Union Square Ventures

Union Square Ventures was founded in 2003 by Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham in New York City, built on a deliberately small-fund philosophy - Wilson has said the firm would never raise a large fund, preferring to stay nimble with vehicles typically under $300 million. That discipline hasn't limited its impact: USV was an early believer in network-effect businesses, backing Twitter four months after it launched, Etsy when handmade-goods marketplaces seemed like a niche bet, and Coinbase years before crypto exchanges were taken seriously by mainstream investors.

$1B+ AUM 74/100 Power Score™ 2003 Founded New York, NY
Consumer Internet Fintech Crypto Marketplaces
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Signature Exit

Etsy's 2015 IPO - USV backed the handmade-goods marketplace in 2008 when it looked like a niche bet against Amazon

Key Partners & Leadership

Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Managing Partner

Firm Timeline

2003
Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham found Union Square Ventures in New York City.
2007
Leads a Series A investment in Twitter, then just four months old.
2008
Invests in Etsy, a then-unproven marketplace for handmade goods.
2013
Portfolio company Tumblr is acquired by Yahoo for $1.1 billion.
2015
Etsy goes public.
2021
Coinbase, an early USV bet, goes public via direct listing.

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