Michael BlochMichael Bloch

For Founders

I joined DoorDash in 2015 as one of its first 50 employees. Over the next few years, I built and led a team of almost 100 people and was responsible for a business that went from under $1M to $100M+ in revenue. I did a bit of everything: delivered orders, signed up restaurants, launched new markets, closed strategic partnerships, worked with product and engineering to ship new products, and wrote code that once accidentally paid a few thousand drivers twice (my access was promptly revoked). I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty.

After DoorDash, I founded Pillar, a fintech company backed by Kleiner Perkins. We built a team of ~25 people and created the largest challenger student loan app in the US, helping Americans manage over $1B+ of their debt. When COVID hit and the government shut down our entire market overnight, we pivoted and found a new path forward. We sold the company to Acorns in 2021.

Now as an investor, I strive to be the kind of partner I always wanted on the other side of the table when I was a founder.

What I'm looking for

I'm looking for founders building companies that have the ambition to create massive new markets or reshape existing ones. The kind of companies that, if everything goes right, could be among the most important businesses on earth.

What draws me to a founder? I look for people with an unfair advantage in what they're building. People who are relentless, detail-obsessed, and strategically sharp. The kind of founder I'd never want to compete against. I care less about pedigree and more about whether you have the drive and capability to build something extraordinary.

How I work with founders

I only make a handful of investments per year. I want to be your most important investor and partner. The one you come to for both the good and the bad.

When times are good, I push you to think bigger and move faster. When things get hard, I grab a shovel and help fix it. I'm not here to babysit or micromanage. And when you need something, I sprint to deliver it.

For every company I back, I aim to deliver at least one major win that you couldn't have achieved without me. That might mean landing the company-making customer. It might mean headhunting and closing your most critical executive hire. It might mean helping you think through a product strategy that opens up an entirely new market.

What I invest in

I'm a generalist at heart. I've spent time across AI products & services, national security and aerospace, deeptech, fintech, crypto, and more. I love meeting founders building across sectors. If you're working on something ambitious, I want to hear about it.

I typically lead rounds with $2-15M checks at the early stage. My goal is to help you build the biggest and best business you possibly can.

Select investments

A few of the companies I work with:

I'm also an angel investor in companies like Base Power, Castelion, Arch, Stytch (acquired by Twilio), Prodigy (acquired by Upstart), and others.

If this resonates, I'd love to talk: [email protected]