Ben Zises
SuperAngel.Fund | Investor #1 @quip, @Caraway @Arber
About
Hi, I’m Ben Zises - angel investor, advisor, and fund manager. I am the founder of SuperAngel.Fund which launched in January 2021. (View Deck > http://superangeldeck.com) Prior to starting the fund, I spent six years as an angel investor in 30 companies, including being the first investor and founding advisor to quip (2014), Caraway (2018) & Arber (2020), before each had its name. Among other successes, the first two reached over $100m+ in annual revenue, while the third is pacing for a similar growth trajectory. My focus is on areas where I am most passionate and have an informational, educational, access or network advantage: Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech & Future of Work. Earlier in my career I personally experienced the complete lifecycle of building a company, from identifying a problem/market opportunity, to coming up with the “idea”, to painstakingly developing a business plan, product roadmap and executing on it. I've been in a founder's shoes. I know what it is like to leave a stable job, ask friends and family for money, hire and scale a team, and more. My own startup went through its share of ups and downs, launching to widespread industry acclaim and countless press articles, to gaining tens of thousands of users and raising $2m from early investors. I led a team through the process of iterating & pivoting multiple times, pitched hundreds of VC's in NYC & Silicon Valley, and ultimately failed to raise a successive round of funding which resulted in the wind down of my company. These experiences, among others, give me a major competitive advantage over other investors: founder empathy and unique understanding of the startup journey. As an investor, I strive to be one of the first checks (day 0) and leverage my network to bring in other strategic capital and resources in an advisory role. I am often described by founders as their company’s #1 fan, providing unwavering support and dedication for the short, medium, and long-term. Prior to becoming a full time investor, and after my startup winded down, I was the COO at an NYC-based real estate investment and property management firm that scaled from 5 to 100 people, managing over 3,000 residential and commercial units on behalf of dozens of third party clients. I am a graduate of Boston University’s School of Hospitality, a 2x Outward Bound Alum and retired marathoner (1x New York City Marathon). I live and work in Tribeca, NYC with my wife Ashley and two daughters, Sarina and Scarlett. What I offer founders: --Earliest check possible with deep conviction --Massive network to bring in other strategic capital --Operational, sales & team building support --Founder empathy, dedication & loyalty --Prior founder experience to share learnings, provide unfair competitive advantage
Links from Ben
5.0
Steven G
Working with Ben has been incredibly beneficial for our fundraising efforts. He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table that has been instrumental in refining our strategies. One key area where Ben added significant value was in improving our investment deck. He provided insightful feedback on how to make our presentation more compelling to potential investors, and we've seen the positive effects of these changes already. Moreover, Ben's guidance on how to expand our reach to potential investors has been invaluable. His practical advice and tailored suggestions have given us a fresh perspective and an improved approach to our fundraising strategy. I highly recommend Ben to any entrepreneur looking for expert advice on fundraising. His clear communication, deep understanding of the investment landscape, and genuine commitment to helping us succeed made our sessions incredibly productive and enjoyable. Thank you, Ben, for your invaluable mentorship!
Adir P
We came to Ben as we are in the process of building our pitch deck to raise investment for our sun care company. Ben is very knowledgeable, gave us great advice, and even shared a few links and documents that would be very helpful for us at this stage. I recommend booking a call with Ben if you want to consult about your business.
Luca Yesupatham D
Ben was quick to grasp the context of the idea. He was also quite direct with the feedback but doing so in a gentle tone that helps having a constructive dialogue
Adriel D
Ben is awesome--smart, engaging, and helpful. He had valuable insight and gave great advice.