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Eric Bahn is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California. Prior to launching the firm alongside Elizabeth Yin, he worked as a Product Manager at Facebook and served as a Venture Partner at 500 Startups. As a serial entrepreneur with three founder exits, he previously built the educational community Beat The GMAT, which was acquired by Hobsons in 2012. Bahn holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Stanford University, and he recently helped close Hustle Fund's $46 million Fund III in September 2023. To date, his firm has invested in over 500 startups globally. His current investment strategy focuses on writing initial pre-seed checks of up to $100,000 for resourceful founders operating across the B2B software, fintech, and digital health sectors.
Eric Bahn stands as a prominent figure in the early-stage venture capital landscape, serving as a General Partner and co-founder of Hustle Fund. Known for his distinctive approach to identifying and nurturing nascent startups, Bahn has carved out a reputation as a founder-friendly investor who champions rapid execution and tangible traction over elaborate business plans. At Hustle Fund, he plays a pivotal role in leading investment decisions, mentoring portfolio companies, and shaping the firm's overarching strategy to back "ridiculously early" founders.
Hustle Fund, under Bahn's leadership, specializes in pre-seed and seed-stage investments, targeting companies that demonstrate significant early momentum. His investment focus is broad yet strategic, encompassing sectors such as Software as a Service (SaaS), financial technology (fintech), consumer applications, and various B2B solutions. What truly sets Bahn apart is his emphasis on the "hustle" factor—he seeks out entrepreneurs who exhibit exceptional drive, resourcefulness, and the ability to achieve substantial progress with minimal resources. This philosophy has enabled Hustle Fund to build a diverse portfolio of promising ventures across numerous industries.
Bahn's journey into venture capital is deeply rooted in his extensive entrepreneurial background. Prior to co-founding Hustle Fund, he was a serial entrepreneur himself, having successfully built and exited companies like Beat The GMAT, an online community for MBA applicants. This firsthand experience as a founder provides him with invaluable empathy and insight into the challenges and triumphs faced by early-stage startups. He understands the grind, the pivots, and the relentless pursuit of product-market fit, making him a highly relatable and effective advisor to the founders he backs.
Before launching Hustle Fund, Bahn also contributed significantly to the startup ecosystem at 500 Startups, where he served as a Venture Partner and mentor. In this role, he gained extensive experience in identifying high-potential startups and guiding them through their initial growth phases. His time at 500 Startups further honed his ability to spot emerging trends and evaluate the potential of early-stage teams.
Through Hustle Fund, Eric Bahn has backed hundreds of companies, many of which have gone on to achieve significant milestones and secure further funding rounds. While specific individual investments are numerous, his impact is best seen in the collective success of Hustle Fund's portfolio, which consistently demonstrates the power of investing in strong founders with a bias for action. He continues to be a vocal advocate for accessible early-stage capital and practical mentorship, empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs to build impactful businesses. His work at Hustle Fund exemplifies a modern, founder-centric approach to venture capital that prioritizes speed, substance, and genuine partnership.
Eric Bahn is a General Partner and co-founder of Hustle Fund, a prominent pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital firm. He is also a serial entrepreneur and a respected figure in the early-stage investment community.
Eric Bahn primarily invests in early-stage (pre-seed and seed) startups across various sectors, including SaaS, fintech, consumer, and B2B solutions. He focuses on companies demonstrating strong early traction and led by founders with exceptional drive and execution capabilities.
Eric Bahn works as a General Partner at Hustle Fund, the venture capital firm he co-founded. Hustle Fund is known for its global reach in early-stage investing.
