We’re former founders and operators who’ve lived the journey — navigating long sales cycles, building in uncertain markets, and scaling before the playbook existed. We invest the way we wish we had been backed.
Act One Ventures is led by Michael Silton and Alejandro Guerrero, supported by a network of advisors who’ve helped scale category-defining companies. We show up early and stay close through the messy middle and beyond.
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Diversity has always been a major part of Act One’s investment ethos, and we led the creation of the Diversity Rider to enable better access and change the venture landscape by bringing more diverse investors to every deal. Some of the biggest names in venture are using the rider: Greycroft, Fifth Wall, Harlem Capital, Plexo, Precursor, and dozens of others. The rider is open to anyone who invests or wants to invest in startups, whether that is through a venture fund or as an individual Diverse Check Writer.
If every firm commits to making this significant change in their deal-making process, the VC playing field will be more inclusive. This will also give diverse check writers (DCWs) exposure to networks they previously did not have access to, and it will benefit firms by bringing diverse thinking to the companies in which they are investing. Act One is holding itself accountable by including the Diversity Rider in every term sheet.
