WndrCo Enters venture capital with $460M across two new funds
June 06, 2024
WndrCo, the holding company and technology investment firm founded by Sujay Jaswa and Jeffrey Katzenberg, has successfully raised its first venture capital fund, securing over $460 million in commitments. Katzenberg, known for his tenure as chairman of Walt Disney Studios and co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, and Jaswa, a former principal at New Enterprise Associates and an early Dropbox employee, have guided the firm to prominence.
Katzenberg and Jaswa began fundraising for the new funds a year and a half ago. Jaswa noted that their timing was ideal, coinciding with a period balanced between a major recession and an overheated venture market. “It was a unique moment to raise our first classic venture funds,” he said. “We have been fortunate to work with some of the best entrepreneurs and companies, but building new relationships takes time.”
The new capital is allocated across new Seed and Venture funds targeting startups innovating in the future of work, consumer technology, cybersecurity, and developer infrastructure. According to Katzenberg, WndrCo makes about 15 seed investments per year, with an average check size of $500,000. The Seed fund will engage in more venture capital investing than before and will create one or two companies annually.
From these new funds, WndrCo has invested in three companies, including Writer, a generative AI platform for businesses, and Alembic, which assists chief marketing officers in understanding the ROI of their brand spend. One of its Build companies, still in stealth mode, was created 10 months ago.
The firm seeks new technologies that address previously unsolved problems and supports entrepreneurs building these solutions. This recently includes ventures in artificial intelligence.
Katzenberg and Jaswa began fundraising for the new funds a year and a half ago. Jaswa noted that their timing was ideal, coinciding with a period balanced between a major recession and an overheated venture market. “It was a unique moment to raise our first classic venture funds,” he said. “We have been fortunate to work with some of the best entrepreneurs and companies, but building new relationships takes time.”
The new capital is allocated across new Seed and Venture funds targeting startups innovating in the future of work, consumer technology, cybersecurity, and developer infrastructure. According to Katzenberg, WndrCo makes about 15 seed investments per year, with an average check size of $500,000. The Seed fund will engage in more venture capital investing than before and will create one or two companies annually.
From these new funds, WndrCo has invested in three companies, including Writer, a generative AI platform for businesses, and Alembic, which assists chief marketing officers in understanding the ROI of their brand spend. One of its Build companies, still in stealth mode, was created 10 months ago.
The firm seeks new technologies that address previously unsolved problems and supports entrepreneurs building these solutions. This recently includes ventures in artificial intelligence.