Overlooked Ventures
Welcome to our Member Spotlight series where we profile the exciting work of our member firms. For this deep dive, we spoke to Janine Sickmeyer of Overlooked Ventures.
Tell us about your firm. What makes it different?
Overlooked Ventures invests in early-stage companies with one or more historically ignored founder(s). Fund I is a pre-seed/seed-stage fund investing in tech and tech-enabled startups building for humanity, wellness, and industries lacking innovation.
We’re a founder-first venture firm with a focus on adding value and helping portfolio companies to the next round. As a 2x entrepreneur, I co-founded Overlooked Ventures to leverage my experience and provide hands-on support to OV portfolios.
What defines your portfolio?
Overlooked Ventures invests in diverse, scrappy founders who are in the early stages of building billion-dollar businesses.
Tell us about how your portfolio companies are navigating through the current market environment.
The fundraising landscape looks a lot different than it did in 2021. We’re seeing valuations drop and startups having a harder time raising capital. Historically ignored founders including but not limited to Black, Latino, disabled, and women founders have always started businesses in these conditions. The founders that Overlooked Ventures invests in are not as impacted by the market downturn and are building great profitable and investable businesses.
What are the benefits of being an NVCA member?
As an Emerging Fund Manager, I was searching for a community and network that I could join. When I came across NVCA, I was presented with this and so much more. As a member of NVCA, I have access to education opportunities, a community, and even a chance to participate in policy and advocacy groups to impact the venture industry.
What’s ahead for your firm in 2022?
Overlooked Ventures refined our thesis to better reflect our fund’s mission and purpose. Now that we better understand the market, our deal flow, and where we can provide value, Overlooked Ventures is narrowing our industry focus to companies building for humanity, wellness, and industries lacking innovation. During the rest of 2022, we will be deploying more capital into these companies and raising capital for our Fund I.
