Charles Hudson founded Precursor Ventures in 2015 after eight years at SoftTech VC - later renamed Uncork Capital - where he focused on mobile infrastructure and marketplace investments. He built Precursor as a solo general partner making all investment decisions himself, deliberately running an intentionally high-volume model of 75 to 100 investments per fund to back first-time and underrepresented founders who often lack the traditional networks that open doors at bigger firms. That model backed The Athletic years before The New York Times acquired the sports media company for $525 million in 2022, and Precursor has since grown to five funds and more than $250 million under management.
The Athletic's 2022 acquisition by The New York Times for $525 million - Precursor backed the sports media company years before the deal, as one of founder Charles Hudson's earliest bets