What We Do
We’re an early-stage venture capital firm that backs customer-obsessed companies and spearheads their communications.
We invest across industries from pre-seed to seed - and occasionally series A - make swift decisions, co-invest with leading VCs, and help grow your business through storytelling.
Inspired by Jeff Bezos’ Day One philosophy, our name reminds us to live every day and make every decision as if it is Day One. When we evaluate companies, we look for the Day One mentality and a culture of undeniable customer obsession.
Team
Masha Drokova
Masha is the Founder and General Partner at Day One Ventures. Before launching Day One, she was an angel investor and founder of a PR studio that worked with companies like Houzz, HotelTonight, and Gett. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and was named by Business Insider as a top 50 PR Pro in tech. Masha has a deep love for art and collects contemporary art.
Drake Rehfeld
Drake is a Principal at Day One Ventures. Before Day One, Drake founded Demeanor.co (Y Combinator S18). Demeanor was acquired by NTWRK, a video-based shopping app where he led product. Drake previously worked in product management and machine learning computer vision at many companies including Team 10 and Snap. Drake loves to help founders in product, growth, and UX, and spends time thinking about consumer and influencer platforms.
Melanie Galang
Melanie is the Head of Communications for Key Companies and an Investor at Day One Ventures. Prior to Day One, she was a VP at Moxie Communications Group where she was integral in the development and execution of PR strategies for early to late stage startups. She’s worked with companies such as Hipcamp, Forerunner Ventures and Talkspace, as well as Peanut and Modern Fertility. Melanie is passionate about crafting and telling powerful stories for challenger brands.
Natalie Issa
Natalie helps portfolio companies craft and tell their stories. Natalie is passionate about emerging technologies, having previously worked with companies like Baidu's AI Group, D-Wave Systems, Drive.ai, EchoPixel, and Woopra. She comes from a big, chaotic Lebanese family and loves every minute of it.
In the Press
For many years, people dreaded the emergence of artificial intelligence and new technologies. Those who grew up before the iPhone and internet felt that their jobs would be put into jeopardy. The...
Looking for a new apartment is either a leisurely thing to do or something that has to take place quite quickly. When you don’t reach anyone in the leasing office, you often move on to the...
OAKLAND, Calif. Nov 17 (Reuters) - A new quantum computer startup born from researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) called QuEra Computing said on Wednesday...
Boston startup QuEra Computing says it’s developed the world’s most powerful quantum computers. The company has raised $17 million to commercialize the new systems, which were developed...
Quantum computing has been a science project for a long time. But in 2021 the technology is beginning to reach beyond the capabilities of classical supercomputers. That’s mainly because science...
Contact Us
Tell us about your idea or startup at pitch@dayoneventures.com
Media inquiries at press@dayoneventures.com
