Stephanie Khoo

Origin Story: In a couple sentences, how would you describe your path to becoming an investor?

Former investment banker who enjoyed working with earlier stage companies and decided to make the switch to venture!
‍

Investment Approach: What are the key factors you consider when evaluating a founding team?

Any and all of the following (though not an exhaustive list): prior experience, technical capabilities, business / product vision, determination and drive, ability to recruit a strong team, approach to diversity.
‍

What's your style and approach when it comes to working with founders post-investment? What are the characteristics of founders you've worked well with?

Cadence and type of interactions will depend on the stage of the company, but generally we would expect to touch base with portfolio companies monthly and jointly work on follow-ups. We work best with founders where we have a personal rapport and have more of an informal relationship to bounce ideas back and forth.
‍

If I'm coming to pitch to you or your firm, what's the one piece of advice you'd give me?

Keep the pitch succinct and plan timing to make sure you're able to hit on all the key points. In the post-covid virtual world, calendars are now back-to-back and there is now less flexibility to run over time.
‍

How would you describe your own personal mission and values, and how do they impact the way you invest?

Social impact is incredibly important and certainly a lens through which I evaluate every investment. We aren't formally an impact fund; but it's something we personally care deeply about.
‍

What do you like best about investing in NYC, and what’s your outlook on the future of NYC tech?

The NYC investing community is incredibly collaborative and we're going to continue to see many next-gen / innovative ideas from NYC!