# Maveron

> Maveron is a privately held, consumer-focused venture capital firm founded in Seattle in 1998 by Dan Levitan and Starbucks leader Howard Schultz. It backs early-stage companies that become part of everyday life, spanning commerce, health, education, fintech, social products, media and consumer AI. Rather than sell a software product, Maveron raises investment funds, buys minority stakes in startups and works closely with founders on product, brand, hiring and growth. Its record includes early bets on eBay, Zulily, Trupanion, Allbirds, General Assembly, Rec Room, Lovevery, Thirty Madison and Pacaso, while its B Corp certification formalizes a stated commitment to profit and purpose.

- **Founded:** 1998
- **Headquarters:** Seattle, United States
- **Founders:** Dan Levitan (Co-Founder and General Partner), Howard Schultz (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** About 22 people in provided company data; LinkedIn lists 11-50 employees and 23 profiles
- **Products:** Early-stage venture investment, Maveron Fund VIII, Founder partnership and company-building support, Consumer research and investment theses
- **Notable:** Made eBay its first investment on June 30, 1998, shortly before the company went public., Backed Zulily at seed and Series A; the company began in Maveron's offices and went public in 2013., Led a 2007 investment in Trupanion, which later became a public pet-insurance company.

## Products & services

- **Early-stage venture investment** — Seed and Series A capital for technology-enabled consumer businesses across commerce, health, education, fintech, social, media and related markets.
- **Maveron Fund VIII** — A $225 million fund announced in 2022 to continue the firm's early-stage consumer strategy.
- **Founder partnership and company-building support** — Hands-on help with consumer insight, brand, product, hiring, networks, governance and later-stage financing.
- **Consumer research and investment theses** — Public analysis of shifting behavior in areas such as consumer AI, healthcare, retail, CPG infrastructure, community and housing.

## Achievements

- Made eBay its first investment on June 30, 1998, shortly before the company went public.
- Backed Zulily at seed and Series A; the company began in Maveron's offices and went public in 2013.
- Led a 2007 investment in Trupanion, which later became a public pet-insurance company.
- Built a portfolio that includes public listings or notable exits such as eBay, Zulily, Groupon, Trupanion, Flywire, General Assembly, Periscope, Modern Fertility and Inkbox.
- Earned B Corp certification in 2021 and later recorded a public B Impact score of 96.7.
- Closed its seventh fund with $180 million in commitments in 2019 and its eighth fund at $225 million in 2022.
- Dan Levitan has appeared on the Forbes Midas List and was named a NASDAQ private-company director of the year.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Maveron led a $3.2 million seed round in Jampack AI, an AI-native wholesale-operations platform for consumer brands.
- **2026-02** — Published its Consumer 2026 research, arguing that consumer AI has crossed an adoption threshold but still must earn trust through repeated utility.
- **2026-01** — Outlined 2026 investment themes across AI-enabled consumer-brand infrastructure, full-stack health and wellness, AI-driven discovery and constrained housing markets.
- **2025-12** — Published a thesis on AI-native, operationally connected houses of consumer brands.
- **2025-09** — Expanded public research on consumer AI, CPG infrastructure, aesthetics, marketplaces and changes in product discovery.

## Links

- Website: https://www.maveron.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maveron
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Maveron
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaveronVC

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/maveron
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-15