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 our earth and serves as an advisor to Oceanic, a non-profit using VR to bring attention to issues impacting our oceans.
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.
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
Buoyed by a $25 million seed investment, unybrands launched an e-commerce platform aimed at acquiring successful fulfillment by Amazon and direct-to-consumer sellers looking to scale.
As businesses grow and branch into multiple divisions and units spanning cities and time zones, it can be easy for workers to feel disconnected — both from each other and the information they...
Popular saving and investing app Acorns has acquired Pillar, an AI-powered startup built to help manage student loan debt, in its second acquisition of 2021. New York-based Pillar helps consumers...
The Oversubscribed Round, Led by a16z and Runa Capital, Comes After a Pivotal Year for AnyRoad As Experiences Shift to Hybrid Online and Offline Models
What if we could predict the genetic risks of children before they were born and find ways to mitigate these risks before conception? Orchid, a company that helps couples have healthy...
Contact Us
Tell us about your idea or startup at pitch@dayoneventures.com
Media inquiries at press@dayoneventures.com
