Jules Maltz

Background

Jules Maltz joined Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) in August 2008 after completing his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business ¹². He was promoted to General Partner in May 2011, becoming the sixth General Partner in the firm’s history ³. He is currently listed as a Venture Partner at IVP, and also serves as a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business Center for Entrepreneurial Studies ¹⁴.

Before joining IVP, Maltz worked at 3i, a global venture capital firm ². Prior to that, he held a business development role at AdMob, a mobile advertising provider, and co-founded AdNectar, a social media advertising startup ². Earlier in his career, he worked in technology investment banking at Robertson Stephens and Bank of America Securities ².

Maltz holds an MBA from Stanford University, where he was a Siebel Scholar and an Arjay Miller Scholar, and graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Economics from Yale University ¹².

He was recognized by Forbes as one of the top 100 venture capitalists in the world through inclusion on the Forbes Midas List in 2018, 2019, and 2020 ¹. He was also named to the GrowthCap Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors list in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 ¹.

Stated Thesis

Maltz has publicly stated that he looks for passionate founders going after important problems, combined with a strong business model and rapid growth ⁵. He has emphasized that authenticity and emotional connection to the problem matter more than polished pitches: “I’m looking for that sign in the entrepreneur, that this is something they really, really care about. And that tells me they’ll never give up” ⁶.

Maltz has articulated a strong belief in product-led growth and freemium software models: “I believe that software in the future is going to be bought not sold. There will be classic companies that are product-focused companies with product-focused CEOs who build great software that spreads almost virally throughout an organization without the need for much active selling” ⁷.

He has also described IVP’s focus as highly selective growth investing: “Our biggest asset is our focus. We wake up in the morning every day looking for the fastest growing technology companies that are market leaders with great management teams” ⁷. IVP reviews approximately 1,000 companies per year and invests in only 12 to 16 ⁵.

Maltz has stated a particular affinity for mission-driven fintech companies, describing himself as passionate about “fintech companies that are mission-driven and about creating access globally for people who need financial resources” ⁵.

He identifies executive recruitment as his “superpower” in supporting portfolio companies, and advises founders: “When the sun is shining on your business, that’s a great time to recruit super strong executives and think about act two and act three” ¹⁶.

Inferred Thesis

Based on 28 verified investments in the portfolio table below, the following patterns emerge. Note: Maltz has invested in 100+ companies according to IVP’s website ¹, so these 28 represent approximately 28% of his total portfolio.

Sector breakdown (28 verified investments): - Enterprise SaaS / productivity: 9 of 28 (32%) — Slack, Dropbox, MuleSoft, Zendesk, Grammarly, SteelBrick, G2, Jasper, Eightfold - Fintech / financial services: 5 of 28 (18%) — NerdWallet, Wise (TransferWise), Tala, Oportun, Indiegogo - Healthcare / health tech: 3 of 28 (11%) — Hims & Hers, Clipboard Health, Abridge - Consumer internet: 3 of 28 (11%) — Nextdoor, Hopin, RetailMeNot - Identity / security: 2 of 28 (7%) — Veriff, Checkr - Other (social media, media, advertising): 6 of 28 (21%) — Buddy Media, Twitter, Yext, TuneIn, Zenefits, Marketo

Stage distribution: Overwhelmingly growth-stage (Series B and later). Of 28 verified investments, the vast majority are Series B through Series G rounds, consistent with IVP’s later-stage mandate. Typical check sizes appear to be $30M-$50M based on disclosed round sizes where IVP led.

Geographic concentration: Predominantly US-based companies (~85%), with notable international investments in Wise (London/Tallinn), Veriff (Tallinn, Estonia), and Tala (Los Angeles, serving emerging markets).

Founder profile patterns: Maltz shows a strong pattern of backing mission-driven founders solving real-world problems, particularly in financial inclusion (Tala, Oportun, NerdWallet) and healthcare access (Hims & Hers, Clipboard Health, Abridge). Several portfolio companies feature product-led growth models consistent with his stated thesis (Slack, Dropbox, Grammarly).

Co-investor patterns: As a growth-stage investor, Maltz frequently co-invests with Tiger Global (Hopin, Veriff), Sequoia Capital (Clipboard Health), Insight Partners (Jasper), and other major late-stage firms.

Notable patterns not in stated thesis: Maltz has a significant concentration in companies that democratize access — whether to financial services (Tala, NerdWallet, Oportun), professional tools (Grammarly, Slack, Dropbox), or healthcare (Hims & Hers, Clipboard Health). This “access” theme spans multiple sectors and may be a more unifying investment pattern than any single sector focus.

Decision speed: Maltz has stated that at Series B and beyond, he can get excited “often in the first 10 or 15 minutes of a meeting” when the founder and business fit are right ⁵.

Portfolio

This table represents approximately 28% of Maltz’s 100+ investments. Years marked with ~ are approximations based on company funding timelines. “Sourcing” indicates Maltz was actively involved in sourcing the deal rather than leading it.

In Their Own Words

On what he looks for in founders: “I’m looking for that sign in the entrepreneur, that this is something they really, really care about. And that tells me they’ll never give up.” — Not Another CEO interview ⁶

On IVP’s focus: “Our biggest asset is our focus. We wake up in the morning every day looking for the fastest growing technology companies that are market leaders with great management teams.” — GrowthCap interview ⁷

On the future of software: “I believe that software in the future is going to be bought not sold.” — GrowthCap interview ⁷

On Slack: “It has the metrics of a consumer company in terms of how fast and viral it’s growing, but the monetization model of an enterprise business.” — GrowthCap interview ⁷

On building trust with founders: “If I can build that trust, then if I have to give hard feedback a year from now, two or three years from now, they know I’m someone who delivers.” — Not Another CEO interview ⁶

On honesty: “When you don’t know the answer, it’s okay just to say I don’t know, or we’ll figure it out.” — Not Another CEO interview ⁶

On NerdWallet: “NerdWallet is the best kept secret in the financial technology market. With its explosive growth, strong profitability and strategic long-term vision, NerdWallet is positioned to win the multibillion dollar personal finance market.” — PR Newswire, May 2015 ¹³

On Clipboard Health: “We’ve worked with many marketplaces and were amazed by Clipboard’s unit economics and capital-efficient growth, with network effects strengthening over time.” — IVP blog ²⁵

On his first reaction to Hims & Hers founders: “We literally didn’t want to leave the meeting.” — IVP content, Hims & Hers profile ¹⁶

What Founders Say

Michael Lazerow, CEO of Buddy Media (acquired by Salesforce for $745M): “With Jules, I knew where IVP stood at all times. He expressed interest in the company. The interest seemed to grow the more I shared. All questions and concerns were clearly communicated. There was no BS.” — IVP website ¹

Lazerow also stated: “I have never met a VC with more compassion, energy and drive than Jules. While most investors slow down after the investment closes, Jules has only increased his commitment. Jules is a great guy whose only mission is to build a massive business with us and support us in all ways possible.” — IVP promotion announcement ³

No additional independently sourced founder testimonials were found from third-party sources beyond the IVP website and press releases at this time.

Sources