Never bet against humanity.

Ambition is an unstoppable force. One we're betting on with startups that power people's most ambitious work—and unlock humanity's fullest potential.

We fund technologies that power human ambition.

We invest $200k-$2M in seed-stage startups transforming the way people prepare for, connect with, and deliver their work. By connecting untapped human potential to the evolving demands of the modern workplace our portfolio propels people and profit.

Workplace Productivity Solutions

optimizing collaboration, efficiency, and transparency

Skills Development Technologies

aligning individual ambition with organizational growth

Employment Creation & Discovery Platforms

enabling determined talent to explore and manage more fulfilling ways of working

Uncommon founders driving uncommon returns.

We invest in trailblazers who pave the way for more collaborative and creative work. Innovators who have proven they can overcome obstacles and defy conventions. Technologists who prioritize people because of their innate belief in humanity’s ability to build a better future of work.

Rising Team

Jennifer Dulski

Helping leaders drive high-performing teams with industry-leading team building marketplace

Rising Team

Jennifer Dulski

Helping leaders drive high-performing teams with industry-leading team building marketplace

UNCOMMON JOURNEY
  • After coxing men’s rowing in high school, she challenged the leadership status quo to change the rule to allow women coxswains on the Cornell men’s crew team
  • Started out by founding a nonprofit for under-resourced students, then moved into tech to drive impact on a massive scale
  • Pivoted her first startup three separate times before driving it to success and becoming the first woman entrepreneur to sell a company to Google
UNCOMMON THINKING
“Impact is exponential when you amplify the potential of those around you, both your team and your customers. As an entrepreneur, my belief is that the winning formula is creating something extremely high-potential and then empowering others to help take it to the next level. A company’s long-term success is about bringing together the right people (including those who challenge you) and equipping them with the right vision, values, and resources for success. To see that growth process unfold is incredibly rewarding.”
UNCOMMON AMBITION

To help make every team on earth more connected, engaged, and successful at a time when employee morale is at an all-time low from layoffs, return-to-work mandates, and the threat of AI displacement.

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UBITS

Julián Melo

Leveling the playing field with LATAM’s breakthrough corporate learning platform

UBITS

Julián Melo

Leveling the playing field with LATAM’s breakthrough corporate learning platform

UNCOMMON JOURNEY
  • Worked as a business consultant and industrial engineering lecturer 
  • Built a playbook on launching their product in an entirely new market from the ground up, allowing them to 5x their customers in a period of 6-8 months by thinking global & acting local
  • Had to go from being one of the biggest startup CEOs in LATAM to knowing almost no one in the U.S.
UNCOMMON THINKING
“A company values not what the people know inside the company, but the speed at which they can keep learning and developing new skills. There’s a supply and demand economy of skills at play within each organization, as well as skills that specific teams and employees need to accomplish their own goals and strategies. So it’s not just about the content on upskilling platforms, but how to track employee skills and figuring out what to recommend next in order to further develop them.” 
UNCOMMON AMBITION

To personalize the experience of work with lifelong AI assistants and tech-enhanced learning paths.

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Pair AI

Parth Detroja

Leveraging AI coaching with a mobile-first learning platform

Pair AI

Parth Detroja

Leveraging AI coaching with a mobile-first learning platform

UNCOMMON JOURNEY
  • Got into entrepreneurship as a teen—sourcing phone accessories from China and reselling them in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee so he could support himself and his parents who made $20k/year working at fast food restaurants
  • Made nearly $90k using Amazon’s $10 referral program for Prime Student; was subsequently flown out to Amazon's Seattle HQ at age 19 and hired to help lead their collegiate brand efforts
  • Didn’t think he’d go to college, but went on to graduate summa cum laude from Cornell and work at Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook
UNCOMMON THINKING
“Nothing on my resume I did because I thought it would be impressive. I was just scrappy. I had bills to pay, wondering how to ends meet. But I think that's the mentality that helps you make really cool products. If you make something that you know you need, there's definitely other people out there who need the same thing, and it's just a matter of getting it in front of them.”
UNCOMMON AMBITION

To build the intersection where humans and AI come together, with tools that 10x the output of everyone–from factory workers to biomedical engineers.

