A-Grade Investments

A-Grade Investments is a venture capital firm founded in 2010 by actor Ashton Kutcher, entertainment manager Guy Oseary, and billionaire investor Ron Burkle to invest in technology start-up companies. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

A-Grade Investments
TypePrivate
IndustryVenture capital
Founded2010 (2010)
FoundersAshton Kutcher
Guy Oseary
Ron Burkle
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, U.S.
ProductsInvestments
Websitewww.agradeinvestments.com

Founding and partners

Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, and Ron Burkle had invested in private equity deals individually, then, in 2010, formed A-Grade Investments to invest in technology startups as a group.[1]

Abe Burns is head of digital operations at the firm.[2] Chris Hollod is a partner at the firm and works directly with the founders to manage the fund.[3]

In 2012 Kutcher, Oseary and Burkle raised additional capital A-Grade from several billionaires, including David Geffen and Mark Cuban.

On May 1, 2013, onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt NYC, Kutcher and Oseary confirmed rumors that the fund was valued at over $100 million.[4]

In March 2016, Forbes published a comprehensive article on A-Grade Investments, entitled "How Ashton Kutcher And Guy Oseary Built A $250 Million Portfolio With Startups Like Uber And Airbnb,"[5] with Kutcher appearing on the cover of the magazine, which became the most-widely read issue in Forbes’ 99-year history.[6] The Forbes article states that the team turned $30m into $250m.

Investments

Among its portfolio companies, A-Grade has invested in Spotify, Uber, Shazam, Couple, SoundCloud, Muse, and Airbnb.[4] The firm mainly takes part in Seed and Series A rounds.

The firm’s primary targets are consumer-focused businesses that change the way consumers share information, or that disrupt traditional marketplaces.[7]

In a 2011 interview with The New York Times, Kutcher said, “I look for companies that solve problems in intelligent and friction-free ways and break boundaries.”[8]

In a 2013 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Kutcher said, “If we can create efficiencies in that which is mundane, then we accelerate our paths to happiness. The companies that will ultimately do well are the companies that chase happiness. If you find a way to help people find love, or health or friendship, the dollar will chase that.”[7]

Assets

References
  1. Hampp, Andrew. "Guy Oseary and Ashton Kutcher's A-GRade Receives $100 Million Valuation". Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. "Abe Burns: 30 Under 30". Billboard.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  3. "Chris Hollod". Crunchbase.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  4. Dillet, Romain (2013-05-01). "Ashton Kutcher's A-Grade Fund Raising At $100 Million Valuation". Techcrunch.
  5. Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "How Ashton Kutcher And Guy Oseary Built A $250 Million Portfolio With Startups Like Uber And Airbnb". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  6. Lane, Randall. "Under 30 Summit: Ashton Kutcher Just Kicked Off Greatest-Ever Competition For Young Entrepreneurs". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  7. Rushton, Katherine (2013-12-28). "Ashton Kutcher reveals the art of technology investment". The Daily Telegraph.
  8. Wortham, Jenna (2011-05-25). "An Actor Who Knows Start-Ups". The New York Times.
  9. Kincaid, Jason. "Google Acquires Katango, The Automatic Friend Sorter". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  10. Arrington, Michael. "What Skype Really Paid For GroupMe". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  11. Lawler, Ryan. "Mobile Video Sharing App Socialcam Acquired By Autodesk For $60 Million". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  12. Etherington, Darrell. "Google Acquires Waterloo-Based E-Commerce Startup, Amazon Locker Competitor And YC Graduate BufferBox". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  13. Stelter, Brian (25 March 2013). "Nick D'Aloisio, 17, Sells Summly App to Yahoo". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  14. Winkler, Rolfe; Wakabayashi, Daisuke (13 January 2014). "Google to Buy Nest Labs for $3.2 Billion". Wsj.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  15. Perez, Sarah. "First Data Acquires Mobile Gift Card Platform Gyft". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  16. Tilley, Aaron. "Samsung Acquires SmartThings, A Fast-Growing Home Automation Startup". Forbes.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
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