21+ Companies
THE PUNCH PORTFOLIO
Backing exceptional immigrant founders at inception — often as the first check before top-tier firms join.
In the News
PUNCH STORIES
Deasy Labs Acquired by Collibra
Punch portfolio company joins Collibra to extend governance into unstructured data.
Insight leads Stuut's $52M Series B
Tier-one funds Insight and a16z back Stuut to scale its AI order-to-cash platform with support from Microsoft's venture fund.
Consensus Raises $30M Series B
AI research engine scales on the back of explosive user and revenue growth.
CrewAI Announces Series B
Announced alongside Crew Studio, which lets business teams launch and observe agents.
Insight leads CrewAI's Series A
The leading AI agent framework secures major backing to scale globally.
USV leads Consensus' Series A
Fresh capital to take cited, peer-reviewed answers to a much wider audience of researchers.
a16z leads Stuut's $29M Series A
New funding to scale the team and bring automated receivables into the heart of finance teams.
The Punch Method
A NETWORK THAT COMPOUNDS
Every founder we back strengthens the network for every other founder. Punch runs a deliberate system that turns connections into revenue, capital, talent, and momentum.
✦ = Current Punch Capital portfolio founder
Punch's methodology activates targeted introductions to enterprise buyers, strategic partners, and revenue catalysts: precision matchmaking.
One intro alone led to a multi-million-dollar deal. Punch Cap is an incredibly high-value-add VC!
Zain Jaffer
Blazel, Vungle ($780M Exit)
Every time I speak with Punch, I have 5 meaningful intros the next morning. 10/10.
Rox Codes
Flightcast with Stephen Bartlett, Past Exit
An early believer before Andreessen led our seed — dozens of intros to potential customers and partners followed.
Ali Moiz
Stonks, Streamlabs ($200M in Exits)
An intro to a unicorn founder led to my very first paying client!
Imran Syed
Hatchproof, Instapage ($80M Exit)
Opened instant access to unicorn CEOs and CFOs, one of which has now moved past our pipeline.
Arpit Goel
Root, Gamma (Exit to NASDAQ: PANW)
One intro alone led to a multi-million-dollar deal. Punch Cap is an incredibly high-value-add VC!
Zain Jaffer
Blazel, Vungle ($780M Exit)
An early believer before Andreessen led our seed — dozens of intros to potential customers and partners followed.
Ali Moiz
Stonks, Streamlabs ($200M in Exits)
An intro to a unicorn founder led to my very first paying client!
Imran Syed
Hatchproof, Instapage ($80M Exit)
Opened instant access to unicorn CEOs and CFOs, one of which has now moved past our pipeline.
Arpit Goel
Root, Gamma (Exit to NASDAQ: PANW)
Every time I speak with Punch, I have 5 meaningful intros the next morning. 10/10.
Rox Codes
Flightcast with Stephen Bartlett, Past Exit
The Podcast
PUNCHCAST.
Shane in conversation with the unicorn founders behind Udemy, AppDirect, and ZenBusiness: the failures, hard lessons, and vulnerable moments behind massive success. War stories, not victory laps.
JC Glancy
Candosa & ZenBusiness (Unicorn)
Daniel Saks
Landbase & AppDirect (Unicorn)
Daniel Kivatinos
JustPaid & DrChrono | $200M Exit
Gagan Biyani
Maven & Udemy (Unicorn)
Ali Moiz
Stonks & Streamlabs | $200M in Exits
Beyond the conversation
Relationships formed through Punchcast have led to a first paying client, a multi-million dollar deal, and a board role. Shane also invested in a couple of guests after their appearances.
Leadership
Former Techstars All-Star Mentor (top 5%) · Alumni Ventures Senior Fellow · Brown University Student Venture Fund Advisory Board · Host of Punchcast
A Brown University alumnus based between the US and Europe, Shane knows what it's like to build a life as an American abroad, which shapes the fund's focus on immigrant founders building in the US.
Backed at Inception
- CrewAI (alongside Boldstart; Insight led the Series A)
- Consensus (alongside Draper; USV led the Series A)
- Stuut (alongside Khosla; a16z led the Series A)
Earlier angel investments
- Hydra Host: entered at a $27M valuation, now ~$800M with NVIDIA participating
- Replit: $5M to nearly $500M ARR
- Customer.io: $20M to past $100M ARR
His network of operators, VCs and enterprise buyers delivers deals, hires and follow-on capital to portfolio founders. He also advises a unicorn founder's next company.
Punch aims to back international founders at inception, write larger checks and lead rounds selectively, and keep connecting them to US customers, capital and the relationships that compound.
Through relationships built on Punchcast
- One intro — first paying client.
- One intro — multi-million dollar deal.
- One intro — secured board member role.
Through a separate investor introduction
- One intro — VC-led seed round.
Shane is also the founder of the American Dream Foundation ↗
Our Founders Are
BACKED BY THE BEST
Rounds backed alongside the most respected funds in venture, from first round to IPO.