Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
Learn which startups Tusk Venture Partners invests in, what size check sizes they write, and who their partners are (e.g. Bradley Tusk).
Tusk Venture Partners is a New York City-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies operating within highly regulated markets. The firm specializes in understanding and mitigating regulatory risks, offering its portfolio companies a platform designed to navigate complex governmental and legal landscapes. This unique approach provides founders with strategic support to address challenges specific to their industries.
Bradley Tusk co-founded Tusk Venture Partners, bringing his background as a political strategist and venture capitalist to the firm's core thesis. The insight underpinning the firm's establishment centers on the increasing need for technology startups to adeptly manage regulatory hurdles, which often pose significant barriers to growth and market entry. His expertise helps bridge the gap between innovation and the intricacies of public policy.
The firm primarily serves early-stage technology companies that are navigating industries subject to extensive regulation. Tusk Venture Partners aims to empower these founders by providing specialized guidance beyond traditional capital, enabling them to strategically execute against regulatory challenges. The overarching vision is to foster innovation within highly regulated sectors by equipping companies with the tools to successfully engage with governance.
Key people at Tusk Venture Partners.
Tusk Venture Partners is a New York City-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 that specializes in early-stage technology investments in highly regulated markets[1][3]. The firm's core mission centers on understanding and mitigating regulatory risk—a challenge that most traditional venture capital firms historically avoided. Co-founded by Bradley Tusk, a political strategist, and Josh Mohrer, an experienced venture investor, the firm invests across fintech, transportation, digital health, proptech, insurance, and future of work sectors[1][2]. What distinguishes Tusk from the broader venture ecosystem is its conviction-driven, concentrated portfolio approach and its unique positioning at the intersection of technology, politics, and regulation. The firm operates with a thesis that early-stage startups in regulated industries face distinct challenges that require specialized expertise—something Tusk has systematized into what they call the "Tusk Edge," a competitive advantage rooted in regulatory acumen[1].
The firm's impact on the startup ecosystem lies in legitimizing venture investment in previously underserved regulatory domains. By developing a playbook for navigating complex compliance landscapes, Tusk has enabled founders to pursue transformative business models in sectors where regulatory frameworks may not yet exist[1]. This has effectively opened capital flows to entrepreneurs tackling some of the most consequential problems in society—from financial services innovation to healthcare delivery—areas where regulatory expertise is not optional but foundational to success.
Tusk Venture Partners emerged from a deliberate convergence of complementary expertise. Bradley Tusk brought a career-long background in political strategy and regulatory affairs, while Josh Mohrer arrived with a track record of over 30 successful technology and healthcare investments across Europe and North America[2]. The two recognized a critical gap in the venture market: no established firm possessed both the political acumen and venture capital sophistication to guide early-stage companies through the regulatory minefield they would inevitably encounter as they scaled[1].
The founding insight was straightforward but powerful—regulatory risk is not a downstream problem to be solved by lawyers and compliance teams, but a core strategic consideration that should inform investment decisions from day one. Rather than shying away from regulated industries, as many venture firms did at the time, Tusk embraced them as a specialization. Over the past five years since inception, the firm has refined its thesis and built a repeatable playbook for identifying and supporting companies navigating these complex environments[1]. The firm has since closed multiple funds and maintains an active fund in market, demonstrating sustained institutional confidence in this differentiated approach[6].
Unlike generalist venture firms that treat regulatory challenges as peripheral concerns, Tusk has made regulatory risk assessment and mitigation central to its investment thesis and operational support model[1]. This expertise translates into tangible founder value—the firm offers portfolio companies a platform to execute against regulatory risks in ways that traditional venture capital firms cannot replicate[1].
Tusk operates with a highly selective investment approach rather than pursuing broad diversification[1]. This concentration strategy reflects deep conviction in specific opportunities and allows the firm to provide meaningful board-level support and strategic guidance to portfolio companies navigating regulatory complexities.
The firm's founding team composition—combining political strategy with venture capital experience—creates a unique institutional advantage[1]. This dual lens enables the firm to anticipate regulatory shifts, understand political dynamics that influence policy, and help founders build relationships with key stakeholders in government and regulatory bodies.
Tusk invests primarily in seed and Series A rounds across North America, with check sizes ranging from $500K to $10M[2][4]. While maintaining early-stage focus, the firm operates across multiple regulated sectors—fintech, healthcare, transportation, proptech, and insurance—allowing for thematic diversification without sacrificing regulatory expertise[1][2].
Tusk Venture Partners operates at the intersection of two powerful macro trends: the regulatory maturation of technology-driven industries and the increasing sophistication of venture capital specialization. As technology disrupts traditionally regulated sectors—from financial services to healthcare to transportation—the venture ecosystem has gradually recognized that regulatory expertise is not a liability but a competitive advantage. Tusk arrived at this realization earlier than most and has built institutional capabilities around it.
The firm's existence and success validate a broader market thesis: founders tackling the most consequential problems often operate in regulated domains precisely because those domains are protected from disruption by high barriers to entry. By providing both capital and regulatory guidance, Tusk has effectively unlocked venture investment in sectors that create meaningful economic and social impact. This positioning becomes increasingly relevant as policymakers and regulators worldwide grapple with how to govern emerging technologies—from fintech and digital health to autonomous vehicles and alternative energy.
The firm's influence extends beyond its direct portfolio. By demonstrating that regulated industries can generate venture-scale returns, Tusk has influenced how other venture firms evaluate opportunities in these sectors. The firm has also contributed to a broader professionalization of regulatory strategy within venture-backed companies, elevating the importance of government affairs and compliance functions from afterthoughts to strategic imperatives.
Tusk Venture Partners has positioned itself as the premier venture capital firm for founders building transformative companies in regulated markets. As the firm noted in recent commentary, a new administration in Washington represents a significant shift in the operating environment—one that will likely create both challenges and opportunities for regulatory-focused venture investing[1]. The firm's ability to navigate political transitions and translate regulatory uncertainty into investment theses will be a key test of its institutional durability.
Looking ahead, several trends will shape Tusk's trajectory. First, as regulatory frameworks around emerging technologies (AI, crypto, climate tech) continue to crystallize, the demand for regulatory expertise in venture capital will only intensify. Second, the firm's growth-stage ambitions—building "the next generation top-tier venture capital firm"—suggest expansion beyond its current concentrated model, which will require maintaining its differentiated edge while scaling operations[1]. Third, geopolitical and policy shifts will create new regulatory frontiers, particularly around digital sovereignty, data privacy, and financial inclusion—domains where Tusk's expertise will be highly valued.
The firm's ultimate influence will be measured not just by returns, but by how many transformative companies it enables to navigate regulatory complexity and scale successfully. In a venture landscape increasingly defined by specialization, Tusk has staked a compelling claim: regulatory expertise is not a niche advantage but a fundamental requirement for investing in the future.
Key people at Tusk Venture Partners.
