Tyler Sosin
Board PartnerFintech, SaaS
Tyler is a partner at Menlo Ventures focused on investing in technology-enabled services and products that are positioned to compound their growth efficiently for a very long time, vis-à-vis sticky long-term relationships with customers and partners. He has coined these businesses “layer cakes” (resulting from customer revenues looking like annuities, stacked on top of each other). He often finds that these businesses are the beneficiaries of network effects, liquidity moats, replenishment channels, habit formation (driven by high frequency transactions), real switching costs (i.e., data lock-in) and perceived switching costs (i.e., the avoidance of cognitive burden). He jokes that his goal is to back a business that one day Warren Buffett would like to buy because of its enduring value. He knows he’s running out of time.
Tyler looks for annuity-driven businesses across a wide variety of markets and verticals. He is, to a certain extent, category-agnostic. But he is constantly on the lookout for fast-growing businesses that fit within certain archetypes, like workflow SaaS, systems of records, replenishment e-commerce, marketplaces, data networks, and transactions processors. His investments include Alloy.AI, BitPay, BlueVine, Bread Finance, Carta, Envoy, Everlaw, FiveStars, HomeLight, PillPack (sold to Amazon), Qualia, RealtyShares, Stance, and tCell.io.
Between being an analyst and a principal at Menlo, he enjoyed a three-year stint at Accel Partners in London, where as an associate he sourced investments Aorato (sold to Microsoft), GoCardless, FlyWire, and Calastone. Tyler holds a bachelor of arts in international relations from Stanford University. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, skiing, traveling, reading fiction and history (of all sorts), and playing chess (improving, but still consistently crushed by his older brother).
Supported by: Vanessa Lozano, [email protected]
Tyler is a partner at Menlo Ventures focused on investing in technology-enabled services and products that are positioned to compound their growth efficiently for a very long time, vis-à-vis sticky long-term relationships with customers and partners. He has coined these businesses “layer cakes” (resulting from customer revenues looking like annuities, stacked on top of each other). He often finds that these businesses are the beneficiaries of network effects, liquidity moats, replenishment channels, habit formation (driven by high frequency transactions), real switching costs (i.e., data lock-in) and perceived switching costs (i.e., the avoidance of cognitive burden). He jokes that his goal is to back a business that one day Warren Buffett would like to buy because of its enduring value. He knows he’s running out of time.
Tyler looks for annuity-driven businesses across a wide variety of markets and verticals. He is, to a certain extent, category-agnostic. But he is constantly on the lookout for fast-growing businesses that fit within certain archetypes, like workflow SaaS, systems of records, replenishment e-commerce, marketplaces, data networks, and transactions processors. His investments include Alloy.AI, BitPay, BlueVine, Bread Finance, Carta, Envoy, Everlaw, FiveStars, HomeLight, PillPack (sold to Amazon), Qualia, RealtyShares, Stance, and tCell.io.
Between being an analyst and a principal at Menlo, he enjoyed a three-year stint at Accel Partners in London, where as an associate he sourced investments Aorato (sold to Microsoft), GoCardless, FlyWire, and Calastone. Tyler holds a bachelor of arts in international relations from Stanford University. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, skiing, traveling, reading fiction and history (of all sorts), and playing chess (improving, but still consistently crushed by his older brother).
Supported by: Vanessa Lozano, [email protected]
Investments
Our Portfolio
Affinity is a relationship intelligence platform enabling teams to leverage their networks to close the next big deal.
Milestones
- 2014 → Founded
- 2021 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
Bluevine provides small and medium-sized businesses with access to fast and simple financial products through an advanced, online platform.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2015 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
Acquired by Alliance Data Bread is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending, and saving solutions.
Milestones
- 2014 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series B
- 2020 → Acquired by Alliance Data
Partner
Carta is a software platform for founders, investors, and employees to manage cap tables, equity, and ownership.
Milestones
- 2012 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
Everlaw is a cloud-based litigation platform that enables teams to collaboratively discover, reveal, and act on the information that drives internal investigations and positively impacts legal outcomes.
