Operator Partners
About Operator Partners
Operator Partners is a retained executive search firm that connects startup leaders with top talent in high-growth technology sectors. Founded by and for founders, the company specializes in helping early-stage technology companies find executive-level talent in areas such as infrastructure, developer tooling, corporate IT, cybersecurity, employee productivity, and digital health.
The firm is led by experienced operators, including Gil Shklarski, Amit Avner, and Nat Turner, who bring valuable insights to the executive search process. Operator Partners emphasizes a founder-aligned approach, le
Operator Partners was founded in 2020 in New York by a group of entrepreneurs. Third-party profiles list the founding general partners as Amit Avner, Gil Shklarski, Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg. The same profiles list Olivia Benjamin as a partner. Descriptions of the firm say it invests only its own money and has no outside limited partners. The firm does not publish which partner leads AI deals, so this page does not name an AI lead. On Signal (NFX), Amit Avner is ranked in AI at pre-seed, seed and Series A.
Operator Partners does not describe a separate AI strategy. AI shows up as one part of a broad early-stage technology portfolio. The firm is described as a co-investor that does not lead rounds or take board seats, and that offers operator support to founders when they ask for it. Two recent AI deals show how it participates. In June 2026 it took part in Sandstone's $30M Series A, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Sandstone builds AI workflow software for in-house legal teams. In September 2026 it took part in Noetive's $41M seed round, led by Eclipse. Noetive describes itself as an AI company for operations in the physical economy, such as manufacturing, logistics and energy. Dealroom also lists the firm's overall portfolio as 108 companies, 67 of them at seed and 34 at Series A. That count covers all sectors.
The firm invests at pre-seed, seed and Series A. Some directories extend this to Series B. VC Sheet reports checks of $250K to $1M, with an average of $250K to $300K. Signal lists a $250K to $500K range for Amit Avner. These figures come from third-party directories, not from the firm. The firm has not published a fund size. VC Sheet describes it as a self-funded fund of about $40M to $70M, and Goldilocks AI lists $41.4M. Treat both as estimates. The firm says it avoids leading rounds, so founders should expect a lead investor to be needed alongside it, and it has said it can help find one.
- Sandstone: AI workflow platform for in-house legal departments. Operator Partners joined the $30M Series A in June 2026, led by Lightspeed. The company's earlier $10M seed was led by Sequoia in January 2026.
- Noetive: AI company for operations across the physical economy. Operator Partners joined the $41M seed in September 2026, led by Eclipse.
- Datagen Technologies: appears on Amit Avner's Signal record as a $19M Series A in February 2021. Signal does not say which vehicle made the investment.
- vcsheet.com/fund/operator-partners
- startupintros.com/orgs/operator-partners
- hub.waveup.com/funds/operator-partners
- dealroom.co/investors/operator-partners
- goldi.ai/intelligence/vc/operator-partners
- signal.nfx.com/investors/amit-avner
- app.dealroom.co/news/note/sandstone-raises-30m-series-a-to-bring-ai-to
- simplify.jobs/p/e73b9338-754d-4524-8071-bc1d7b50f8af/General-Roles
Investing activity
Operator Partners appears in 2 AI deals tracked by the Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $81M. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $41M. The most recent are Noetive (Seed, $41M, Sep 2026) and Sandstone (Seed, $39.6M, Jan 2026).
Operator Partners most often invests alongside Eclipse, The Westly Group, Zach Frankel and Incite Ventures, and the companies it backs on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Operator Partners
Does Operator Partners invest in AI startups?
Yes. Recent AI deals include Sandstone's June 2026 Series A and Noetive's September 2026 seed round. It does not describe a separate AI-only fund.
What check size does Operator Partners write?
VC Sheet reports checks of $250K to $1M, averaging $250K to $300K. The firm has not published its own check size.
Does Operator Partners lead rounds or take board seats?
Third-party descriptions say it does not lead rounds or take board seats. It co-invests alongside a lead and can help founders find one.
Who founded Operator Partners and when?
It was founded in 2020 in New York. Third-party profiles name Amit Avner, Gil Shklarski, Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg as founding general partners.
How big is the Operator Partners fund?
The firm has not disclosed a fund size. VC Sheet puts it at about $40M to $70M, and Goldilocks AI lists $41.4M. It invests the partners' own capital.
What AI companies has Operator Partners invested in?
Operator Partners's AI investments include Noetive and Sandstone. The 2 rounds on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
Where is Operator Partners based?
Operator Partners is based in New York, New York, United States.
What stage does Operator Partners invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Operator Partners has invested at Seed, with a median round of $41M.
Who does Operator Partners co-invest with?
Operator Partners's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Eclipse (1 deal), The Westly Group (1 deal), Zach Frankel (1 deal), Incite Ventures (1 deal) and Liquid 2 Ventures (1 deal).
How can founders reach Operator Partners?
Founders on Lounge can see Operator Partners's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add Operator Partners to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.