Aaron Jacobson
Partner
New Enterprise Associates
Aaron Jacobson is a Partner at NEA focused on AI, cybersecurity, developer tools, and robotics. He joined NEA in 2011 and invests across seed/early and growth stages.
Bio
Professional summary
Andrew Schoen joined NEA in 2014 and invests in founders working across AI/ML, cybersecurity, fintech, frontier and deep tech, and technically differentiated software. Before NEA, he worked on Blackstone’s M&A team and previously co-founded Flicstart, which was acquired. He serves on the Cornell University Council, the Advisory Council for Entrepreneurship @ Cornell, and is President Emeritus of the Cornell Venture Capital Club. His listed portfolio includes companies such as Aigen, ByteDance, CHAOS Industries, Clarifai, CuspAI, Dandelion, and Duolingo.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
GrowthSeed/Early
Sector
AI/MLCybersecurityFintechFrontier techDeep techTechnically differentiated software
Thesis
AI/ML platformsCybersecurityFintechFrontier and deep techRobotics and automation
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
AigenBerkshire GreyByteDanceCHAOS IndustriesClarifaiCowboy SpaceCuspAIDandelionDuolingo
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Lead with the technical insight: why the company is hard to build, why now, and why the founder can attract the capital, talent, customers, and technology needed to win.
Personalization hooks
- 1Reference his stated interest in founders with “resource magnetism.”
- 2Connect deep tech or AI pitches to CHAOS Industries, Cowboy Space, Clarifai, CuspAI, or Aigen.
- 3For founder fit, emphasize gritty execution and a technically differentiated product thesis.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Official portfolio list shows 2025 first investments in CHAOS Industries, Cowboy Space, and CuspAI.
Official profile emphasizes technically differentiated software and frontier/deep tech in addition to AI/ML, cybersecurity, and fintech.
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