Milestones
- 2011 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Acquired by Applied Systems Indio simplifies the insurance application process for brokers and their clients. It's fast, easy, and E&O-free, saving agencies time and money.
Milestones
- 2016 → Founded
- 2019 → Partnered, Series B
- 2019 → Acquired by Applied Systems
Partner
Acquired by Amazon PillPack is a full-service pharmacy that delivers a better, simpler experience through convenient packaging, modern technology, and personalized service.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2015 → Partnered, Series C
- 2018 → Acquired by Amazon
Partner
Qualia is a one-stop shop for every aspect of a real estate closing, redefining the way real estate is transacted by streamlining the home closing experience, removing the stress from home buying, and making the process transparent.
Milestones
- 2015 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Affinity is a relationship intelligence platform enabling teams to leverage their networks to close the next big deal.
Milestones
- 2014 → Founded
- 2021 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
Alloy is an intelligent supply and demand synchronization platform purpose-built for companies that make, move, and sell goods.
Milestones
- 2016 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series A
Partner
BitPay provides enterprise-grade Bitcoin payment solutions for businesses and organizations.
Milestones
- 2011 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Bluevine provides small and medium-sized businesses with access to fast and simple financial products through an advanced, online platform.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2015 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
Bread is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending, and saving solutions.
Milestones
- 2014 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series B
- 2020 → Acquired by Alliance Data
Partner
Carta is a software platform for founders, investors, and employees to manage cap tables, equity, and ownership.
Milestones
- 2012 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series C
Partner
From visitors to meeting rooms, Envoy is redefining how people, places, and technology work together with desk booking, schedule sharing, health checks, and more.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Everlaw is a cloud-based litigation platform that enables teams to collaboratively discover, reveal, and act on the information that drives internal investigations and positively impacts legal outcomes.
Milestones
- 2011 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Fieldwire is the field management platform construction professionals count on to easily manage their job sites.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2019 → Partnered, Series C
- 2021 → Acquired by Hilti
Partner
FiveStars’ mission is to help businesses and communities thrive by turning every transaction into a relationship.
Milestones
- 2010 → Founded
- 2014 → Partnered, Series B
- 2021 → Acquired by SumUp
Partner
HomeLight is a marketplace for connecting home sellers with the best real estate agents.
Milestones
- 2012 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Indio simplifies the insurance application process for brokers and their clients. It's fast, easy, and E&O-free, saving agencies time and money.
Milestones
- 2016 → Founded
- 2019 → Partnered, Series B
- 2019 → Acquired by Applied Systems
Partner
OpenSpace provides next-generation, 360º photo documentation for jobsites, powerful integrations, and the smartest analytics tools in the industry.
Milestones
- 2017 → Founded
- 2020 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
PillPack is a full-service pharmacy that delivers a better, simpler experience through convenient packaging, modern technology, and personalized service.
Milestones
- 2013 → Founded
- 2015 → Partnered, Series C
- 2018 → Acquired by Amazon
Partner
Polly is a software platform transforming mortgage capital markets through workflow automation, optimizing execution, and actionable data analytics.
Milestones
- 2019 → Founded
- 2021 → Partnered, Series A
Partner
Qualia is a one-stop shop for every aspect of a real estate closing, redefining the way real estate is transacted by streamlining the home closing experience, removing the stress from home buying, and making the process transparent.
Milestones
- 2015 → Founded
- 2018 → Partnered, Series B
Partner
Siteline is a billing platform designed to increase efficiency and control in construction payment management through a collaborative subcontractor invoicing and payment software system.
Milestones
- 2019 → Founded
- 2021 → Partnered, Series A
Partner
Sure is an embedded insurance technology company that powers API-based digital insurance programs for global brands and insurance carriers.
Milestones
- 2015 → Founded
- 2017 → Partnered, Seed
Partner
tCell was a leading provider of web application threat defense and monitoring.
Milestones
- 2014 → Founded
- 2015 → Partnered, Series A
- 2018 → Acquired by Rapid7
Partner
