytics to identify breakout consumer technology companies before they become mainstream.”
Goodwater Capital primarily invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are building their initial product and finding product-market fit.
Goodwater Capital is headquartered in Burlingame, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Goodwater Capital focuses on investments in Consumer, Fintech, Marketplace, EdTech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Goodwater Capital's typical investment check size ranges from $1M to $50M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
Goodwater Capital manages approximately $3B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.