Sometimes the best relationships start with a single deal that plants a seed.
Almost a decade ago, Sharran joined GoingVC as one of our earliest members (cohort 3, when we were just getting started).
Back then, we had just launched GoingVC Partners—our investor syndicate—and one of the very first opportunities we saw was an AI infrastructure company called OnSpecta.
The deal came from Sharran himself.
We invested. A year or two later, OnSpecta sold to a larger company for a solid return.
But more importantly, it was the beginning of a relationship that would span nearly a decade.
Why We Backed Sharran (And Why You Should Know About Him)
Over the years, I’ve watched Sharran work with founders.
I’ve seen him in Slack channels, on calls, and in real-time deal situations.
Here’s what stands out:
His follow-up is relentless (in the best way). If he says he’ll do something, you’re going to hear from him until it’s done. No dropped balls. Ever.
He’s not afraid to make direct asks—for his founders and for his own fund.
Most importantly, his value-add isn’t just talk. I’ve watched him actually help founders solve problems, make connections, and move their businesses forward.
When someone combines that level of execution with years of trust and relationship-building -and- DPI … you pay attention.
Enter: DV
This year, Sharran came back to us with a plan to launch his own firm. I had told him years ago that whenever he was ready to launch … I was in.
Over the last few months, everything came together.
A big reason for everything falling into place was a full circle moment – the cofounder of OnSpecta stepped up with an anchor GP check, and Venture5 Catalyst participated alongside.
Sharran’s focus? High-quality enterprise infrastructure, AI, cloud, data, devops, security deals at Seed and Series A. Often with repeat founders who know how to build and scale.
What This Means for You (And Venture5 Catalyst)
Venture5 Catalyst is our initiative to selectively partner with exceptional emerging fund managers who we believe will build the next generation of great venture firms.
For years, I’ve been doing this kind of backing personally—identifying talented emerging managers and leveraging our media and network to help them get their firms off the ground.
Now we’ve formalized it as a core part of what we do at Venture5.
We leverage 17 years of mapping the venture ecosystem to spot exceptional emerging talent early, then provide capital and platform access to help them launch successfully.
The long-term vision is simple: help 100 funds get into business over the next 10 years.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the emerging managers we’re partnering with through Venture5 Catalyst—whether as potential LPs or just to stay in the loop on what we’re seeing—we’d love to connect.
These aren’t frequent updates (we’re being very selective), but when we find exceptional emerging talent like Sharran, we’ll share the story.
Here’s to backing the next generation of great investors.
