Hello, I'm Jesse.
I am the Founder and General Partner at Variant, an early-stage venture firm focused on technology that enables autonomy.
Previously, I was:
- An investor on the first crypto fund at Andreessen Horowitz.
- Cofounder of startup Mediachain Labs, which was acquired by Spotify.
- An artist manager to some of my favorite musicians and songwriters.
Unpacked:
I grew up in New York and studied Art History and Economics at McGill University in Montreal.
While in school, I was more entrepreneurial than academic: designing flyers, throwing parties, building websites + social mini-apps, and promoting concerts at a time when Montreal had a super special music scene.
Back in New York, I cofounded an artist management firm focused on using new technology platforms to help artists reach their fans directly. I was privileged to work with people I consider generational talents, including Solange Knowles, Blood Orange, Majical Cloudz and many more. That team also helped launch Boiler Room in North America, where we pioneered live-streamed performances in 2012.
In 2013, I learned about bitcoin. It planted a seed that led to me co-founding Mediachain. Bitcoin made it possible to own a digital financial asset independent of any third-party platform, and we wanted to do the same for a different kind of digital asset: digital media. Our goal was to help creators earn more of the value they contribute to platforms that distribute their work. Mediachain Labs was acquired by Spotify in early 2017.
In 2018, I joined the Andreessen Horowitz investment team to take a wider view of crypto networks and the applications they enable. In 2020, I launched Variant to focus on partnering with founders at the earliest possible stage.
I am forever drawn to creative people, inspiring ideas, and perfect sounds.