Sunset Ventures

Sunset Ventures is an early-stage venture fund in Los Angeles and San Francisco with a mission to invest in founders building a better tomorrow. We look for founders who are outsiders on the path to become outliers. We believe those who are outsiders in their industries and institutions are willing to think outside the box, defy the status quo, and go against the odds. A sunset represents the natural end of a cycle, and it comes with the promise of a new day beyond the horizon. We are a thesis-driven firm and believe the next era will be “democratizing participation.” Software that enables people to participate in value creation and positive outcomes will win. This new era is possible as builders leverage new frontier technologies: AI, blockchain, and XR. We focus on sectors most ripe for change, such as gaming, media, finance, commerce, and work. Sunset’s founding GPs, Brandon Hoffman and Antonio Key, have over 20 years of sector experience. The partners have worked together for ten years, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, and most recently as investors and operators at Samsung's software division (Samsung Next). In the last five years, they have invested in over 70 companies, including Ready Player Me, Yuga Labs, Wonder Dynamics, Flow Carbon, BlocPower, and more. We take pride in being early believers and seek to be the first institutional investor within a startup’s first $1M raised to address the gap founders generally face at the Pre-Seed stage. As diverse managers, using venture capital to drive impact has always been at the team's core. To date, 84% of the partners' total career investments have gone to BIPOC and/or women founders. Sunset also signifies our roots and presence in California, prioritizing local founders to build a local community. Community as a means to offer coaching and support is the key to how we add value to our founders, specifically in areas of finance, business development, and fundraising.