Thomas Gieselmann

Founding Partner·Headline

San Francisco, CA

Bio

Professional summary

Thomas Gieselmann is a Founding Partner at Headline. The provided source says Headline led AiPrise's $12.5 million Series A and quotes Gieselmann on AiPrise's role as an orchestration layer for global compliance. Headline's public profile information identifies him as based in the US office and focused on Software, Developer Tools, Open Source, and Fintech. It also notes that he started AOL.de in Germany before co-founding Headline in 1997. Because the provided source is a transaction announcement, the profile is kept focused on verified firm role, focus areas, and the AiPrise signal.

Investment focus

Stage, sector, and overall fit

Stage

SeedSeries A

Sector

SoftwareDeveloper toolsOpen sourceInfrastructureFintech and compliance

Thesis

SoftwareDeveloper toolsOpen sourceFintechGlobal compliance orchestration

Notable companies

Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed

AiPriseBitwardenNGINXSegmentHoneycombSEMrush

How to approach

Framing and angles for outreach

Pitch framing

Frame the company as infrastructure or orchestration software that replaces fragmented point solutions in a large operational workflow.

Partneralization hooks

1Reference AiPrise and the theme of orchestrating complex cross-border compliance workflows.
2Emphasize developer-tool, infrastructure, or open-source qualities if applicable.

Recent signals

What the partner has said or done recently

In October 2025, Headline led AiPrise's $12.5M Series A to simplify global compliance.

Background

Career, education, and skills

Career history

Headline (formerly e.ventures)Founding Partner1997 - Present
AOL Germany (aol.de)Founder/LeaderBefore 1997
Paper publishing & distribution (unnamed)FounderAge 14

Education

Rhodes CollegeUndergraduate degree

Skills

Venture CapitalDeveloper ToolsInfrastructure SoftwareOpen SourceCloudAI

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