Dennis Phelps

I was born in the Midwest but raised in California, where I was fortunate to be exposed to venture investing while I was still in my formative years. After spending a few very cold winters in New Hampshire and graduating from Dartmouth College with a liberal arts degree, I couldn’t wait to head back to the West Coast to start my first real job at a technology-focused investment bank in San Francisco, helping to take the early “Internet 1.0” generation of client-server software and consumer internet companies public. This exposure to mission-driven entrepreneurs had a huge and immediate impact on my career. I loved working with visionary tech leaders—people creating products with the potential to actually change the world. From day one, I was hooked.

Years later, I’m still hooked. I’ve had the great fortune to work with numerous industry-defining companies and entrepreneurs. At IVP, I’ve led 18 investments and been involved in more than a dozen others. Over the last 10 to 15 years, I’ve shifted my primary investment focus from enterprise software to companies that focus on improving the quality of people’s daily lives. I’m eager to continue my work with founders who possess the rare combination of confidence, humility and passion.