Norwest Venture Partners

Behind the scenes with Norwest Partner Sean Jacobsohn and photographer Andria Lo for the The Wall Street Journal. ICYMI, read about why Sean created The Failure Museum, the standout items in his collection, and why he believes investors shouldn’t be afraid to support innovators who have failed.

Security teams’ jobs are getting harder as modern applications get more complex and the risk of breaches and vulnerabilities grows. Heeler is tackling this problem – and we’re so energized by their approach that we’re leading their Seed Series funding (alongside Storm Ventures). Our General Partner Dave Zilberman recognized how Heeler’s team is pioneering a new and much-needed approach to application security. Their vision: Transform application security by delivering: ✅ Real-time security and business context ✅ Detection, enrichment and posture management ✅ Response orchestration How they’ll do it: Heeler’s ProductDNA delivers something new – a frictionless chain of custody between the intended state in code and the running state in production. Unicorn startups and Fortune 500s alike are already using ProductDNA, and it will be generally available in Q4. Who’s at the helm: Heeler’s founding team of Christopher Hertz, James Green, Trever McKee, and Chris DeRamus have proven they have what it takes to scale Heeler. They’ve launched application security and cloud security products at enterprise scale and brought companies from initial stages to acquisition and IPO.

During the day, Norwest Partner Sean Jacobsohn hunts for his next big investment success story. In his downtime, he’s obsessed with failure. Sean sat down with The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen this week to share his passion project: The Failure Museum. His collection of failed products and business ventures informs how he invests in and guides his portfolio companies. From analyzing thousands of failures, Sean developed his own framework for understanding why startups go belly-up — he calls it the Six Forces of Failure. And he believes anyone who wants to get something right, has to be aware of the many ways it can go wrong. Don’t miss the story behind why Sean created The Failure Museum, the standout items in his collection (think New Coke, Blockbuster, and Harley-Davidson cologne ), and why he believes investors shouldn’t be afraid to support innovators who have failed before. As Norwest Managing Partner Jeff Crowe said, “If you only talk about success and never talk about failure, you’re missing half the equation.” Read the story: https://lnkd.in/gP2jBvJS

Smaller AI = larger impact 💪   Why bring in the heavy artillery for a task as simple as sending an email to a potential client? Our Partner Scott Beechuk sees a smarter path: use leaner, purpose-built AI that gets the job done quickly and at a fraction of the cost.   Scott predicts that very soon, businesses will harness an array of AI assistants — each an expert in a different area, all working seamlessly on our everyday devices. Whether it's for customer service or contract analysis, these dedicated AI tools will excel in their specialties.   Scott's recommendation? Rethink the role of AI in your business. Seek out clever, custom solutions instead of just raw power.   🎥 Check out the clip from Scott’s panel with Robert Zimmermann and Brett Queener at Qualified’s AI Workforce Summit to learn more. 

Capital efficiency isn't just a buzzword; it's a strategic must-have for startups. From lean marketing strategies to hiring the right talent and focusing on solving real industry pain points, our Partner Sean Jacobsohn writes that these best practices are crucial for navigating the current economic landscape. Before you plan your next big move or pitch to investors, take a moment to read through these essential tips. Dive into the full blog from Sean for actionable advice that can set your company apart from the rest: https://lnkd.in/g-wGdZaT 

As the IPO market continues to face challenges, Norwest Partner Lisa Wu shared insights yesterday at Fortune #BrainstormTech with Jessica Mathews on market conditions and the silver linings for startups.    Her and the fellow panelists’ take? A more realistic approach to startup growth can lead to a healthier tech ecosystem, but there’s still a hangover from the highs of 2021.    Read on to learn more about the potential uptick of M&A activity and what opportunities lie ahead for startups: https://lnkd.in/eeQaaf3H 

The journey to ethical AI begins with the right questions. Swipe to see a subset of the key questions that startup leaders should address 👉    Keren Bitan, founding principal of sustainability consulting firm Tandem Impact and Norwest advisor, unpacks the essential inquiries founders and teams should ask themselves when developing and using AI systems.   Get even more guidance and background on each of the key themes in ethical AI here: https://lnkd.in/gAqx26-T

Ever wondered why, despite all the tech advances, getting the right medical care can be so hit-or-miss? Our General Partner Zack Scott spotlights a simple truth: it's not just about the gadgets, it's about making the whole health system smarter and more connected. Picture this: navigating through a city without any traffic lights or signs; it's chaos, right? That's similar to how healthcare workflows have been. And in the world of health, a smoother journey can mean saving lives and billions of dollars. Enter Cytovale, a company we're proud to back that’s blending novel technology with refined processes to solve inefficiency.  Their innovative approach to catching sepsis—a life-threatening condition that’s difficult to diagnose—quickly is transforming the way hospitals manage over 1.7 million cases annually. When the risk of mortality increases by 8% for every 1-hour delay in sepsis treatment, this rapid diagnostic tool that fits right into the busy flow of a hospital’s day gives doctors the info they need in time to make life-saving decisions. By identifying and resolving inefficient workflows with science-based solutions, we not only enhance patient outcomes but also slash costs dramatically – by over $20 billion, to be exact. Learn more about how innovating workflows can save lives and cut costs to improve our healthcare system:

Welcome to the Norwest portfolio, Envestnet, Inc! We’re excited to partner with Bain Capital and other firms to support Envestnet, Inc in a new growth stage for the company. Envestnet delivers incredible value to advisory firms, their affiliated advisors, and their customers, and we're eager to help increase that value over time. Our team firmly believes Envestnet will continue to lead the wealth technology market for a long time, and we will work alongside management as they focus on growth and innovation to make its products and services even better. This partnership continues our growth equity team’s tradition of backing market-leading businesses, and we look forward to collaborating with our peers at Bain to help grow the company. https://lnkd.in/gXHapt9c

When will IPOs return? And what are founders supposed to do in the meantime? Our Partner Lisa Wu will take the stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech on July 16 to answer questions like these on the “Who Will Revive the Unicorpse” panel moderated by Jessica Mathews. She will join fellow panelists Renata Quintini, Matt McIlwain, Jai Das, & Jill (Greenberg) Chase to discuss the pressure Silicon Valley is facing amidst macroeconomic changes and what opportunities exist. Be on the lookout for the event recap!