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There are about 10,000 venture capital firms globally — and as a result, about that many venture capital websites. All these experiences, like the theses and visions of the investment firms they represent, are all wildly different. But a few rise to the top as excellent examples of VC websites done right.
So, to help you up your game, we’ve put together a top ten hit list of what we think the very best on the web have in common — things that make them great experiences. Hopefully, it’ll spark some inspiration for your own firm’s rebranding and redesign projects.
The work is always exciting, but more than that, we particularly love helping companies like this get credit for the innovative work they do and giving them the tools to push their unique stories and points of view out into the world so the right partners can feel it, understand, and align with them.
There’s a lot of variability between firms, even just on the venture capital side of the industry, but after benchmarking hundreds of these websites, successful patterns become apparent.
The very best communicators, storytellers, and partnership-makers consider the same handful of things when creating their websites — and we think you should, too when you get started on redesigning your site or rebranding your firm.
Spark Capital’s candid voice is put on full blast by minimal but bold design choices. This stark black-and-white site oozes confidence and openness and is pretty recognizable in a field of VCs that talk about similar subjects but not with the same straight-no-chaser tone. Spark also used to host a beautifully illustrated journalistic “Creators” content series on their site, but they’ve apparently sunset this recently. (Which is kind of a shame. It added to the firm’s casual self-assurance.)
Read more about how this site was made.
First Round’s team section has the standard team photo collage, but the mortared layout and approachable and varied (but super consistent) photos make everyone on the VC’s team look like someone you’d love to share a coffee with. Click in, and it gets better: Bios are written in first-person. They’re tight, interesting, and illuminate each person’s personality and perspective.
Not everyone can (or should) conceive of an alliterative main navigation, but Premji nails simplicity with its clean, focused site. It’s intentional: unique amongst growth investors, this India-based firm creates “infinite” capital, cycling the personal wealth of one well-known mega-business owner (Azim Premji, of global tech giant Wipro) through investments that align with a philanthropic mission through building economic stability in underserved Indian provinces, and back into the system to be re-invested. While that explanation seems circuitous, the firm’s message gets interested audiences what they need quickly.
Read more about Premji’s brand to build project.
With a vibe that feels a bit Epcot Center meets Web 3, Founders Fund wraps its site around a brand story that starts with the firm’s ethos and centers on a great question, “What happened to the future?” For those of us wondering where our flying cars are in 2024, it’s pretty clear that Founders’ invests “in smart people solving difficult technology and engineering problems” before we ever land on their Manifesto (and you know we’re going to keep reading). The visual vibe adds to the story, creating a seamless package that feels accessible and super intelligent.
The very best VC websites have a little something up their sleeves. Delight or a little good-natured shock and awe are effective ways to stand out — given they align with the firm’s brand story and vibe. (And you can overdo it. Believe me.) RRE does this dance nicely, however with a mad-libs-style home page navigation device, a little parallax, smooooooth scrolls, and an austere aesthetic punctuated with fun pixellation rollovers. It’s just enough.
One of the oldest of the old guard in venture capital, Bessemer Venture Partners has a lot of history, a lot of influence, and a whole lot to say. The firm’s whole site reads like an online magazine. But it’s Bessemer’s repeatable, abundant, well-organized, and indexed content — everything from blogs and news to announcements, podcasts, white papers, and even courses — that stands out and grabs attention from founders and entrepreneurs hungry for info and insight. TL;DR: The best venture capital websites aren’t just static brochures. They’re alive with today's and tomorrow’s thinking in readable, watchable, and listenable chunks.
For an investment firm, showcasing a book of investments is a prime opportunity to celebrate and signal potential partners that they’ll be in great company. The best VC websites do their portfolio companies justice by offering a look behind the logo farm. BPC does it with candid video snippets, smart sorting, and a highly visual presentation that doesn’t skimp on scannable details. The bottom line: VCs are selling relationships, so showing the ones they cultivate off well is incredible social proof.
