Welcoming David Cheng to Costanoa

Today, we are thrilled to welcome David to Costanoa as our newest General Partner.

Rare things have a funny way of showing up when you least expect them. Every so often, something (or, in this case, someone) comes along that makes the plan beside the point. David Cheng was that kind of revelation.

There is a fair number of great investors. But not all of those feel the same way about culture as we do. We care a lot about building a place where extraordinary people can do their best work, so adding to our senior team is something we do carefully and rarely. So we were looking for a principal-level candidate who could grow into a partner over time. Instead, we found David – a highly successful investor with a well developed track record, and a (referenceable) history of being a foundational early stage partner to founders. We first thought, “this opportunity is too good to be true,” and then “this is someone we can’t pass up.” So we didn't.

David's track record speaks for itself: named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Venture in 2019 while at DCM, he grew from Associate to the youngest partner in DCM's 30-year history. He then co-founded Coreline Ventures, helping build and lead a new firm from the ground up. He served as the first investor in companies like EvenUp (now worth over $2B), Brigit (acquired by UPBD for ~$500M), and Weekend Health (acquired by WW – formerly WeightWatchers). He holds an MBA from Wharton and a BA from NYU. 

But as anyone who knows Costanoa can tell you, we look for more than just track record, more even than strategic alignment. Our goal is to be the best people, investing in the best people. That’s the kind of investor and person David is.

Like us, he believes that the best outcomes come from genuine relationships. As Brigit's Co-Founder and CEO, Zuben Mathews, said, (better than I could): "To our first investor … who is now a close friend. You have not only been there for the last 7 years, providing capital, support, and guidance, but you've been there through thick and thin. For anyone who needs capital, you can't get better than having David by your side."

That's what we hope all of our founders say about us. And it’s another reason we’re so excited to have David on our team.

David’s investing focus spans AI applications, fintech, and healthcare, and aligns squarely with where we see some of the most exciting company formation happening today. 

And then there's the human. David started his career as a line cook at New York City's first (and by our best count, only) Korean BBQ taco truck. He's an avid home cook to this day, a die-hard Golden State Warriors fan, and someone who will happily go deep on the history of nutritional epidemiology if you give him an opening. I'm already looking forward to the team dinners.

David doesn't just fit our culture – he adds to it. We're excited to have a partner who shares our values and will help us continue to build, get better, and do more. It's an exciting time at Costanoa, and we're so glad to have David with us as we go forward in this new chapter.

If you're building a company in any of these sectors and want a true partner in your corner -– the kind who shows up, digs in, and sticks around – reach out to David, or any of us at Costanoa. His email: dc@costanoa.vc.