Lightspeed hires social media star to spearhead creator-driven venture investing
Lightspeed Venture Partners appointed Instagram and TikTok influencer Claire Zau to source deals and co-host its new show, signaling a push toward creator-led investing.
The firm added Claire Zau, known for her large following on Instagram and TikTok, to its team to help identify startup opportunities and to co-present the podcast series Lightwork with chief marketing officer Josh Machiz. This move follows similar strategies by firms such as a16z, which bought Erik Torenberg’s Turpentine podcast, and OpenAI, which acquired TBPN. In a recent Equity podcast, Zau and Machiz discussed whether the creator-investor role is becoming a standard function in venture capital.
Why it matters
The hire shows how venture capital is leveraging social media influence to reach the next generation of entrepreneurs.
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