Jana Messerschmidt
About Jana Messerschmidt
Jana Messerschmidt is a Founding Partner at #ANGELS, where she has focused on early-stage investments since 2015. With a background in engineering and extensive experience in business development at companies like Twitter, Netflix, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, she actively supports transformative ideas and visionary founders.
Current Role at #ANGELS
Jana Messerschmidt serves as a Founding Partner at #ANGELS, a position she has held since 2015. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she focuses on early-stage investments, ranging from Pre-seed to Series A. Under her leadership, #ANGELS has invested in a diverse portfolio of companies, including Carta, Vanta, Anchorage, and Pacaso. Messerschmidt emphasizes investing in transformative ideas and visionary founders, actively contributing to the growth of the startup ecosystem.
Previous Experience in Business Development
Messerschmidt has extensive experience in business development, having held key roles at several prominent companies. She was the Director of Business Development at Netflix from 2009 to 2010. Following this, she served as Vice President of Global Business Development & Platform at Twitter from 2010 to 2016. Additionally, she worked as Director of Strategic Accounts at SmartDrive Systems from 2008 to 2009 and as Senior Manager of Global Accounts at DivX, LLC from 2005 to 2008.
Investment Focus and Portfolio
Jana Messerschmidt has a strong focus on early-stage investing across various industries. Her investment portfolio includes companies such as Bird, Cameo, Clubhouse, Forward, mmhmm, Persona, and Vanta. She leverages her experience from previous roles at Twitter, Google, Netflix, and Slack to identify and support impactful technology companies and visionary founders.
Educational Background in Computer Engineering
Messerschmidt holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her educational background in engineering complements her business acumen, allowing her to operate effectively at the intersection of engineering, product, and business.
Role at Lightspeed Venture Partners
From 2018 to 2021, Jana Messerschmidt was a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, focusing on early-stage investments in the enterprise and consumer sectors. Her role involved identifying promising startups and guiding them through their growth phases, further enhancing her expertise in venture capital and investment strategies.