Independent rating of Trinity Ventures VC fund
Overall rating:
36 reviews
About Trinity Ventures VC fund
Website:
Founded:
1986
Number of funds:
9
Number of investments:
463
Number of exits:
135
Headquarters:
Organization type:
Venture Capital
How Trinity Ventures VC fund invests
Average ticket size:
20.9M USD
Smallest investment:
4.29M USD
Biggest investment:
57.1M USD
Would lead round:
Yes
Would coinvest:
Yes
Countries where invested:
Sectors of interest:
Software, Sales, Machine Learning, Information Technology, Enterprise Software, Artificial Intelligence, Travel, Software Engineering, Small and Medium Businesses, SaaS, Real Estate Investment, Real Estate, Point of Sale, Open Source, Nutrition, Mobile Apps, Lifestyle, Leisure, Hotel, Hospitality, Higher Education, Education, EdTech, E-Commerce, Developer Tools, Developer Platform, Developer APIs, Consumer Goods, Consumer, CRM, Biotechnology, Analytics
Founders' reviews of Trinity Ventures VC fund
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Schwark Satyavolu is a Class Act
I had a warm intro to Schwark. My contacts said he was very sharp and knew payments very well. This turned out to be very true. I've pitched a number of firms and Schwark is way ahead of anyone else I pitched. He very quickly got to the key decision point of our business. Although he turned us down, he did two really classy things that really stand out in my mind: 1) promptly made a decision and told me 2) gave me valuable feedback on where he thought the biggest problem would be and the best to overcome it. Most people wouldn't have bothered after a turn down to write such a detailed email. A real class act. And I've known Ajay for years since he started Pinnacle in his garage. A real entrepreneur and a great guy.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Poor at Following Up
I was contacted by one of the ' analysts, Sumit. He informed me they found my company's profile on Gust and were interested because they had just made an investment in a similar space and thought there were some synergies between our companies. Initially, this confused me because after describing what their new portfolio company did, it didn't seem to be very compatible. I asked Sumit for some references, which he said he would get together over the weekend and send over a few days later. About a week later, I received a call from Manny. He told me he wasn't sure why he was calling, other than because Sumit asked him to. They didn't seem very organized. He pitched me, I described a little of what my business does, and then I asked for a few references that I could speak with, perhaps the company they just invested in as well. Of course, I never received any contacts to reach out to or letters of reference. This firm seems to be disorganized and poor at following up on their promises. Not the type of money I would want involved in my business. I would suggest doing thorough research with any VC firm and their partners before moving the process forward or you could be strung along as in this example.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Class Act
Trinity led my A and invested in every subsequent round, and were great investors. Noel Fenton sat on my board for over 5 years, and almost all their other partners at one point or another helped me - they function as a real partnership. Trinity has a reputation for being Entrepreneur friendly, and it is deserved.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
What's a Handshake Worth?
