Derek Norton brings a rare 360° perspective to venture investing, having operated as founder, VC, investment banker, and fund manager across multiple cycles, including building Digital Boardwalk as one of the early internet service providers and Netscape's second commercial partner. He runs Watertower Ventures alongside an active investment banking practice that maintains deep relationships with major strategics like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, systematically connecting portfolio companies to these commercial partnerships while providing M&A-grade fundraising discipline to help founders focus on building rather than dealmaking.
About their Fund
Sectors
AI, SaaS, Fintech, Media, Consumer
Rounds
Pre-Seed - Seed
Avg Check Size
$250K - $1M
Notable Investments
Watertower Ventures provides "first institutional capital" with $100k–$1M checks to fill the gap right after friends-and-family funding, while acting as an outsourced corporate development engine that leverages deep relationships across Google, Apple, Facebook, Disney, Microsoft, and other major companies to drive commercial deals for portfolio companies. The fund is paired with a boutique investment bank and backed by strategic LPs including media operators and executives like TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, creating a syndicate that can directly influence distribution, real estate, and media outcomes while maintaining pro rata investment capacity through both fund capital and SPVs.
Other partners at the fund
Notable Fund
Investments
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Avg. Check
Links
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