Alex Bussenger, Founder & Managing Partner
February 2025
Dear Partners & Friends-
I was recently reminded that less than a year ago, I was in the hospital, unable to walk. Fast-forward to September and I was designing One Eight Capital's logo at home on my laptop.
Now, just a few months later, it's appearing on CNBC alongside some of the most renowned names in venture capital.
While we still have a lot of work ahead, that's pretty cool - and just the beginning!
For context:
-
Peter Thiel co-founded PayPal and was Facebook's first outside investor, turning a $500,000 investment into over $1B. He also founded Founders Fund, one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture capital firms, backing companies like SpaceX, Airbnb, OpenAI, and Stripe.
-
Alexis Ohanian founded Reddit (NYSE: RDDT, $35B market cap) and runs Seven Seven Six, an extremely successful venture capital firm.
To be listed next to them on CNBC, for our co-investment in Nucleus, is an honor. But more importantly, it's fuel. We are incredibly grateful for all of our partners who contributed.
Sitting Down With Damar Hamlin, Our New Board Member
Damar Hamlin's story is one of the most inspiring comebacks in sports. On January 2, 2023, during Monday Night Football, he collapsed from cardiac arrest on the field after a tackle. CPR lasted nearly 10 minutes before he was revived and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
His survival was a miracle. But what he did next was even more extraordinary - returning to the NFL, raising millions for heart health awareness, and using his second chance to inspire others.
Spending time with Damar in NYC this week was powerful. We both survived the impossible and emerged with a renewed sense of purpose. When I shared insights about venture capital, Damar said he feels like a unicorn - a comparison that hit home.
It's estimated that less than 0.00006% of startups become unicorns. The odds of surviving and fully recovering from a near-death experience? It's just as rare. Yet, here we are - both reinventing ourselves, determined to turn this second chapter into something extraordinary. It was inspiring to sit with Damar, and we're so grateful to have him on the team. His influence and alignment with health and wellness will be an incredible value-add to our portfolio companies.
We hope to connect again soon!
Best,
Alex