Andy McLoughlin
Managing Partner
Uncork Capital
Andy McLoughlin is a managing partner at Uncork Capital focused on enterprise software, developer tooling, and deeply technical teams.
Uncork Capital is a conviction-driven seed firm focused on writing the first institutional check into North American startups and supporting them through growth with dedicated follow-on capital. The firm is notably founder-centric, prioritizing exceptional teams with authentic market insight over trend-chasing, while maintaining a strong bias toward B2B software, infrastructure, and AI-native companies.
Evaluation weights
How much weight this firm places on each dimension. Totals 100%.
Team-led · 43%
Metrics
9%
Revenue, growth, and unit economics
Market
29%
Size, timing, and competitive landscape
Team
43%
Founder experience and execution ability
Product
19%
Differentiation and technical quality
- Strong preference for founder quality over early metrics at seed
- Skeptical of hype cycles, FOMO, and consensus investing
- Higher conviction in technical B2B and infrastructure businesses
- More metrics-driven and selective once evaluating Series A and later
Pitch difficulty
How hard it is to get a meeting and close funding from this firm.
Funded / yr
21
Deals closed in a typical year.
Led / yr
5
Rounds led in the last 12 months.
Pitches / yr
~2236
Decks reviewed in a typical year.
Acceptance rate
0.9%
Share of pitches that get funded.
Estimated — public data is not fully disclosed.
Why it's hard
- Competes to lead the first institutional round but only behind high-conviction founders
- Founder-market fit and execution credibility are scrutinized intensely
- Seed-stage flexibility is balanced by a strong anti-hype filter
- Series A and beyond require more concrete ARR and traction thresholds
Uncork is highly open to early-stage risk and will back companies pre-product or pre-revenue, which increases accessibility for exceptional seed founders. However, the bar for founder quality, market ambition, and authenticity is high, and the firm is especially intolerant of hype-driven or weakly reasoned opportunities.
Green flags
What drives a yes for this firm.
- Exceptional founders with clear founder-market fit and execution grit
- A large, credible market opportunity with room for an outsized company
- A product thesis that feels sharp, differentiated, and important early on
- Willingness to back companies pre-product or pre-revenue if insight is strong
- Evidence the team can navigate uncertainty better than incumbents or peers
Red flags
What kills deals and gets a fast no.
- Pitching a hype-driven AI or trend thesis without original insight
- Weak founder-market fit or inability to explain why this team should win
- Small market masquerading as venture-scale
- Lack of execution signals despite time and capital spent
- Series A ask without the ARR or traction expected for that stage
How to win
Patterns that lead to successful pitches.
- Lead with why this team is uniquely suited to win, not just what the product does
- Frame the opportunity around a genuinely large market with durable need
- Show authentic insight and crisp thinking rather than trend-heavy storytelling
- Present an early product wedge that can expand into a larger platform
- Demonstrate speed, customer pull, or execution proof even if revenue is still nascent
Fund strategy & identity
Who they are and how they operate.
- Write $1.5M-$3M+ initial seed checks, often as the first major institutional capital
- Lead or co-lead seed rounds and set terms with high-conviction underwriting
- Reserve significant follow-on capital through Plus funds for breakout winners
- Concentrate primarily on North American headquartered companies
- Invest across software, infrastructure, selective consumer, and frontier tech with an AI-native lens
Firm identity
Dedicated seed-first firmFounder-centric and conviction-drivenLeads or co-leads early roundsAnti-FOMO and anti-groupthinkLong-term partner from seed through growth
Investment focus
Industries, themes, and typical ARR expectations.
Industries
B2B SaaSDeveloper ToolsCloud InfrastructureCybersecurityAI/MLConsumer SoftwareOther / Generic
Investment themes
B2B SaaS platforms and workflow softwareDeveloper tools, cloud infrastructure, and securityAI-native application and infrastructure companiesConsumer software and services with strong engagement or network effectsFoundational internet and software plumbingSelective frontier technologies including space, robotics, and semiconductors
Typical check by stage
Seed$3M-$5M
Series A$1M-$5M
Series B$2M-$10M
Series C$2M-$15M
Growth$2M-$15M
Typical ARR by stage
Pre Seedpre-revenue-$100k
Seed$0-$1M
Series A$3M-$5M
Series B$5M-$15M
Series C$15M-$40M
Growth$40M+
Investment thesis
Core beliefs and strategy behind their investing approach.
Decision patterns
How they evaluate and make investment decisions.
Notable investments
Key portfolio companies and why they fit the thesis.
Co-invested with
Other firms in this catalog who've backed the same companies.
Partners
Full firm roster — key partners, partners, and the wider team.
Key partners
Jeff Clavier
Founding Partner
Uncork Capital
Jeff Clavier is the founding partner of Uncork Capital and has backed seed-stage companies including Fitbit, SendGrid, Postmates, Mint, Eventbrite, and Poshmark.
Amy Saper
General Partner
Uncork Capital
Amy Saper is a general partner at Uncork Capital backing seed-stage B2B startups building AI-enabled applications and infrastructure for engineering, product, and design teams.
Susan Liu
General Partner
Uncork Capital
Susan Liu is a general partner at Uncork Capital backing founders using AI to transform legacy industries, with a focus on B2B applications.
Tripp Jones
General Partner
Uncork Capital
Tripp Jones is a general partner at Uncork Capital focused on overlooked markets, network effects, recurring revenue, and consumer experiences.
Public voice
Notable statements and public positions.
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Firms with overlapping stage and industry focus.
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