Josh Kopelman

About

Josh Kopelman is an American venture capitalist and entrepreneur, best known as the founder and partner of First Round Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm. Born in Great Neck, New York, Kopelman attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1993. His entrepreneurial journey began during his college years when he co-founded Infonautics Corporation in 1992, which later went public in 1996. Following this early success, Kopelman co-founded Half.com in 1999, a revolutionary media marketplace that was acquired by eBay in 2000 for approximately 350 million dollars. In 2003, he founded TurnTide, an anti-spam technology company that was acquired by Symantec just six months later. Recognizing a gap in early-stage financing for technology startups, Kopelman founded First Round Capital in 2004. Under his leadership, the firm pioneered the modern seed-stage venture fund model and invested in highly successful companies, including Uber, Roblox, Square, and Warby Parker. Kopelman is consistently ranked among the top venture capitalists globally, frequently appearing on the Forbes Midas List. In addition to his venture capital work, he is active in public service and media, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He resides in the Philadelphia area with his family and continues to be an influential figure in the global technology ecosystem.

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