## Obvious Ventures Unveils Fifth Fund, Marrying Mathematical Flair with Transformative Impact
Obvious Ventures, the forward-thinking venture capital firm co-founded by Twitter’s visionary Evan Williams, has once again captured attention with the close of its fifth investment fund. True to its distinctive brand, this latest capital pool arrives with a numerically intriguing sum: a precise $360,360,360. This isn’t merely a coincidence; it’s a deliberate nod to the firm’s deep appreciation for the worlds of mathematics and science, a tradition that underpins its investment philosophy.
“We invest at the bleeding edge of mathematics, science, and physics, and we enjoy celebrating these disciplines through our fund numbers,” explained James Joaquin, the firm’s co-founder and managing director, in a recent discussion.
### The Signature of Numbers: More Than Just Figures
Obvious Ventures has carved out a unique identity through its playful yet meaningful fund figures. Their inaugural fund, for instance, totaled a sequential $123,456,789. The second fund, a palindromic $191,919,191, echoed its commitment to balance. Fund three, at $271,828,182, paid homage to Euler’s number (e), a fundamental mathematical constant, instantly recognized by engineers and mathematicians alike. The fourth fund, announced in mid-2022, continued the palindromic theme with $355,111,553.
The newest fund’s figure, however, transcends purely abstract mathematical elegance. The $360,360,360 sum holds a deeper, symbolic resonance for the firm as it marks twelve years in operation. It embodies a holistic, “360-degree perspective” across Obvious Ventures’ three core investment pillars: planetary health, human health, and economic health. As Joaquin elaborated, “We love the metaphor of taking a 360-degree view in each of those areas. One must engage with the past to truly grasp what has succeeded and what has not.”
## A Strategic Approach to Impact Investing and Robust Returns
Beyond the engaging numerical patterns, Obvious Ventures maintains a sharp focus on its investment strategy, which prioritizes both significant impact and robust financial returns for its limited partners.
### Cultivating Durability and Delivering Value
The firm’s operational model involves keeping fund sizes manageable. This deliberate approach ensures that if even a single portfolio company achieves sustained public market success, it possesses the potential to return the entire fund. While this strategy emphasizes durability, it also acknowledges market realities. Joaquin pointed to the trajectory of early winner Beyond Meat, which, despite an initial market capitalization exceeding $14 billion post-2019 IPO, saw its valuation decline significantly by late 2022.
Nevertheless, Obvious Ventures boasts a strong track record of delivering substantial cash distributions to its limited partners from all its core funds. Notable public market exits include Planet Labs, the satellite imagery firm, which went public via SPAC in 2021 and now holds an approximate valuation of $8.5 billion, following Obvious Ventures’ 2015 investment. Similarly, their Series A investment in Recursion Pharmaceuticals continues to maintain a market capitalization over $2 billion. Additionally, the HR and payroll platform Gusto, an early Obvious Ventures investment, was last valued at over $9 billion in the private market and is widely considered a strong IPO candidate.
### A Milestone in the Venture Capital Landscape
In a fiercely competitive venture capital environment, where only a modest 17% of firms successfully raise more than three funds (according to research from Sapphire Partners), Obvious Ventures’ latest fundraise is a significant achievement. It firmly cements the firm’s status as a well-established and influential player in the VC arena. “Reaching fund five is, in fact, a substantial accomplishment within the venture landscape,” Joaquin underscored.
## Driving Global Change Through Focused Investments
While Obvious Ventures may approach its fund numbers with a touch of whimsy, its dedication to backing startups that generate positive global impact is anything but lighthearted. Joaquin highlighted several key investments across the firm’s three foundational pillars.
### Planetary Health: Powering a Sustainable Future
In its commitment to planetary health, the firm has invested in Zanskar, an innovative startup leveraging proprietary data and artificial intelligence to pinpoint and harness geothermal energy – one of the most cost-effective and consistent power sources available. Obvious Ventures, which led Zanskar’s previous funding round, expressed particular enthusiasm for the company, especially following its recent $115 million Series C announcement. Joaquin specifically noted Zanskar’s potential to fuel the energy-intensive data centers powering burgeoning AI technologies.
### Human Health: Innovating for Well-being
Under its human health strategy, Obvious Ventures champions Inceptive, an AI platform dedicated to accelerating molecule development. Inceptive was co-founded by Jakob Uszkoreit, a principal author of the groundbreaking “Attention is All You Need” paper, which introduced the transformer architecture – the foundational breakthrough behind today’s generative AI revolution.
### Economic Health: Redefining Productivity and Labor
Addressing economic health, Joaquin drew attention to Dexterity Robotics. Valued at $1.65 billion last year, Dexterity is at the forefront of developing sophisticated humanoid robots designed to undertake “dull, dirty, and dangerous” tasks currently performed by human workers in warehouses and factories, thereby enhancing productivity and safety.
## The Team Behind the Vision: Guiding Future Innovations
Beyond James Joaquin, Obvious Ventures’ leadership team includes four other active investors, notably co-founder Vishal Vasishth. Evan Williams continues to contribute as a co-founder and advisor. The firm plans to execute approximately ten new investments annually, with check sizes ranging from $5 million to $12 million, primarily targeting Seed and Series A stage startups. This focused approach ensures continued support for groundbreaking ventures poised to create a lasting, positive impact across the globe.