🎤 Join our founder group to hear from firms like NEA on What it takes to raise a Series A?

Register
Jon Callaghan

Jon Callaghan

Co-founder and Managing Partner·True Ventures

San Francisco Bay Area

Bio

Professional summary

Jon Callaghan is a founder, investor, and Managing Partner of True Ventures, the early-stage venture capital firm he co-founded in 2005. True's official profile describes the firm as focused on entrepreneurs at the initial stages of company creation, with more than 1,050 founders backed across more than 500 companies. Under Jon's leadership, True was among the first institutional investors in companies including Automattic, Duo Security, Fitbit, HashiCorp, Peloton, and Ring. The profile also says he currently serves on boards including Pipedream, Daydream, and Ernesta, and notes True's activity in AI with more than 85 AI investments. Jon previously served as Chair of the National Venture Capital Association from 2015 to 2016 and holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Investment focus

Stage, sector, and overall fit

Stage

early-stage venture investing (official profile)initial stages of company creation (official profile)

Sector

early-stage technologyAIconsumer and enterprise technologyhardware-connected software platforms

Thesis

early-stage company creationAI investmentsfounder-first technology companies

Notable companies

Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed

AutomatticDuo SecurityFitbitHashiCorpPelotonRingPipedreamDaydreamErnesta

How to approach

Framing and angles for outreach

Pitch framing

Lead with why the company is compelling at the earliest stage, why the founder is uniquely suited, and how the opportunity fits a long-term technology platform thesis.

Personalization hooks

  1. 1Reference True's focus on the initial stages of company creation.
  2. 2If relevant, connect to his current AI activity or board involvement with emerging technology companies.
  3. 3A personal note around aviation, music, or outdoor interests could work only if authentic.

Recent signals

What the partner has said or done recently

  • Official profile states True has made more than 85 AI investments.

Background

Career, education, and skills

Career history

  • True VenturesCo-founder & Managing Partner2005 - Present

Education

  • Dartmouth CollegeBachelor's, Government
  • Harvard Business SchoolMBA, With distinction

Skills

Early-stage ventureFounder supportBoard serviceNVCA leadership

Other partners at True Ventures

11 more profiles

AD

Adam D'Augelli

Partner

True Ventures

True Ventures partner backing early-stage technology companies.

Consumer internetEarly-stage technologyHealthcare technologyMarketplacesSoftware
JM

June May

Associate

True Ventures

Associate at True Ventures.

ML

Mikaela Lipsky

Associate

True Ventures

True Ventures associate focused on early-stage startups, with product and public-health research experience.

AI designEarly-stage investingHealth careProductScience managementStartups
Natasha Sharma

Natasha Sharma

Principal

True Ventures

True Ventures principal investing in early-stage founders, with prior Helpshift and ecosystem-building experience.

AICategory creationConsumerEarly-stage investingFemale foundersSaaS
Phil Black

Phil Black

Co-founding Partner

True Ventures

Phil Black is a co-founding partner at True Ventures and an early-stage venture capitalist.

early‑stage company creationfounder support
Priscilla Tyler

Priscilla Tyler

Vice President

True Ventures

True Ventures VP backing climate tech and leading founder fundraising and sustainability support.

Climate techDiversity in ventureEarly-stage investingFollow-on fundraisingFounder supportSustainability
Puneet Agarwal

Puneet Agarwal

Managing Partner

True Ventures

Puneet Agarwal is a Managing Partner at True Ventures focused on enterprise infrastructure and applications, particularly as AI reshapes those categories.

AI‑reimagined applicationsenterprise infrastructure
Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Partner

True Ventures

True Ventures partner and former ONI Systems founder/CTO.

ApplicationsDeep technologyGenAIHardwareInfrastructureRobotics
Soul Dayan

Soul Dayan

Associate

True Ventures

True Ventures associate focused on early-stage startups, with fellowship and VC competition experience.

AIEarly-stage investingMarketingQuantumStartup ecosystemsVenture competitions
TS

Toni Schneider

Partner

True Ventures

True Ventures partner and interim Bluesky CEO; former founding CEO of Automattic.

Climate techConnected devicesDecentralized socialMarketplacesOpen platformsSoftware
Tony Conrad

Tony Conrad

Partner

True Ventures

Tony Conrad is a Partner at True Ventures and a founder-operator who previously founded about.me and Sphere.

consumer/internetproduct‑led companies