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 Bucher
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. Previously, Masha was VP of Communications at Acronis, a leading data and cyber protection company, and Head of Communications at B2B and deep tech-focused VC Runa Capital. 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.
Sanjiv Sanghavi
Sanjiv Sanghavi is a Venture Partner investing in climate at Day One. Previously, Sanjiv was Chief Product Officer at Arcadia.com and also founded multiple startups, including ClassPass.com. Sanjiv has spent over a decade leading product, growth, design and engineering at startups across various sectors including fitness, healthcare, real estate, adtech and energy. He's helped create multiple unicorns and raise $1+ billion in capital. Sanjiv is a health and fitness enthusiast, avid lover of food, and former hip hop dancer (about 85% of his moves are now out of reach).
Jenny Chao
Jenny is the Director of Communications and Investor at Day One Ventures. She’s passionate about working with founders to bring their stories to life. Her investment focus is in health tech, particularly companies that use emerging technologies to support mental and physical health. Prior to Day One, Jenny worked at Current as well as Moxie Communications Group where she led strategy and media relations for brands including Andie, Dollar Shave Club, Pandora, and more.
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
Like any venture capitalist, Craft Ventures partner Brian Murray has been fielding the same questions from founders again and again: Can you introduce me to a prospective customer? Do you know...
Executive coaching has long been a quiet force behind leaders in the tech industry, but that premium benefit, often only offered to the top executives, is changing. A new wave of executive coaching...
MARA, a cryptocurrency company backed by Coinbase Global Inc., said it will advise the president of the Central African Republic after the nation became the second globally after El Salvador...
The last few years have seen strong crypto adoption among young sub-Saharans Africans, primarily driven by the bleak economic realities in many countries in the region. However, crypto development...
Founded in 2018, European micromobility startup Reby took an interesting path. It deployed e-scooters in the city of Zaragoza (Spain), during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also created a SaaS-oriented...
Contact Us
Tell us about your idea or startup at pitch@dayoneventures.com
Media inquiries at press@dayoneventures.com
