Founders Future opens San Francisco office and strengthens its transatlantic AI strategy
17 NOV, 2025
By Joanna Piwko from RankiaPro Europe
Founders Future, the investment platform backing AI-first tech entrepreneurs, has opened a new office in San Francisco to reinforce its growing transatlantic ambitions. The expansion aims to deepen links between European and U.S. innovation ecosystems and support both European scale-ups entering the American market and U.S. “AI-native” founders expanding into Europe. The new office has already completed two investments.
A strategic move into the heart of global tech
Located in San Francisco’s One Ferry Building, the office gives the firm a direct operational presence in the U.S. and strengthens its ability to invest in American startups. This step comes ahead of a planned transatlantic growth fund in 2026, designed to help promising U.S. companies scale into Europe.
New hires to lead U.S. operations
To build its presence, Founders Future has appointed two key team members:
- Dulcie fforde, principal – formerly at Baillie Gifford, Homebound, and Uber, with investment experience in companies such as Airbnb, Brex, Faire, and Nubank. She will lead sourcing and evaluation of AI and consumer opportunities.
- Jonathan Karlson, senior associate – previously at ICONIQ Capital and BlackRock, bringing expertise in advising tech founders and families on direct investments. He will focus on early-stage analysis and strengthening transatlantic relations.
Further hires in growth, investor relations, and operations are planned as the U.S. office expands.
Ambition: €1 billion in assets under management
Founded in 2018 by Marc Menasé, the platform now manages nearly $400 million and counts over 120 portfolio companies, including Veesion, Raidium, Waterdrop, Riot, Alma, and Neat in Europe, as well as Databricks, Perplexity, and Function Health in the U.S.
Our ambition is to build an international investment platform that supports visionary founders wherever they are. By connecting Europe and the U.S. with an AI-first approach, we are backing the next generation of global tech champions.
Marc Menasé
