Teddy Himler

Founder and Managing Partner

2024 - Current

Optimist Ventures is an inflection stage VC firm, starting with AI in three complex, dynamic, economic-backbone sectors: insurance, healthcare, and industrial automation. Our mission is to promote a positive, symbiotic relationship between labor and technology.

Partner

2021 - 2024

Co-leading $285M Global VC Fund at Antler, investing across most major tech ecosystems

Vice President

2018 - 2021

Investments, M&A, Funds for SoftBank Group International

Principal

2016 - 2018

Corporate Venture Capital investments at Comcast NBCU

Vice President

2013 - 2016

SoftBank Capital US Growth Investments and SE Asia investments

Investment Banking Analyst | Technology, Media & Telecom

2011 - 2013

M&A and financing transactions across the internet, software, commtech and semis.

Investment Banking Summer Intern

2010 - 2010

Intern

2009 - 2009

Intern for U.S. Congressman Steve Israel

Marketing Intern

2008 - 2008

Blogger & Intern

2008 - 2008

Worked for Harvard Law Professor Larry Lessig to raise awareness around the idea that no matter your issue, campaign finance needs to be reformed to get it right