Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Venture Studio?

Venture Studios create startups by generating business concepts, forming founding teams, and providing operational resources and capital. Distinct from the venture capital approach, venture studios are closely involved in the day-to-day operations and strategic decisions of growing the new business. Some hugely successful companies were launched through studios, including Snowflake, Hims, Dollar Shave Club, and Aircall.

What are the advantages of a Venture Studio?

Our hands-on model provides founders with the resources they need to mitigate early-stage risk and accelerate market adoption. Founders work in lockstep with our experienced in-house entrepreneurs and operators and leverage our proprietary customer-driven discovery process to establish early product market fit. Our in-house capital allows founders to focus on building rather than fundraising and our network of strategic investors and partners gives them an unfair advantage to scale quickly in the market.

How is Gemini structured?

There are two complementary arms of our business: the studio and the fund. The studio provides access to our expert, cross-functional team (across product design, software development, finance, strategy, operations, and marketing) and initial seed capital. The fund (alongside strategic outside investors) provides additional growth funding to studio ventures that are seeing market traction.

How does the Studio generate ideas?

Venture ideas are sourced from prospective co-founders, strategic industry partners and LPs, and our internal team.

Where did the name “Gemini” come from?

Project Gemini was NASA’s second human spaceflight program which supported the Apollo mission to land astronauts on the Moon.  Gemini’s objective was to develop the space travel techniques required to travel from Earth into orbit which freed up the Apollo Mission to focus on the lunar landing.  Their combined efforts allowed the United States to catch up and overcome the Soviet Union’s lead in human spaceflight capability.  

Project Gemini’s spirit of collaboration and extreme ambition has many parallels to Gemini Ventures and serves as a reminder to us to set our sights high and to operate with urgency and purpose.

What do you look for in founders?

Ideal candidates come in many forms but are typically free-agent founders who have exited, failed, or otherwise graduated from leading their companies OR entrepreneurial executives who have played a major role in scaling leading companies.

Technical chops are not required and you don't need to have an idea to partner with us. But if you do, we’re happy to hear the pitch.

General Questions

Founder Questions

Investor Questions

Partner Questions