Connect Ventures

Connect Ventures is an investment firm focused on early-stage consumer-focused businesses, operating at the intersection of culture and commerce. The firm seeks out and invests in next-wave entrepreneurs, leveraging technology to foster progressive approaches across various sectors. Their investment interests span media & entertainment, sports, gaming, health & wellness, and e-commerce & marketplaces.

The firm was launched in 2020 as a strategic investment partnership between Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a prominent entertainment and sports agency, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), a leading global venture capital firm. This collaboration was designed to accelerate the growth of early-stage consumer businesses by combining CAA's extensive resources, relationships, and expertise within the global entertainment and sports landscape with NEA's deep domain knowledge and company-building experience in technology.

Connect Ventures is committed to investing in transformational businesses and actively facilitates connectivity among its curated portfolio companies. The firm has made over 30 investments across diverse consumer categories. Notable portfolio companies include TMRW Sports, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Moises, an AI-powered music and audio platform, the NFT marketplace OpenSea, Harper Wilde, and Jomboy Media. They have also backed Deep Voodoo, a deepfake startup.

The firm is led by its Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Michael Blank and Nicole Quinn. Michael Blank previously spent 15 years at CAA, where he served as Head of Consumer Investments and oversaw CAA's involvement in the joint venture. His experience includes launching CAA's mobile division and developing talent-driven applications. Nicole Quinn brings a decade of experience from Lightspeed Venture Partners, where she co-led the Consumer team and invested in companies such as Calm, Cameo, and Rothy's. She also has a background in covering retail and internet at Morgan Stanley, where she was involved in the IPOs of major companies like Facebook and Pandora.