Nicolai Wadstrom

Nicolai Wadstrom is a Partner and Co-Head of the Ares Venture Capital Group and AI and Innovation Groups at BootstrapLabs, an Ares Management company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He originally founded BootstrapLabs in 2008, establishing it as an early venture capital firm focused exclusively on applied artificial intelligence in 2015 before its acquisition by Ares in 2024. Wadstrom has invested in and mentored more than 30 early-stage AI-first startups, currently serving as a board member or observer for portfolio companies including Charm Solutions, Klear, and Hayden AI. Prior to his venture capital career, he spent over 30 years as a serial entrepreneur and executive, building enterprise software and financial trading systems for entities like the NASDAQ OMX Group. His current focus remains on applied artificial intelligence venture capital investing and driving internal AI strategy.