Eric Hippeau brings an unusual combination of media operating experience as former CEO of The Huffington Post and venture capital expertise from SoftBank Capital, making him particularly valuable for founders building digital content and distribution businesses. Unlike most VCs who only invest, he co-founded major media brands like NowThis Media and serves as chairman of RebelMouse, giving him hands-on experience building the infrastructure of digital publishing.

• Value placed on deep operational experience in media as a distinct advantage for investing. He explicitly links his background in the media industry to his ability to be a better partner for founders, while also offering critical feedback on user experience changes in major news products like the Wall Street Journal app when they feel like a step backward for the consumer.
• Focus on sustainability and modernizing food systems through technology. He advocates for the agricultural revolution, highlighting the need for government investment in vertical farming to secure future food supplies, and supports companies reducing waste, such as marketplaces that help keep furniture out of landfills.
• Interest in democratizing healthcare and advancing life sciences. The tweets highlight a diverse range of bio-investments, from affordable telehealth platforms and consumer-accessible genome sequencing to initiatives where parents become drug developers to cure rare diseases.
• Enthusiasm for automation, robotics, and future-forward hardware. He identifies specific industries ripe for disruption by machinery, such as commercial kitchens, and frequently shares updates regarding high-tech drone racing leagues that blend sports with advanced engineering.
• Attention to macroeconomic trends and their impact on the startup ecosystem. He offers commentary on the dangers of free money environments leading to inflation or recession and analyzes structural issues in the economy, such as the decline in the number of public companies and the fallout from banking failures like SVB.
• Active celebration of diversity and repeated success within the portfolio. He consistently amplifies fundraising milestones for companies led by underrepresented founders, including highlighting significant achievements by Black women entrepreneurs, and expresses pride in backing founders who return to work with the firm on second or third ventures.
• Engagement with consumer brands that blend luxury, lifestyle, and utility. He points out innovations in loyalty programs that revamp how travelers use points and supports ventures involving high-profile lifestyle figures like Martha Stewart in the bioscience space.