Kevin Hartz

Professional based in San Francisco, California

Kevin Hartz is a prominent American businessman and investor in the technology sector, currently serving as the Co-Founder and General Partner at A* Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. He has a notable background in founding and leading successful companies, particularly in the fields of online payments and event management.

Education and Early Career

Hartz was born in Berkeley, California, and raised in Orinda, California. He completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in history, followed by a Master of Arts in British history from University College, Oxford.1 3

He began his career at Silicon Graphics as a product manager for a virtual reality browser. He co-founded ConnectGroup, which provided high-speed internet access to hotels, before it was acquired shortly after its inception.1 3

Major Ventures

Hartz is best known for co-founding Xoom in 2001, a money remittance service that he led as CEO until 2005. Under his leadership, Xoom went public in 2013 and was acquired by PayPal in 2015 for approximately $1.1 billion.1 2 4

In 2005, he co-founded Eventbrite, a global self-service ticketing platform, where he served as CEO until 2016 and continues to act as Chairman.2 3 4 Eventbrite has grown significantly and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Current Role and Investment Focus

At A* Capital, which he co-founded in 2020, Hartz focuses on investing in early-stage companies across various sectors, including fintech, AI, and consumer internet. His investment strategy often targets seed and Series A rounds, with a typical investment range from $100K to $10 million, and a sweet spot around $3 million.2 5 6

Hartz has also been an active angel investor, backing notable companies such as PayPal, Airbnb, and Uber at their early stages, showcasing his keen eye for promising startups.4 5