I’ll be honest: I’m a little reluctant to put this site on a best-of list. The strategy is cringingly heavy-handed, and they use the words “we believe” 113 times in their manifesto. But darn it, Andreessen gets points for having a visible, memorable perspective from first to last pixel — from their long-copy home page to the URL truncation of their name. Their former website also has my combined ire and delight as it had virtually no brand or messaging and was essentially a Craigslist-like list of their many think pieces and articles. Props, guys. You win the internet.
On the other hand, let’s talk about Juxapose’s flowy, connective, narrative vibe. Set off with slyly anti-designed floating imagery and organic illustrations on the home page, the firm presents a solid story that tells you a lot about who they are and how they think. Here, the long scroll flows through most of the site’s meatiest topics, from perspective to team, without feeling overdone. Here’s to hoping this trend lasts: the best VCs know their story and tell it well through and across screens.
One particular of venture capital and other investment websites is that these are experiences 1) that don’t sell widgets, they sell partnership wrapped around ideas, and 2) where the audience is conspicuously narrow — usually a specific type of entrepreneur or business leader in a specific set of industries. As such, the very best know who they’re talking to and play right to that group’s needs. Accel does it right by giving a highly visual overview of their greatest hits and reserving the majority of the interaction for a multi-function search bar. Why? Most folks who visit VC websites are in search mode, looking for a partner, but more likely having been contacted by a specific person and looking to do some research. This site makes digging in and finding the links between partners, founders, and companies in the firm’s book intuitive.
Check out the rest of the Accel rebrand and site creation story.
You may have noticed a handful of the sites above had case studies attached to them. (If not, go take a peek.) That’s because we worked with each of these incredible companies to bring their stories, missions, and vision to life on the web. We do this a lot in the VC industry — and learn a lot every single time.
Take a look at our very best tips for VCs, growth funds, private equity firms, and other investors thinking about investing their time in a web redesign:
Launching your new website around an IPO or announcement, a trade show, or a change in leadership or focus is always an excellent idea, just remember to back your project out from that date with enough time to secure budget, get approvals, and do the work. Expecting miracles in two months isn’t realistic. Good work takes time. Here’s a good estimate for creating a ten to fifteen-page website (not counting templated items like blogs and team pages) with EA:
Just “making something” and not taking the time to step back and think critically about your firm’s story, position in the marketplace, and vibe is risky. Getting that foundation in place ensures you’ll present yourself authentically to your audiences in a way they want, need, and expect.
Ask a critical question: Why do we need a new website? Is the old one outdated technologically, design, or content-wise? Has your firm evolved, and the site doesn’t represent who you are now? Is it lacking functionality? Do you have new audiences to reach? Has the CEO just decided it’s time? When you know the answers, you can focus the effort on the right things and help your agency partner do that, too. We wrote a whole article on finding your site’s why. Check it out.
One of the biggest reasons venture capital firms as us to help re-design their websites is a lack of control over them. Teams can’t make updates, add pages, or change elements without a lot of hassle and engaging an agency partner to do the work. (In our experience, it’s because most of these sites are on WordPress, and it’s just difficult for a non-technical person to manage.) All of this is why Edgar Allan develops exclusively in Webflow. We’ve got a whole blog worth of articles detailing why. We’re also the winner of Webflow’s Agency of the Year award two years running.
VC isn’t typical B2B. Your audiences are more specific. Your goal isn’t to sell more widgets. The personalities in the approval chain are distinct. Finding a partner who already understands the nuances — the differences between entrepreneurs and founders, the role of LPs in your audience group — is invaluable to creating a great website quickly and efficiently, without a lot of ramp-up for learning the VC ropes. We’ll just plug ourselves here for a moment. Edgar Allan has worked with more than a dozen venture capital and other investment firms, including some of the biggest in the world.
Ready to re-think your investment firm’s brand or website? How about create more content? Jump on a call with Edgar Allan, and let’s talk about how we can help you refresh your story and digital presence.
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