DM
Dave McClure
Founder & Managing Partner at Practical Venture Capital
· San Francisco Bay Area
Check size
Undisclosed secondary transactions
Lead stage
seed
Deals tracked
22
Sectors
SaaS, Consumer Internet
SaaS
Consumer Internet
FinTech
AdTech
Mobile Applications
Enterprise Software
seed
Series A
Late Seed
Series A/B Secondaries
United States
Global
About Dave
Dave McClure is the founder and Managing Partner of Practical Venture Capital, a Silicon Valley-based early-stage investment firm. With over 30 years of experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, and investor, McClure is known for his hands-on approach to venture capital. He previously founded 500 Startups, one of the most active early-stage accelerators and investment platforms globally. McClure focuses on seed and early-stage companies, combining technical expertise with practical business acumen
Investment thesis
Providing liquidity solutions through VC secondaries for early-stage funds and breakout companies
Practical Venture Capital is a VC secondary firm that provides liquidity solutions for LPs and GPs in early-stage VC funds. The firm specializes in purchasing fund interests in microVC funds at years 5-10 of their lifecycle (skipping the J-curve), as well as executing direct secondary investments in breakout companies within those portfolios. McClure leverages his three decades of experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, and investor to identify undervalued fund stakes and high-growth portfolio companies, while supporting founders through mentorship and strategic guidance
Investment philosophy
Practical Venture Capital is a Silicon Valley-based VC secondary firm that provides liquidity to LPs, GPs, and founders in early-stage VC funds. They specialize in buying fund interests in microVC funds at years 5-10 to skip the J-curve, as well as direct secondaries in mature, revenue-generating portfolio companies with clear exit paths.
Investment focus
McClure invests in early-stage startups across technology sectors, with a particular emphasis on founders with strong technical backgrounds and practical business fundamentals. His investment thesis blends engineering rigor with venture capital discipline, targeting companies at the pre-seed to Series A stage
Areas of expertise
Notable portfolio
Credit Karma
Twilio
SendGrid
Canva
Grab
Lyft
Life360
Intercom
Ipsy
Iterable
Innovacer
FabFitFun
Algolia
Shippo
Solana
Notable deals
500 Startups – Founded accelerator and early-stage investment platform (2010s)
Practical Venture Capital – Founded venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments
Frequently asked
Does Dave McClure invest at seed stage?
Yes. They invest at seed, Series A, Late Seed stage.
Their geographic focus includes United States, Global.
What is their typical check size?
Dave McClure's typical check size is Undisclosed secondary transactions.
They currently invest through Practical Venture Capital.
What sectors does Dave McClure focus on?
Dave McClure primarily invests in SaaS, Consumer Internet, FinTech, AdTech.
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