Particle.news

CAA and NEA Spin Out Connect Ventures as Standalone VC Firm Led by Nicole Quinn and Michael Blank

The firm marries CAA’s cultural reach to NEA’s venture discipline to pursue early-stage consumer investments.

Overview

  • The standalone firm will lead or co-lead Seed and Series A rounds with planned checks of $5–$15 million per deal.
  • It will focus on tech-enabled consumer businesses across media and entertainment, sports, gaming, health and wellness, e-commerce and marketplaces.
  • CAA’s Adam Friedman is appointed venture partner and will serve as the agency’s day-to-day liaison to Connect.
  • NEA remains a partner as CAA uses the platform to diversify its business and engage where technology intersects with commerce and culture.
  • Previous bets include TMRW Sports, OpenSea, Slash, Jomboy Media and Music.AI, while the overall fund size remains undisclosed.