Alpaca VC

Forbes Editor @stevenbertoni sat down with our CEO Alexander Isaacson to discuss the intersection of payments, computing, EVs, and how a flawed single point of failure system is holding the industry back; and how Xeal is challenging the status quo with its patented technology. "...Each one [smart #EV Charger] is independent. It can charge, pay, connect, without having to connect to a server somewhere in the middle of the country. It's its own vertically integrated system right there… that gives you reliability and precision..." - Steven Bertoni | Forbes Assistant Managing Editor https://lnkd.in/gvSrgmPC

HIRING in the Herd 🦙 Do you know someone talented who's looking for their next journey and wants to join an all-grit, no-bullshit team of six investors committed to finding and supporting the best founders throughout the formative years of the startup lifecycle? Alpaca VC is looking to add a new Investor Associate to our team. This Alberta-based role is an exciting opportunity for someone with technical expertise (read: artificial intelligence / machine learning chops) to break into venture and get meaningful exposure to many facets of the industry: founders, other investors, and deal structure/terms and operators. Things to know: 🦙 This is a role based in Alberta, Canada. 🦙 The link to apply is on the job description page below. Please apply via that link only. 🦙 We are collecting applications now, and looking to start the interview process the first week of January. Get the full rundown ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/esUud2XF #venturecapital #hiring

Incredibly proud to see multiple members of The Herd recognized in Inman's 2024 Best of Proptech Awards! 🏆 Congratulations to Eddie Lim of Point, Nora Apsel of Morty and Jeremy Sicklick of HouseCanary. We’re proud to be on the journey with you! These companies are fundamentally reshaping how people access, finance, and interact with real estate. They represent what we look for at Alpaca VC: exceptional founders building transformative solutions in PropTech and the wider real estate landscape. The future of real estate is being built by innovative teams like these, and we’re excited to see how these and the broader PropTech space continues to evolve in 2025 and beyond 🦙 #PropTech #RealEstateTech #VentureCapital https://lnkd.in/eDp22kQA 

Investors, VCs, and Accelerators—let’s talk about founders! 🚀 In venture capital, we’re all about betting on the future: predicting where the world is headed and backing the people who will build it. Here’s the question: What truly makes a strong founder? Specifically, how much does prior startup experience really matter when it comes to founders: 👉 Getting their company off the ground 👉 Raising capital 👉 Scaling in a meaningful way Does a startup background / exposure predict success—or are other traits more critical? I want to hear from you. What patterns have you seen? What types of previous work experience separate the founders who crush it from those who stumble? 💡 Share your insights in the comments or DM me directly. Your input will shape a deep dive into the DNA of successful founders, and I’d love to feature your perspective. Let’s spark some conversation—drop your thoughts below! 👇 CC Alpaca VC 🦙

We're honored to share that Forbes has named Vardhan Mehta and Acelab to their 30 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry list for 2025. Since our launch in 2021, we've been transforming how the architecture industry approaches material sourcing. Our AI-powered platform has grown to serve 15,000 architecture, design, and engineering firms in North America, including 80% of the top 100 industry-leading firms. This recognition validates our core mission: making architectural design more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective. With $15M in backing from Pillar VC, Tim Draper, PJC, Alpaca VC and TripAdvisor's Steve Kaufer, and support from Harvard Innovation Labs, MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program and MITdesignX, we're just getting started. Thank you to our team, partners, and investors who've helped make this possible. Here's to continuing to shape the future of architectural design🍾 #Forbes30Under30 #Architecture #AI #Sustainability #Construction

It's finally out! Part 1 of Alpaca VC's study on power availability and the energy transition, which internally we've been lovingly calling "Why Can't We Keep the Lights On?" In the last two decades, electricity demand has skyrocketed. In the same time, clean energy generation has gotten a lot cheaper...so problem solved, right? Unfortunately, infrastructure. Right now, 2x the US annual generating capacity is "stuck" waiting to connect to the grid; it's more than just a supply-demand problem. Before we even begin to discuss solutions, we need to diagnose the complex electricity value chain. Part 1 of our power availability series unpacks the design problems, misaligned incentives, and new bidirectional ways of interacting with the grid that have led to the transmission bottleneck we have today. While there is hope for the future, it's going to require massive technological, infrastructure, and regulatory changes to achieve a resilient grid. Check out Part 1 in the comments below (and stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll reveal our market map and dive into investable traits).