Every entrepreneur ponders, “Is my idea disruptive?”
This question was at the forefront of my mind when Christopher (Topher) Thomas and I, inspired by a shared vision, embarked on a venture in the realm of investment decision-making. Our journey began with a prototype—an AI-generated investment analysis and recommendation. Through a friend, we were introduced to Dr. Ashby Monk, the Executive Director of Stanford’s Long-Term Investing.
Our encounter unfolded at the Purple Onion Cafe in Los Gatos, where Dr. Monk, within a mere half-hour, expressed his eagerness to support our endeavor. He presented us with a challenge: to retrospectively create an AI memo for an investment made six years prior. Impressed by our results, he joined us as our Founding Advisor.
Dr. Monk enlightened us to a critical insight: institutional investors possess the requisite data to generate such memos. Further conversations and meetings with pension funds, Funds of Funds, private equity firms, family offices, and venture capitalists revealed an even greater opportunity than we initially envisioned
Our early attempts to engage venture funds were lukewarm. Viewing themselves as potential users, many VCs were skeptical about investing in Growthsphere and adopting our system. Undeterred, we secured pre-seed funding, developed our product, and onboarded seven clients spanning asset owners and managers.
With a product in hand and a growing client base, I was poised to re-engage with venture capitalists. I sought Dr. Monk’s assistance to introduce us to Dr Jagdeep Bachher, the University of California’s Chief Investment Officer, hoping to use his endorsement as a reference. To our delight, Jagdeep saw the value not just as a customer but also as an investor—a remarkable turn of events!
Jagdeep’s strategic acumen has transformed UC Investments into a formidable entity. Coupled with Dr. Monk’s domain expertise and his writings on the scarcity of solutions for institutional investors, we had assembled a dream team.
This venture marks a significant milestone: it is my first among four startups to launch with a solid customer base, a functional product, exceptional investors, and a market ripe for innovation. We are poised to disrupt the status quo. Here we come!