Palo Alto-based True Ventures expands leadership with Kevin Rose and Mike Montano stepping up as partners to drive AI and tech innovation in Silicon Valley

True Ventures, a venture capital firm known for backing early-stage startups, has expanded its leadership team with two familiar faces.

Kevin Rose and Mike Montano, both former founders within the True Ventures portfolio, are stepping up as full-time partners.

This move strengthens the firm’s ability to support emerging startups with firsthand entrepreneurial expertise.

From Founders to Investors

Both Rose and Montano have a history with True Ventures that goes back more than a decade.

Rose first received funding from True in 2011, while Montano’s journey with the firm began in 2009.

Over the years, both have played key roles as Venture Partners, offering their insights and experience to up-and-coming startups.

Their backgrounds as repeat entrepreneurs and large-scale operators bring valuable expertise in industries such as artificial intelligence, consumer and B2B software, and health and wellness.

Now, as full-time partners, they are set to have an even greater impact on the firm’s investment strategy.

Kevin Rose’s Entrepreneurial and Investment Journey

Kevin Rose is no stranger to building and scaling companies.

He made his mark in 2004 by launching Digg, a social news platform that quickly grew to 38 million monthly users.

His entrepreneurial streak continued with Milk, a startup backed by True Ventures in 2011 and later acquired by Google in 2012.

Rose also led North, an app incubator funded by True in 2014, which eventually merged with Hodinkee, where he served as CEO.

True Ventures has been a strong supporter of Rose’s ventures, backing his longevity and meditation apps Zero and Oak, which evolved into Zero Longevity Science in 2019.

Most recently, in 2022, True invested in PROOF, Rose’s web3 media and technology company, which was acquired by Yuga Labs in 2024.

Beyond founding companies, Rose has an impressive track record as an investor, having provided angel funding to companies like Twitter, Square, Nextdoor, Wealthfront, and Facebook.

He also brings media expertise, hosting podcasts such as The Kevin Rose Show, The Random Show, and Diggnation Rebooted, where he explores trends in technology, longevity, financial well-being, and internet culture.

Mike Montano’s Engineering and Leadership Expertise

Mike Montano’s startup journey began in 2009 when True Ventures invested in BackType, a social media analytics platform he co-founded.

After Twitter acquired BackType in 2011, Montano spent the next decade scaling Twitter’s engineering team.

Rising through leadership roles, he eventually became Head of Engineering, managing a team of 3,000 and overseeing critical areas like mobile applications, machine learning, and data center operations.

As an angel investor, Montano has supported a range of startups, including biotech R&D platform Benchling and open-source LLM platform Ollama.

His expertise in product development, hiring, and scaling engineering teams has made him a sought-after mentor for founders.

In 2023, Montano joined True as a part-time Venture Partner, and his transition to a full-time role signals his deep commitment to the firm’s growing focus on artificial intelligence investments.

True Ventures: A Legacy of Early-Stage Investing

Headquartered in Palo Alto with a second office in San Francisco, True Ventures is known for its strong community-driven approach to venture investing.

With a team of 49, including 29 investment professionals, the firm remains dedicated to supporting founders at the pre-seed and seed stages.

Since its founding in 2005, True Ventures has managed over $3.8 billion, with $3.3 billion invested across more than 475 startups.

The addition of Rose and Montano as full-time partners signals an exciting new phase for the firm, reinforcing its commitment to fostering innovation in AI, consumer tech, and enterprise solutions.

What’s Next for True Ventures?

With two seasoned entrepreneurs now leading investments, True Ventures is poised to deepen its impact on the startup ecosystem.

The firm’s continued focus on AI and emerging technologies, combined with its founder-first philosophy, makes it a key player in shaping the next generation of groundbreaking companies.

The question now is: Which transformative startups will True Ventures back next?

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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