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Jonathan Hakakian: From Building Startups at University to Backing 50+ Startups & $200M+ Exits
Jonathan Hakakian: From Building Startups at University to Backing 50+ Startups & $200M+ Exits

This is episode 20 of The OpenVC Podcast. In this episode, Jonathan Hakakian, Managing Partner at SoundBoard Venture Fund, shares his journey from entrepreneur to VC and how he’s backed 50+ startups, including Jump (acquired by Uber for $200M+). He dives into how he identifies overlooked investment opportunities, the importance of strong investor-founder relationships, and key lessons from scaling high-growth startup

By Harrison Faull Jonathan Hakakian| March 16, 2025
How to identify Fintech opportunities in Climate and Sustainability
How to identify Fintech opportunities in Climate and Sustainability

FinTech is the last mile before transforming our economies to be carbon neutral. While we've made significant strides in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and emissions reduction, without the financial mechanisms to scale these innovations, we're merely scratching the surface of their potential impact.

By Vijay Rajendran| February 29, 2024
Seed stage is about picking winners
Seed stage is about picking winners

Early stage investing is more collaborative. The key to success for early stage VC is to pick winners based on limited information. So what's the optimal VC strategy to pick winners at seed?

By Jonah Probell| February 12, 2024
Why video games are the perfect VC category
Why video games are the perfect VC category

As a gaming founder who spoke with 50+ VCs, I wanted to share my findings on why games are a stellar VC category, and why you should consider it in your fund or angel portfolio.

By Pavel Afanasiev| February 6, 2024