VC
Partner · Drive Capital · Seed to Scale
Drive Capital
I'm a Partner at Drive Capital, a multi-stage venture capital firm founded by two former Sequoia Capital partners with over $2 billion in AUM. We have 12 investing partners across Columbus, Austin, Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, and Boulder, where I'm based. We are a large, institutional, full-stack venture firm with a full platform of support: a dedicated talent team, in-house developers, marketing, and finance. We write checks from $500K on SAFEs to over $100 million in pre-IPO rounds. We don't let deal size or dynamics get in the way of great investments.
Drive has backed hundreds of companies across the country, from seed through IPO. Our portfolio includes Duolingo, Root Insurance, and SonderMind, among others.
How I Invest
I tend to focus on early-stage investing but explore opportunities at any stage. AI applications, AI infrastructure, robotics, energy, deep tech, health tech, fintech. If your technology is hard to build and matters if it works, I want to hear about it. Good seed investing often looks a little unusual at the beginning, so I stay deliberately open-minded. I love when a founder teaches me something new.
I have a PhD in mechanical engineering and materials science, so I'm not afraid to get technical. I'm a generalist backed by specialist partners, and I make investment decisions quickly. On SAFEs, that means days, not weeks. When the answer is no, I'll tell you fast and tell you why. The second best thing I can give a founder is a quick no. Your time is too valuable to spend waiting on a decision that's already been made.
What I Bring
Before venture, I cofounded and ran Artimus Robotics, a deep tech hardware company. I raised capital, hired the team, and shipped physical products. That operating experience is not theoretical.
I show up and I do the work. I'm not afraid to take homework out of board meetings. When it's useful, I pull in the broader Drive network. My goal with every investment: the first check is not the last. If things are going well, we're writing the next one.
The Ecosystem
I host regular coworking days and office hours, run First Pitch Colorado, and support Boulder Startup Week. I invest a lot of energy into building and maintaining the communities around me, and I connect aggressively. As one founder wrote in a warm intro:
"Meet Tim, an extremely sharp and thoughtful Colorado-based VC. One of his superpowers is connection. For instance, he introduced us to a static code analysis PhD superstar after learning that's a technique we use."
Get in Touch
If you're local, I welcome in-person meetings, or come to a coworking day, office hours, or look for me at an event. I've been told I look exactly like my photo.