Charles Birnbaum
Partner·Bessemer Venture Partners
Bio
Professional summary
Charles Birnbaum is a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners based in New York City. His official Bessemer profile says he invests in early-stage and promising financial services, consumer, and education companies in the U.S. and Europe, and has strong interest in fintech infrastructure and embedded financial services. Before Bessemer, Birnbaum was an early team member at Foursquare, where he worked on merchant-facing tools and later mobile and international business development. Earlier in his career, he spent six years in investment banking and equity capital markets focused on technology, media, and telecom. He holds an MBA from Wharton, an MA in international studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in history from Northwestern University.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Sector
Thesis
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Lead with a fintech infrastructure or embedded finance wedge, especially where the product solves a concrete financial-system pain point for consumers or businesses.
Partneralization hooks
- 1Connect to Foursquare-style merchant, mobile, or international partnership experience if relevant.
- 2For fintech, frame the problem historically and structurally, not just as a feature opportunity.
- 3Mention U.S.-Europe go-to-market if the company has transatlantic expansion plans.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Official Bessemer profile continues to position him around fintech infrastructure, embedded financial services, and U.S./Europe investing.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Bessemer Venture PartnersPartner2013 – Present
- FoursquareEarly Team Member2013
- Various financial institutionsInvestment Banking / ECM
Education
- Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaMBA
- Lauder Institute, University of PennsylvaniaMA, International Studies
- Georgetown UniversityBA
Skills
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