Masha Bucher, the founder and general partner of Day One Ventures, knows the value of getting in on a business in the earliest stages of development. Day One Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that Bucher has shepherded to immense success over the past several years, taking routinely big swings that have paid off in substantial ways for her and the firm at large.
A mere five years ago, Bucher’s Day One Ventures had $11 million under management. Since then, Bucher and her team have worked diligently to grow that exponentially, with the company now sitting on over $450 million under management. By taking the initiative and forming a team around her comprised of experts within their own respective fields, ClassPass co-founder Sanjiv Sanghavi, Bucher, and Day One Ventures have achieved stratospheric success.
Over the course of their first two funds, the monetary amounts they had under management steadily rose. Fund I saw the firm utilize $20 million, while Fund II saw them utilize $50 million. During this time, the firm’s portfolio saw twenty-two exits, including big-name success stories like Terrain Oribital, DuckDuckGo, and Truebill.
Now, entering into Fund III, Masha Bucher and Day One Ventures are going even further, utilizing their largest amount yet: $150 million.
In Bucher’s own words, the mantra moving forward for Day One Ventures is to invest in the “future of human,” further elaborating that Fund III “marks a new chapter, encompassing a deeper integration of art and culture alongside our established expertise in storytelling and PR,” and will focus on “solving humanity’s most pressing issues, from profound wealth disparities to the urgent threat of climate change and the growing sense of social isolation.”
Bucher and Day One Ventures may seem like they take big risks, but if anyone knows how to handle them, it is Bucher. Formerly known as Masha Drokova, Bucher grew up in Russia but ultimately chose a life for herself over her country. In speaking about her past, Bucher said, “I cannot go back to Russia because I’m an enemy of the country. I can’t see my grandparents. That’s not home for me at all. I also deeply disagree with what they do, as well as being deeply sad for the damage they’ve done to my relatives in Ukraine from my mother’s side.”
Pushing forward into Fund III, Bucher and her team are excited about exploring the possibilities of AI and how it can improve humanity’s quality of life. If executed well, though, Bucher believes AI will help us function more efficiently as a society. “There are huge economic inequalities, like climate change and healthcare problems, and I think AI will help solve them. AI will come and unlock an abundance of resources that bring us humanity. Over time, it will help people be happier.” As Day One Ventures continues to innovate and strive for further excellence, you can count on Bucher and the company to make bold choices and reap the rewards.
