Saying farewell to Max
Version One
For those you who don’t already know, Max will be leaving at the end of the month. When he joined us at Version One 15 months ago, he brought with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and ideas, especially in crypto and climate tech. From Day 1, he pushed our thinking around a variety of categories within these themes and helped accelerate our investing.
During Max’s time with us, we’ve backed 13 new startups, with nearly half being in crypto and climate. He introduced us to his Yale classmates Max Nova and Zack Parisa, the co-founders of SilviaTerra, who are pioneering a data-driven marketplace for landowners and large corporations to exchange gigatons of new carbon offsets – powered by the precise measurement of every acre of forest.
Starting a career in VC during a pandemic is not easy. This is a relationship-driven industry that has traditionally relied on in-person networking. But despite the challenge, Max excelled in expanding the V1 network in his unique way: his thought leadership, particularly around crypto and energy, drew the interest of many founders and investors. Those of you who follow our blog will recognize his works, such as:
- Visions of Web 3
- Smart Contracts on Bitcoin
- Don’t Sleep on Lightning
- The Solar-Bitcoin Convergence
- BTC + DeFI = FTW
- The Energy Revolution is (Finally) Here
- Zero Marginal Cost Energy
With all this said, Boris and I will certainly miss Max when he moves on from Version One. As for what’s next? Max will continue exploring his passions by angel investing and consulting for projects focused on Bitcoin, Web3, and the energy transition. No matter what he decides to do, we know he’ll be great and level up those around him, just like he did with us.
On behalf of the entire V1 family – myself and Boris, our founders, and our investors – thank you for your contributions, Max. We wish you the best and look forward to continuing to collaborate with you on great things.
To keep in touch with Max (and to continue learning from his insights and perspective), you can follow him on Twitter.
