Lerer Hippeau

Eric Hippeau

Managing Partner

Eric Hippeau is a Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. Previously, Eric was the CEO of The Huffington Post, in which he had invested as a Managing Partner at Softbank Capital. Eric has also served as Chairman and CEO of Ziff-Davis, former top publisher of computer magazines. Eric sits on the board of BuzzFeed, a portfolio company, and Marriott International. He was educated at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Eric reads Axios first thing in the morning to stay on top of the day’s breaking news.

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Notable Investments

Bowery Farming, Leaflink, K Health, Wondery

Questions & Answers

Origin Story: In a couple sentences, how would you describe your path to becoming an investor?

I started investing in start-ups when I was CEO of tech magazine publisher Ziff-Davis and then became of a full-time professional investor

Investment Approach: What are the key factors you consider when evaluating a founding team?

Is it a big, timely idea and does the founding team have the background and grit to execute

What's your style and approach when it comes to working with founders post-investment? What are the characteristics of founders you've worked well with?

We take a hands-on approach post investment and offer our founders an array of support services as well as personal involvement of our partners and investment team.

If I'm coming to pitch to you or your firm, what's the one piece of advice you'd give me?

You have sent us our deck and materials in advance, which we will have reviewed. Be prepared to have a freewheeling discussion about your business and the market. Be yourself.

How would you describe your own personal mission and values, and how do they impact the way you invest?

We love to help build successful new companies. It’s hard. It takes a village. It’s a wonderful journey.

What do you like best about investing in NYC, and what’s your outlook on the future of NYC tech?

We think NYC is perfectly positioned to build the next generation of tech companies. The majority of our portfolio companies are based in NYC.