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What Maveron Looks For in Early-Stage Consumer Startups | TTW 2026
Watch on YouTube ↗Lovevery and Maveron
Watch on YouTube ↗First seen on the TechTO stage in 2020. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Jason ↗
In their words
Today we're investing two to eight million out of a $225 million fund in anywhere from pre-seed to Series A businesses. And we underwrite every investment so it can return the fund. So if you want to create a nice lifestyle business, it doesn't work.
Can you get distribution? Do people want to buy your product? Do they want to keep buying your product? And is there a way where there's a compounding moat, where the more someone uses your product the less likely they are to leave? And is there enough margin?
If you're early and you're starting a company and you're already talking about acquisition, usually that won't happen. You start a company because you have a vision to change a certain part of the world.
There's two types of entrepreneurs: there's missionaries and mercenaries. People want to work for and be customers of companies that stand for something.
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Quick answers
What does Maveron invest in?
Early-stage consumer companies only. Stoffer told TechTO the firm writes $2–8 million cheques from a $225 million fund, from pre-seed through Series A, and underwrites each investment on whether that one company could return the entire fund.
What does he look for in a founder?
Obsession, then economics. He described backing people who care about nothing else, and screening for four things: can you get distribution, will people buy, will they keep buying with a compounding moat, and is there enough margin.
Why did he kill a deal over an exit?
A founder pitched him and mentioned the company would probably be worth $500 million to an acquirer. He passed. His view is that a founder talking about acquisition that early usually never gets there, because the company exists to change something, not to be sold.