Jeff Clavier
About Jeff Clavier
Jeff Clavier was born and educated in France and holds a master's degree in computer science. While still a student he helped build Effix Systems, a financial services startup, and later served as its CTO. Reuters acquired Effix in 1993. He then spent several years at Reuters in product and development roles.
In 2000 he moved to Silicon Valley as a general partner at RVC, Reuters' $450M corporate venture fund. He left in 2004 to invest as an angel and started SoftTech VC, renamed Uncork Capital in 2017. He is listed as Founding Partner of Uncork. He served a four-year term on the board of the National Venture Capital Association starting in 2015, and has blogged about venture since 2004.
Clavier began by writing personal angel checks in 2004. His first investment was Truvio, a video search startup funded in January 2005 and sold to AOL that December. He raised Fund II, a $15M seed fund, in 2007. Fund III followed at $55M and Fund IV at $85M. In May 2025 he announced two new funds: the $225M seed fund Uncork VIII and the $75M opportunity fund Uncork Plus IV. His X profile says he has invested in 290+ companies.
Clavier does not publish a list of AI deals with dates. Uncork's frontier tech focus has included AI for years. In a 2025 podcast he said the firm invests in AI-first vertical services and AI tooling, and that it had a stealth investment in an LLM company. Founders should check Uncork's portfolio page for current AI companies.
Uncork is a seed-stage firm and also runs an opportunity fund for follow-ons. Clavier has described the firm's focus as SaaS and B2B software, connected devices, marketplaces and frontier tech such as AI, AR/VR, robotics and space. He has said he looks for founder-market fit, a differentiated product and a large market, and he uses the "three asses rule": a smart team, a kick-ass product and a big market. He has said most deals are in Silicon Valley, where he can support companies directly.
Published check sizes vary by source and year. In 2015 he said the firm's average check was $750,000. An earlier bio cited about 12 seed commitments of $1.2M a year. Third-party directories list ranges from $750K to $4M. Confirm current numbers with Uncork directly.
- Truvio: video search engine, funded January 2005 and sold to AOL the same year
- Fitbit: wearables company that went public in 2015
- Eventbrite: ticketing platform that listed on the NYSE in 2018, about ten years after Clavier invested
- DroneDeploy: drone mapping software, seed round closed July 2013
- Postmates: delivery marketplace, later acquired by Uber
- SendGrid: email delivery company, later acquired by Twilio
- Mint: personal finance app, acquired by Intuit
- Front: shared inbox software, Series A in May 2016
- Shippo, ClassDojo, Loft Orbital and Carrot Fertility: listed as current investments
Investing activity
Jeff Clavier is listed on Lounge as an angel investor. The deals desk records Series A and later AI rounds and seeds over $10M, so smaller checks may not show here yet.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Jeff Clavier
Does Jeff Clavier invest in AI startups?
Yes, through Uncork Capital. He has said the firm backs AI-first vertical services and AI tooling, and Uncork lists AI under frontier tech.
What stage does Jeff Clavier invest in?
He mainly invests at seed. Uncork also has an opportunity fund for follow-on rounds in portfolio companies.
What is Jeff Clavier's check size?
It is not fixed. He cited a $750,000 average in 2015, and other sources list ranges from about $750K to $4M. Ask Uncork for current figures.
What does Jeff Clavier look for in a founder?
He has named the three asses rule: a smart team, a kick-ass product and a big market. He has also cited founder-market fit and a large economic opportunity.
How do I get a pitch to Jeff Clavier?
He has advised founders to find a relevant referral in the ecosystem rather than pitch cold. You can also reach him on X at @jeff or through Uncork's website.
Is Jeff Clavier the same as Uncork Capital?
He founded Uncork Capital, formerly SoftTech VC, and is its Founding Partner. Uncork has other partners, including Andy McLoughlin, who is a managing partner.
Is Jeff Clavier an angel investor?
Yes. Jeff Clavier invests personally as an angel.
How can founders reach Jeff Clavier?
Founders on Lounge can see Jeff Clavier's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Jeff Clavier to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.