We had a handshake deal with a partner at Trinity that I've known for years to lead our next financing round based on solid progress during the year. The terms we shook on were clearly stated, including valuation. I was warned by a fellow CEO who had a bad experience with the same partner recently, but I ignored my better instincts and continued on. Emails and meetings follow with my expanded team. The partner promised to get back to me immediately and then backs out of the deal with a weak excuse about valuation a couple of weeks later.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
No Longer a VC
No longer doing VC
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Ajay, an Entrepreneur and a Class Act
Ajay and Trinity led our A1 round in early 2009. (Note that Ajay/Trinity did this deal during end of days when few deals were getting done). Ajay has been awesome to work with as he is honest, straightforward, and good intentioned. As a former entrepreneur he puts a lot of faith in his CEO's and he knows that bumps in the road are just that. His advice is practical and his strategic vision is perceptive. But his MO is really just to find ways of being useful and letting you run the company how you see fit. I feel fortunate we've got Ajay on our team.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Ajay Chopra Shows Class, Poise and Experience
In my dealings with Ajay Chopra, he has shown nothing but the utmost intelligence, care for his companies and a desire to mentor those who reach out. In his learning as founder and CEO of Pinnacle Systems, he has invaluable operating experience that will help any company that signs with Trinity Ventures excel.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Does Any One Know of a Company that Have Funded
Does anybody know of a company that Ventures has funded? I have read all the comments but don't see any references to actual investments. if they are not making investments perhaps they should not be listed here and if they are it would be wise to show some examples.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Good Initial Call
Had a great initial call with Larry Orr. He knew our space pretty well, and had thought out a number of the business issues we're facing. We're still in their process, but so far Larry has been very thoughtful, professional, and quick to get on the calendar.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Quick on the Uptake
We pitched Gus Tai and he got our business and model immediately. One of my co-founders remarked that Gus provided more helpful feedback than we had gotten from our seed/A VCs in over two years of board meetings.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Ajay is a True Gentleman
Have interacted with Ajay Chopra for the last couple years. He has good instincts, reads people well. Shrewd business guy, but he's upfront with his intentions and draws from his operating experience.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Pitched Tom, Ajay, Patricia & Larry
Really liked Tom and Ajay, Patricia asked good questions and seemed interested. First couple pitches went really well. But our last pitch to MR. LARRY ORR, oh man, guy was taking a siesta in the back of the room. You can tell who holds the purse strings. Quickly turned down after that.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
A Great Experience
I met Alex about 2 years ago at my previous firm at a Seattle event. He invited us down to the bay area to chat about what we were doing for another company (for one of his portfolio), which we did. At the time I told him that I was also thinking about a startup and ever since he's been helping me with insight, critiques and connections. Last fall we pitched them on our 'let's see if this will fly with VC's' trek and they turned us down, within the week. Great to have all the issues out as he was very honest as to the reasoning. Could not have asked for anything more, except of course, the money...
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
On My Tier 1 List
Gus sat on the board of the last company I was an executive at, and now that I'm at another startup he's definitely on my tier 1 list of folks to ping when we're ready to raise.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Smart and Fast
I've pitched a couple deals to Trinity.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Tim vs. Fred
I've pitched Trinity twice, and Tim McAdam, is definitely smart, engaged and helpful. He asked good, productive questions and seemed sincerely interested in our business. Fred Wang seemed totally aloof and uninterested. Perhaps he is smart, but he definitely needs to work on his meeting skills. It seemed from the start that he had an attitude that we were wasting his time. He's clearly shouldn't have even taken the meeting. It's clear that he was a consultant and has never been an entrepreneur.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Moved Fast, Professional
We pitched Trinity on a Monday, had a second meeting on Wednesday, and a decision by the following Monday. We were finishing up our fundraising cycle and asked them to move quickly, which they did. While Trinity decided not to invest in this round, they were very efficient and moved quickly. Their questions and due diligence checks were thoughtful and professional.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Tim Was Okay, Team Was Weaker
Tim was okay for us, even though we did not get any funding from them.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Fair Dealings
Out of the VC firms that we spoke to I believe Trinity was the most upfront. Have noted a marked difference between the "money guys" (those that work in finance and have never run, much less understand, how to build a company) and former entrepreneurs. Alex O being one of the latter (and they are statistically much rarer) is a much better character to deal with.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Take the Venture Out of Venture Capital
For the most part, Trinity is not an early stage investor. Based on my experience, I wouldn't bother pitching them an idea before you've hit $10 m in annual revenue. Very conservative fund.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Maybe, but in a Good Way
I pitched my early stage company to Trinity just to get on their radar for a series A in 4-6 months. I was pleasantly surprised that they gave serious thought to an immediate investment. Ultimately they decided it's too soon, but in this case I'm happy to have the "soft maybe" from Trinity. They seem sincerely interested in participating in an A round down the road, and are offering continued guidance along the way.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Trinity is Fair
we met several times and with many partners without getting a term sheet despite a lot of verbal indications we would. on balance, i can't fault them. they could have been more decisive at the outset but not out of bounds. think they were careful and generally supportive. at the end of the day, they wanted us to show more progress with our concept-- which is reasonable. across the board, the partners were approachable and had constructive comments- Ajay, Gus and Tom in particular.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
On Tom Cole
Tom Cole is a wonderfully cerebral, open-minded, and authentic Venture Capitalist. He's candid about his passion for a given space, direct about whether or not he sees your concept as a fit for Trinity, and in general, a lovely person with whom to do business. Based upon our interactions, should Bottlenotes seriously pursue venture financing, there's no question he's one of the first people to whom I'd take the deal.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Alex O
Alex is a rare VC who has both played direct operational roles and is quite aware of the particular roles that VCs play and is working extremely hard to be world class at the roles VCs play. Perhaps I'm lucky, but he has always been straight forward and funny and, yes, somewhat cutting but not unreasonably so in our interactions.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Tim Mc Adam is Definitely Not Slow!
