Loading people...
Chris Wake is the Founder and Managing Partner of Atypical Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York City, New York. Before establishing the investment firm in 2018, he served as the first employee and Head of Business Operations at Spire Global, scaling the space-to-cloud data analytics company prior to its 2021 public listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Wake subsequently established foundational early operational frameworks for several prominent high-growth software startups, including Vercel. He holds a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oxford, utilizing his extensive operational background to back deep technology companies. His current investment strategy focuses exclusively on backing pre-seed and seed-stage founders developing complex frontier technologies across the aerospace, defense, machine learning, distributed systems, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Chris Wake serves as a Managing Partner at Atypical Ventures, an innovative early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to empowering the next generation of groundbreaking companies. In his pivotal role, Chris is instrumental in shaping Atypical Ventures' investment strategy, leading deal sourcing, and providing invaluable support to portfolio companies from their earliest stages. His commitment lies in identifying exceptional founders who are poised to disrupt industries and build enduring businesses.
Atypical Ventures, under Chris Wake's leadership, primarily targets pre-seed and seed-stage investments across a diverse range of high-growth technology sectors. His investment focus areas typically include enterprise software, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, financial technology (fintech), developer tools, and the evolving future of work. Chris is particularly drawn to companies that leverage cutting-edge technology to solve complex problems, enhance efficiency, or create entirely new market opportunities. He believes in a hands-on approach, working closely with founders to navigate challenges, refine product-market fit, and accelerate growth.
Chris Wake's career background is rooted in a deep understanding of technology and entrepreneurship. Prior to his role at Atypical Ventures, he cultivated extensive experience within the startup ecosystem, often contributing to product development, operational scaling, and strategic growth initiatives. This operational expertise provides him with a unique perspective, enabling him to empathize with founders' journeys and offer practical, actionable advice. His journey into venture capital was driven by a passion for fostering innovation and helping ambitious entrepreneurs transform their visions into reality.
While specific individual investments by Chris Wake are often part of Atypical Ventures' broader portfolio, the firm has a track record of backing promising startups that go on to achieve significant milestones. Chris plays a crucial role in identifying these high-potential ventures, guiding them through critical early growth phases, and connecting them with essential resources and networks. His strategic insights and dedication to founder success make him a trusted partner for entrepreneurs seeking not just capital, but also experienced guidance. Chris Wake at Atypical Ventures is a key figure in the early-stage investment landscape, continually seeking out and championing the innovators who are building tomorrow's leading companies.
Chris Wake is the Managing Partner at Atypical Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. He is responsible for leading investments and supporting founders in high-growth technology sectors.
Chris Wake, through Atypical Ventures, invests in pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies. His focus areas include enterprise software, AI/ML, fintech, developer tools, and the future of work.
Chris Wake works as a Managing Partner at Atypical Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that focuses on investing in groundbreaking technology startups.
