Bharat Vasan

Co-Founder & Chairman

2024 - Current

Returning to the games and media space with a generative AI startup building the world's simplest tools for 3D storytelling. Seed stage endeavor, backed by a16z speedrun and crosslink capital.

Venture Partner

2024

Focused on TPB’s consumer Board roles after 4 years in a GP & COO capacity. Exploring new themes in Consumer x AI, climate and deeptech.

Partner & COO

2020 - 2024

TPB is a $450M San Francisco-based venture capital firm led by Dave Friedberg (All-in Pod), investing across software, life sciences, human health and agriculture. We are backed with capital from strategics and institutional investors, including Alphabet, BlackRock, Bailie Gifford, Bill Gates, Emerson Collective, Allen & co, Morgan Stanley and others. I've worn 2 hats at TPB: acting as the fund’s COO and the Partner for Consumer investments, for foundry starts by Dave Friedberg. Wins as a Partner: - Supergut: Active board member, raising capital with the CEO in difficult markets, repositioning company branding and revenue models, and getting the business to profitability - TPB Acq Corp: Board member for a public vehicle, raising capital and ultimately taking Lavoro Agro public (Nasdaq: $LVRO) at a $1B+ valuation - Cana: Foundry lead & Board member for a modern-day, sci-fi Star Trek Replicator that created and dispensed any beverage, anytime. Secured Sir Patrick Stewart's endorsement (Captain Picard), built the product and team. Difficult capital markets for hardware startups in 2022-23 led to the business being acquired. - Non-board portfolio: Starco, Soylent, EVERY Company. - CEO leadership transitions for multiple TPB businesses. Wins as COO: - Supported TPB capital raises including its 2021 $300m raise - Led the TPB platform team which supported all of our foundry bets - finance, legal, HR - Supported our businesses through Pitch Assist - Built playbooks and models for foundry processes, talent screening, and capital planning - Created a more diverse workplace in our businesses and at TPB And a ringside seat to the meteoric ascent of the All-in Pod (#1 tech podcast globally), with David Friedberg, David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya and Jason Calcanis.

Board Member

2024

Starco Board member and shareholder representative. On compensation, nomination & governance, and audit committees.

Board Member

2021

The mission of the San Francisco SPCA is to save and protect animals, provide care and treatment, advocate for their welfare and enhance the human-animal bond. SF SPCA's Vision 2030 aims to impact 5 million lives in ten years for companion animals, by which time we also expect all San Francisco pets to have access to humane veterinary care. Today, the San Francisco SPCA’s programs and services reach 250,000 people, which is nearly one-third of the population of the City. From veterinary services to adoptions and events, the SF SPCA touches almost every part of the San Francisco community.

Board Member

2020

Active Board member for Supergut, shepherding the business from pre-revenue to near-profitability. Involved in multiple aspects of the business, partnering with its CEO/founder, Marc Washington, including: fundraising, go-to-market, branding, company positioning, and path to profitability.

Investor/Advisor

2019

Yellow Lab Ventures is an investment and advisory vehicle for startups that I work with (primarily in consumer and technology), including: Shift, Nerdwallet, Tonal, Elo Health, Taika, GOQii, and many others.

Guest Lecturer

2023 - 2024

Board / Chief Executive Officer (interim)

2022 - 2023

Cana was a foundry incubation of The Production Board, and brought sci-fi Star Trek Replicators to life in the real world, with a mission of eliminating the CO2 and trash created by the $2.3T bottled beverage business. Cana's molecular printers created and dispensed an infinite variety of beverages, on-demand, from a countertop device. The company built and demoed a fully-functional, pre-manufacturing device to investors, partners, press and secured the support of AAA celebrities like Sir Patrick Stewart for its mission. The business was acquired in May 2023 after facing challenging capital markets for hardware businesses. I led the business as a Board member, stepping in as the wartime CEO to lead the team and get to an an M&A outcome, when the prior CEO stepped down.

Executive Chairman

2020 - 2023

Board Member

2021 - 2023

TPB Acquisition Corporation I was a blank check company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Its sponsor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Production Board (TPB), a holding company established to solve the most fundamental problems that affect our planet, by reimagining global systems of production across food, agriculture, biomanufacturing, human health and the broader life sciences. In March 2023, this SPAC completed its merger with Lavoro Agro, Brazil’s largest AG retailer, to become publicly listed on the Nasdaq ($LVRO)

Board Member

2019 - 2021

Advocating for IAVA's mission to connect, unite, and empower post-9/11 veterans. Audit Committee Chair.