I'd be very wary of posts that suggest that ANY venture capital partner is slow. All of the venture capital partners I know are smart. Tim is one of the brightest. Quick to respond, decisive and very helpful and insightful in a working relationship. You got this one dead wrong.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
The Real Trinity (And the Real Tim Mc Adam)
The new generation at Trinity (Gus, Tim, Fred, and Patricia) is very solid. Those 4 make up a very formidable engine. Bring a big market, an elegant business model, as well as a non-pyschotic personality and you'll do well here. BTW, the comment about Tim is totally off base. He's one of the hardest working people on the venture side, pre and post funding. The guy is many things, but slow isn't one of them.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
All Value No Bs
I have raised money from a number of well known firms and Trinity by far is best I have dealt with. They are a rare combination of super smart, hard working fair and reasonable people but without the supersized ego you find with other firms. When they say they will help you, they do. They don't micromanage you. The partners that I know all have operating experience, so the advice and perspective you get is real-world experience, not a repeat of something that they heard in an MBA class 5 years ago. There is a big different between theory and practice and the Trinity guys excel in having been there and done it. I will work with this team again in another company. I can't say that about some of my other investors.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Non Responsive
I give Fred Wang and Gus Tai a presentation. We get to the end, and as I ask them for questions, they both look at each other and say that they need to talk to each other about the deal and will get back to us. 10 phone calls and 10 emails later and I have no idea what they thought. I would describe this visit as a complete black hole.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Partners Vary
Gus has a good reputation but some of the others aren't at the same level.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
They Like to Wait
My experience with Trinity is that they will drag out a conversation as long as possible. In two term sheet discussions, they always bid lowest and took the longest. You never know where you are in the process until it's over. If you have a retail deal, definitely go see them, otherwise move on.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Seemed Unable to Focus
Brainspace was clearly somewhere else.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Ajay is Smart!
Quick, efficient & friendly!
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Great Firm
The process was very efficient and pleasant. Gus, Patricia and Larry had extremely valuable insights. Moreover, they were curteous and honest throughout the process. I would definitely work with them again.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Down to Earth VC's
Dealt with Patricia Nakache, Jim Tybur and Gus Tai. Very good insights during our extended pitch process. Were very helpful with contacts and referrals to potential business partners even during the discussion phase. Dealt with Patricia the most. She was extremely easy to deal with, fair, and very engaging. Absolutely no ego. She'd be the first on my list of VCs to contact for my next venture.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Smart, Team Oriented, Connected
Trinity has been fantastic to work with. They bring fresh ideas and talented resources to the table. They are very well connected and have plugged us into their network. They act as part of the team, not just a critical spectator.
Not reviewed
Older than a year by non-portfolio founder
Unlock more reviews by creating a free account
Super Smart & Engaged
Great firm. All substance. Patricia Nakache, in particular, is a true superstar. She is exceptionally entrepreneur focused and brings superb insight to any challenge...