Viceventures

Vice Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in companies operating in industries widely regarded as stigmatized or "bad," with the stated aim of overcoming those stigmas while pursuing superior returns. Its investment scope covers non-traditional verticals including alcohol, cannabis, energy, nicotine, psychedelics (including MDMA and ketamine), sex tech, wellness, skill-based betting and sports betting, as well as categories the firm describes as yet-to-be-known vices.

The fund was started in 2018 by founder and General Partner Catharine Dockery, initially using several special purpose vehicles, with the first close of Fund I following in 2019. The firm invites inbound pitches through a contact address on its website.

Founding story

Catharine Dockery founded Vice Ventures in 2018, beginning with several SPVs before the first close of Fund I in 2019. She entered venture capital after working in retail M&A on Walmart's digitally native vertical brands team, with prior experience in equity trading and high-yield credit research, and graduated from NYU's Gallatin School of Independent Study with a concentration combining neuroscience and finance. The firm's website attributes its formation to her interest in high-quality brands and in pockets of market opportunity overlooked by other investors.

Business model

Vice Ventures operates as a venture capital fund, deploying capital into early-stage companies. It began investing through special purpose vehicles before raising a dedicated fund (Fund I).