For years, GEM members have asked for a way to invest in companies in the GEM network. And seldom does a day go by when I don’t talk to a founder looking for investment. Finally…we’ve found a way to serve both sides of the market in a differentiated way.

Enter GEM Ventures, a proptech operative-investor collective to make early, high-conviction bets—and committed to supporting those companies well beyond the investment. The difference is that the GEM Ventures angel group will invest together based on shared conviction, and work together to have a meaningful impact on the startups we back using decades of collective experience/relationships in this industry.

Initial Investor Partners:

  • Grier Allen: Chief Strategy Officer at Inside Real Estate; prior BoomTown founder (exit to Inside Real Estate)
  • Heather Harmon: Four-time founder and public company executive; prior co-founder of RedDoor (exit to Opendoor)
  • Greg Robertson: 30-year real estate tech builder and advisor; co-founded Cloud CMA at W+R Studios (exit to Lone Wolf)
  • Ryan Coon: Co-founder and Managing Partner at Green Street Growth; prior co-founder of Avail (exit to Realtor.com).
  • Drew Meyers: Geek Estate founder; prior Horizon co-founder; early Zillow team member

Our initial goal: back a pre-seed or seed stage company with a check of at least $100k in Q1 or Q2. Once we’ve made one investment, we’ll evaluate when to make a second.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We’re obviously long on real estate and the Built World. In true YC fashion, here are a few areas where we’re seeking bold ideas:

  • Wealth Management: Tools facilitating and accelerating the agent to wealth manager migration.
  • Consumer search: A search experience for what could be rather than what is.
  • Build more homes: With a shortfall of millions of homes in the U.S., technology innovations will be a big part of accelerating the construction of new housing units.
  • Resilient housing and impact reduction: Technologies that help homes adapt to increasing catastrophic weather events, improve insurability, and lower environmental footprints.
  • Innovating on Homeownership: Creating more accessible and affordable homeownership options to adapt to new demographics and priorities.
  • Electrifying the Mobile Life: Once self driving is a reality, the open road offers limitless possibilities.
  • Aerial Economy: As we all look skyward into the future, there is clear opportunity for proptech founders creating on-the-ground solutions to provide the critical technology and infrastructure needed for a smooth transition to busier skies.
  • Robotics: For better or worse, the future will be run by machines. From humanoid robots doing chores in homes to drywall and roofing robotics in construction and renovation, huge opportunities await those with deep expertise.

Are you early stage founder building something great in real estate or the broader Built World? Please apply…

Apply Now

PS: GEM Ventures is a small investment group, by design. But if you’ve made angel investments in the past and your takeaway was, “I didn’t form any meaningful relationships from my capital, nor did I have the chance to leverage my skills/relationships/experience to impact the company”—GEM Ventures is the antidote. Reach out if interested.

Image generator: Gemini
Prompt: a six person brain trust of tech founders, hunkered in a secret lair plotting to how to drive growth and profitability to startups. add dollar signs to signal money invested into the companies being helped