PhilosophyAboutTeamPortfolioContact

    • First Star partners with entrepreneurs solving real-world problems using data and machine learning, focusing on applications of frontier technologies such as AI, computational biotech, connected sensors, AR/VR, and blockchain. We believe in investing with conviction in visionary, technical founders inventing the future. Drawing on our experience and network of strategic partners across industries and regions, we help startups think big and grow fast.

    • Team

      Drew Volpe headshot

      Drew Volpe

      Founding Partner

      Drew Volpe is an accomplished investor, entrepreneur, and technologist with a deep experience in search, machine learning, sensors, mobile, and blockchain technologies.

       

      He was the founding VP of Product Development for conversational AI startup Semantic Machines. He was previously co-founder/CTO of Locately and lead the development of Locately's location-based mobile market research platform from inception through the company’s successful acquisition by SMG. Prior to Locately, Drew was Director of Product Development at Endeca Technologies, a pioneer in search and unstructured database systems, acquired by Oracle for $1.1 billion. Drew holds an AB in Computer Science from Harvard University.
       

      @drewvolpe
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewvolpe/

       

      Millie Liu headshot

      Millie Liu

      Founding Partner

      Millie Liu has focused her career on helping entrepreneurs with deep technology turn their ideas into great businesses with global reach.
       

      She was previously at APT, an enterprise data analytics startup acquired by Mastercard for $600m where she helped Fortune 50 clients such as Walmart and P&G make better strategic decisions leveraging data. She was also the co-founder of an MIT startup working on unsupervised event detection, which later pivoted and became Infervision, an AI precision healthcare platform backed by Sequoia China. Millie is on the advisory board of MIT CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab). She holds a Master of Finance degree from MIT and B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Toronto.

      @MITMillieLiu
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/millieliu1/

    • “First Star are high-conviction investors that bring a deep understanding of building innovative companies. Millie's been a fantastic partner to work with. Her practical help with customer and partner connections as well as her strategic advice have been invaluable. Millie embodies what founders look for in a venture investor.”

      Bindiya Vakil, CEO
      Resilinc

      “Drew understood our vision right off the bat and was the perfect partner. He always manages to find the right balance of patience and urgency, action and vision, encouragement, and straight-talk. We've been incredibly lucky to be backed by First Star. I can't imagine a better partner for early-stage companies with deep technology.”

      Doug Selinger, CEO

      Plex Research

      “First Star was one of the first investors I approached after founding a new company. Where other investors might seek to follow, First Star is willing to take a long term view on technology and lead with conviction. As an investor with technical, founding, and operating experience, Drew offers valuable advice, empathy, and understanding, all of which are critical for early stage tech startups.”

      Andrew Rollins, CEO

      Everbloom

      “ Millie and Drew speak the language we speak and provided practical advice to guide us through toughest bottlenecks.”

       

      Sang Wen, CEO

      Smarking

    • Current Portfolio

    • Past Portfolio