Fund I Closed. Target Exceeded. Now We Deploy.
Hello friends,
Hallstone Ventures Fund I has reached final close, ahead of schedule and above target.
We completed the raise halfway through our planned fundraising window, a milestone we see as both execution proof and a signal of conviction around the thesis.
For a first-time fund in a challenging fundraising environment, that matters. But what matters even more is who came together around the thesis: more than 70 fund investors, including senior media and technology leaders from Pixar, Microsoft, Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon, and beyond, along with a family office, a GP from another successful venture fund, and Decile Capital, a fund-of-funds investor focused on emerging managers.
This started as a thesis: that AI would rebuild the infrastructure layer of media and entertainment.
Today, that thesis has become a community, a fund, and a platform for backing the founders building what comes next.
To everyone who helped get us here: thank you.
Main Highlights
Hallstone Fund I reached final close ahead of schedule and above target, roughly halfway through our planned fundraising window.
Decile Capital invested in Fund I, adding institutional validation from a platform that sees thousands of emerging VCs and backs only a very small number of funds each year.
More than 70 fund investors backed the thesis, including leaders across media, technology, funds, and family offices.
Andy Beach, former CTO of Media & Entertainment at Microsoft, has joined as Venture Partner.
Fund I is now in deployment mode. The next chapter is about turning access, thesis, and community into portfolio outcomes.
What the Close Validates
Raising a first fund is hard in any market. Doing it ahead of schedule, above target, and with a highly relevant investor base is a stronger signal.
For us, this close validates three things: the urgency of the AI + MediaTech thesis, the strength of the Hallstone network, and the appetite for specialist capital led by operators who understand the workflows being rebuilt.
One of the most meaningful parts of final close was welcoming Decile Capital as Hallstone’s first institutional investor. We’re especially grateful to Mike Suprovici, Co-Founder at Decile Group, for his support throughout our fund formation and fundraising journey, first through VC Lab, and now through Decile Capital’s investment in Hallstone Fund I.
“Through VC Lab and the broader Decile ecosystem, we see thousands of emerging VCs each year. Decile Capital reviews the strongest funds for potential investment and backs only a very small number of them. Hallstone stood out as one of the highest potential opportunities and we're excited to back one of the leading emerging platforms at the intersection of AI and MediaTech.”
Firm Updates
Our new website is live at hallstoneventures.com.
After intentionally keeping a minimal public presence during fundraising, we now have a site that reflects the full scope of Hallstone: our thesis, team, portfolio, and the community forming around the firm.
We’re proud to welcome Andy Beach as Venture Partner.
Formerly CTO of Media & Entertainment at Microsoft, Andy has spent years at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and infrastructure that defines our investment thesis.
We’re thrilled to have his judgment, perspective, and relationships working alongside ours as we move into deployment mode.
Deployment Mode
Final close is not the finish line.
It is the starting line.
We are now fully in deployment mode. The mandate is clear: back AI-native infrastructure companies transforming how media is created, distributed, monetized, measured, and experienced.
The timing is strong. Even before this public announcement, founders building serious companies at the intersection of AI and media infrastructure have been finding us. We are deep in diligence on several opportunities we believe could become category-defining, and we expect to announce our next investment or investments soon.
We are also building toward our first Hallstone Demo Day, an invite-only event in Los Angeles bringing together founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem partners for live demonstrations from companies building at the frontier of AI and MediaTech.
The capital is committed.
The portfolio is active.
The pipeline is full.
Now we deploy.
Thank You
To everyone who backed Hallstone Fund I, made introductions, shared advice, challenged the thesis, or helped us sharpen the strategy: thank you.
We are proud of the close. But we are even more excited about what comes next.
If you know a founder building at the intersection of AI and media or entertainment technology, we’d welcome the introduction. If you’d like to reconnect as we move into deployment mode, we’d be glad to talk.
Warm regards,
— The Hallstone Ventures Team
Seth Hallen, Founder | Managing Partner
Leon Silverman, Venture Partner
Claire Lee, Venture Partner
Dave Kochbeck, Venture Partner
Andy Beach, Venture Partner
Derek Mether, Analyst
Disclaimer: This communication is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.