Fundraising Fox

Greg Sands

InvestorFounder

Founder & Managing Partner at Costanoa Ventures · Board director at Auterion · Board director at Highnote Platform, Inc. · Board director at Return Path

Palo Alto, California

Writes $2M – $5M checks · typically $3.5M

FoundedCostanoa VenturesAuterionDirectlyGuardian AnalyticsHighnote Platform, Inc.Kukui

About

Greg Sands is the Founder and Managing Partner of Costanoa Ventures. He was previously a Managing Director at Sutter Hill Ventures, where he invested in early-stage enterprise software startups, and earlier served as the first product manager at Netscape Communications (where he wrote the initial business plan and coined the company's name) and as a business development manager at Cisco. His focus areas include national security, AI and data infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureDefense TechEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Board director at Auterion

Intro paths

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In turn, Greg can intro founders to Auterion's investors below.

Auterion's investors · 7

Armada Investment AGsince 2025Bessemer Venture PartnersRedwood City · $5M – $100M checks · since 2025Costanoa VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $8M checks · since 2025In-Q-TelTysons · $100K – $2.5M checks · since 2025LakestarZurich · $540K checks · since 2025Mosaic VenturesLondon · $1M – $10M checks · since 2025Tectonic VenturesCambridge · since 2025

Co-founders at Auterion

LM
LORENZ MEIERExecutive Officer, Director
RR
ROBERT RAINHARTExecutive Officer

Board director at Highnote Platform, Inc.

Intro paths

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In turn, Greg can intro founders to Highnote Platform, Inc.'s investors below.

Highnote Platform, Inc.'s investors · 2

Costanoa VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $8M checks · since 2020Oak HC/FTStamford · since 2026

Co-founders at Highnote Platform, Inc.

JM
John MacIlwaineExecutive Officer, Director
KK
Kin KeeExecutive Officer
NM
Nicola MorrisExecutive Officer

Board director at Return Path

Intro paths

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In turn, Greg can intro founders to Return Path's investors below.

Return Path's investors · 7

Costanoa Venture CapitalPalo AltoCostanoa VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $8M checks · since 2016FoundryBoulder · $250K – $15M checksGen CapitalChicago · since 2016Sapphire VenturesMenlo Park · $5M – $20M checks · since 2016Union Square Ventures (USV)New York City · $1M – $8M checks · since 2016Vista Equity PartnersNew York

Co-founders at Return Path

MY
Matthew Y. BlumbergExecutive Officer, Director
GB
George BilbreyCo-Founder & President
SW
SCOTT WEISSBoard Director (Andreessen Horowitz)
AA
Anita AbseyChief Revenue Officer
JT
JOHN T. SINCLAIRChief Financial Officer
LT
Lisa T. MogensenExecutive Officer

Experience

  1. ForceMetricsBoard Membercurrent2024 — present
  2. Beacon AIBoard Membercurrent2024 — present
  3. CapeInvestor & board observercurrent2022 — present
  4. SGNLBoard Membercurrent2021 — present
  5. AuterionInvestor & Board Membercurrent2018 — present
  6. Costanoa VenturesFounder, Managing Directorcurrent2012 — presentPalo Alto, CA
  7. StackHawkBoard Membercurrent2020 — present
  8. Vannevar LabsBoard Membercurrent2019 — present
  9. Focal Systems, Inc.Board Membercurrent2017 — present
  10. PayNearMeInvestor & Board Observercurrent2016 — present
  11. AlationBoard Membercurrent2014 — present
  12. AquabyteBoard Member2018 — 2024
  13. National Venture Capital AssociationBoard Member2020 — 2024
  14. InflectionBoard Member2010 — 2021Redwood City, Ca
  15. QuinStreetBoard Member1999 — 2020
  16. BugcrowdBoard Member2019 — 2020
  17. DemandbaseBoard Member2011 — 2019San Francisco Bay Area
  18. Return PathBoard Member2001 — 2019
  19. Quizlet, Inc.Board Member2015 — 2018
  20. VictorOps, Inc.Board Member2013 — 2018

Education

  1. Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessMBA1992 — 1994
  2. Harvard UniversityA.B., Government1984 — 1989
  3. Blake School

Skills & more

Digital Media42Start-ups30Product Management14Entrepreneurship6Venture Capital17SaaS10

From Greg's professional profile.