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Dragonboat

Becky Flint

Enabling collaboration on product development teams

Dragonboat

Becky Flint

Enabling collaboration on product development teams

Uncommon Journey
  • Came to the U.S. at the age of 26, barely speaking English, and transitioned from the medical field to business & finance at the peak of Web 1.0; volunteered at a tech startup during her MBA, and was so inspired by how much technology could transform our world that she pivoted to tech
  • Built and scaled product portfolio management from the ground up for four companies (PayPal, Shutterfly, Bigcommerce, and Feedzai) as they scaled to global enterprises, IPOs, and unicorns
  • Founded the Product Ops Community and Responsive Product Portfolio Management training for thousands of members passionate about outcome-focused product management
Uncommon Thinking
“I believe rising tides lift all boats. We are both a platform and the partner to our customers for their success.”
Uncommon Ambition

To create a holistic product portfolio management platform that meets the demands for integrated data and relevant workflows across an entire organization. Every company is now a software company. Making software products and creating value from them requires collaborative decisions across all levels and roles in a company— from product and engineering to marketing, sales, success, finance, legal, and operations.

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REIMAGINING THE FUTURE OF WORK

Transcending convention with vision and passion.

We combine deep sector expertise with our founders’ tenacity to unlock value in the trillion dollar global talent market.

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We’re fueled by a singular focus.

We’re obsessed with tech that unleashes human ambition. Our narrow focus on human enablement software gets founders sector-smart guidance and investors extraordinary returns.

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We bet on the extraordinary.

Uncommon outcomes take uncommon founders. We seek out trailblazers who bring diverse backgrounds, ideas, and skills. Amplified by our foresight, their vision and tenacity transcend convention.

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We move at the speed of our founders.

We work with founders who traveled far to get here. We’re the stop that accelerates the journey. Our real-time plays and operational speed take them to market as quickly as they’re willing to go.

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We’re tech VCs who give a damn.

Your wins are our wins. We care about what you care about, and fight for your success like the future of work depends on it. Prioritizing respect and trust is our ambition—because enabling humans takes humanity.

"We decided to work with Roble because of their ability to bring a wealth of domain experts as advisors and investors. They are always my first call, and the most valuable."

Becky Flint

Founder & CEO

"Sergio was on our board for 6+ years. His operational background in marketplaces, and his strong focus on the future of work theme, have made him an excellent and very value-added partner throughout the years."

Eren Bali

Founder & Chairman

"There's more of a personal interest that Sergio takes. He builds a relationship, and he provides mentorship to the CEOs and the leadership teams. You don't get that with most venture investments."

Tom Bogan

CEO

"Roble understands the dynamics of growing companies from seed to IPO, which was a very valuable perspective for us—that's why we wanted them on the board of our company."

Julián Melo

Co-Founder & CEO

"Sergio is very focused on making good investments. He's incredibly thorough, and he has a track record from Norwest and beyond. He understands technology and B2B SaaS really deeply, and that's how we're able to lean on a fund like Roble Ventures."

Linnea Roberts

Founder & CEO

"Sergio is an early thought leader and domain expert in the future of learning. He understood faster than any other investor the great opportunity that Kahoot! represented."

Erik Harrell

Former CEO

"Sergio was on our board for over 6 years. He was a very supportive and helpful partner throughout that journey, which culminated in a successful sale to Workday."

Rob Hull

Founder & Chairman

Our latest insights.

Ideas

Friends of Roble: July 2024

How to "go viral" – and whether you really should
Ideas

Friends of Roble: June 2024

See what caught our attention in June, as well as hear our Principal's 1-year reflections
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Friends of Roble: May 2024

See our top insights and watch the full fireside chat on building an effective BoD
Ideas

Friends of Roble: April 2024

Meet our new look and learn more about how we're betting on human ambition
Updates

Because Enabling Humans Takes Humanity: Meet Roble’s New Look

Learn more about our recent brand refresh—and how we're doubling down on human enablement, internally and externally.
Ideas

Friends of Roble: March 2024

Read our monthly deep dive into some of the most significant risk segments in the future of work space
Ideas

Friends of Roble: February 2024

Read the February 2024 issue of our monthly Friends of Roble newsletter.
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Friends of Roble: December 2023

At the close of the year, we reflect on 2023 and give you a sense of what to expect in early-stage investing in 2024
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Friends of Roble: November 2023

Learn more about our proprietary market roadmaps. Plus, what still keeps us up at night
Ideas

Key Ingredients AI Startups Need to Win

The David vs. Goliath Dilemma

Let’s build a better future of work.