Deals · 7

AuterionBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Oct 2025 · $107.8M raise

Highnote Platform, Inc.Board seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Oct 2020 · $11.5M raise

KukuiBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Feb 2018 · $324K raise

Return PathBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Dec 2016 · $261.8K raise

Guardian AnalyticsBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Sep 2016 · $5.6M raise

QuizletBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Dec 2015 · $12M raise

press ↗

DirectlyBoard seat

via Costanoa Ventures · filed Oct 2015 · $3M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Colleagues at Costanoa Ventures

Amy Cheetham
Partner at Costanoa Ventures
Andy Huang
Finance Manager at Costanoa Ventures
Arpie Kawmongkolsi
Executive Assistant at Costanoa Ventures
David Cheng
Partner at Costanoa Ventures
Jared Franklin
Vice President at Costanoa Ventures
Jim Wilson
Partner at Costanoa Ventures
John Cowgill
Partner at Costanoa Ventures
Katy Wiley
Director of Talent at Costanoa Ventures

Network1

Brad Feld
Co-founder of Foundry and Techstars

Investors connected to Greg in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Greg Sands work?
Greg Sands is Founder & Managing Partner at Costanoa Ventures and Founder at Auterion and Founder at Highnote Platform, Inc. and Founder at Return Path.
What does Greg Sands invest in?
Greg Sands invests in AI & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Data & Infrastructure, Defense Tech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, SaaS.
What check size does Greg Sands write?
Greg Sands typically writes checks of $2M – $5M.
What companies did Greg Sands found?
Greg Sands founded Costanoa Ventures, Auterion, Directly, Guardian Analytics, Highnote Platform, Inc., Kukui.

Founder mafias

Stanford University Graduate School of Business mafia252

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Steve JurvetsonMaster of Business Administration (MBA)Founded Mojo VisionIanMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Immunity Project +2Mikhail KokorichStanford Executive ProgramFounded Destinus +2Matt RouifStanford Ignite (Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship)Founded Photoroom +2Jesse BuckinghamMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Vooma +2Don MuirMaster of Business Administration - MBAFounded Arc +2

+ 245 more

Alation mafia4

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Dave KelloggBoard MemberFounded Marklogic +1Yuhong SunMachine Learning EngineerFounded OnyxAaron WangMachine Learning EngineerFounded Alex

Costanoa Ventures mafia4

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Greg RudinExec in ResidenceFounded Creative Destruction LabEvaline TsaiInvestment FellowFounded Cambridge Cancer GenomicsTaylor BernalDirector of Marketing & PlatformFounded Nerd Wallet

Demandbase mafia4

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

WhitneyDirector of SalesFounded ThoughtForgePreeti Bhargava, PhDData ScientistFounded ArintraAryan ShahSoftware EngineerFounded Metis

Quinstreet mafia4

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Markus NordvikEngineering ManagerFounded MyVRMike StachowiakSr. Software EngineerFounded MyVRAngela DaoData Analyst, InsuranceFounded Stellar

Same school

Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business1,291

Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at Homebrew

+ 1,285 more

Also attended Harvard University1,457

Alfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalChris DixonFounder & Managing Partner of a16z crypto at Andreessen HorowitzSarah TavelVenture Partner at BenchmarkDanny RimerPartner at Index VenturesLaela SturdyManaging Partner at CapitalGRyan IsonoDeal Partner at Felicis Ventures

+ 1,451 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Focal Systems, Inc.7

Andrew McLoughlinBrit in San Francisco; seed-stage venture capital investorMatthildur ÁrnadóttirAssociate at Electric Feel Ventures LlcEric PeterVenture Partner and AI Specialist at Blockchain BuildersKevin JohnsonAdvisor, Ecommerce & EdTech at Verissimo VenturesJack FuchsCo-Founder and Operating Partner at Blackhorn VenturesSri ChandrasekarManaging Partner at Point72 Ventures

+ 1 more

Also worked at PayNearMe6

Jon CallaghanFounder and Venture Capitalist in Palo Alto, CADavid HornikFounder of Lobby CapitalBill ClericoFounder & Managing Partner at Convective CapitalSajan PatelVice President at Atlantic Vantage PointElizabeth de Saint-AignanGeneral Partner at Atlantic Vantage PointCatalin VossFounder at Ello

Also worked at National Venture Capital Association68

Jeremy LiewPartner at Lightspeed Venture PartnersByron DeeterPartner at Bessemer Venture PartnersNick WashburnSenior Managing Director, Intel Capital (North America)Tiffany SpencerHead of Marketing at Menlo VenturesKate MitchellFounder at Scale Venture PartnersAdam D'AugelliInvestor at True Ventures

+ 62 more

Also worked at Return Path2

Matt HoffmanPartner at M13Kyle WilliamsTech Ops at Denver Ventures