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James Orsillo

Investor

Partner at Underscore VC · Board director at TetraScience · Board director at CloudZero

Boston, Massachusetts

Writes $1M – $5M checks · typically $2.5M

Find your path to James

195 people in our graph share verified history with James — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Joe MedvedunlockedJames: together at Boston College (1995–1997)
×2James: together at Boston College
James: together at Salsify
×2James: together at Underscore VC

About

James Orsillo is a General Partner at Underscore VC and serves as CFO of Underscore-backed TetraScience. He has spent his career in finance and operating roles, having previously been CFO at Maxwell Health and Evariant, where he led venture financings and scaled finance and operations teams that ended in exits for both companies. Earlier in his career he held finance and operating roles at American Tower, Kaz (now Helen of Troy), Decision Resources Group, Digitas, and State Street, and over his career has been involved in more than $2.5B in equity and debt transactions. At Underscore, he advises or sits on the boards of more than a dozen portfolio companies and is among the leaders who assumed management of the firm's General Partnership.

Contact· published on James's own website

Beyond investing

Education
Earned a Master of Science in Finance from Brandeis University. Earned a Bachelor of Science from Boston College.
Awards
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.
More
Has worked since age 12 in a wide range of jobs including paper boy, landscaper, pizza dough maker, library operator, perfume salesperson, courthouse sheriff, and legal office admin assistant. Is known internally at Underscore as 'The Wolf' (or 'Wolfman'), a nod to the fixer from Pulp Fiction. Has advised or served as a board Director for well over a dozen Underscore portfolio companies.

From James's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Board director at TetraScienceYC S15

Intro paths

YC

TetraScience went through Y Combinator (Summer 2015) — James sits on its board, so any YC alum in your network can reach them through the company's founders.

→

In turn, James can intro founders to TetraScience's investors below.

TetraScience's investors · 9

Alkeon CapitalNew York · since 2021Alkeon InnovationNew YorkDorm RoomBrooklyn · $90K – $250K checksFloodgateMenlo Park · $500K – $5M checksFounder CollectiveCambridgeInsight PartnersNew York · $120M – $350M checks · since 2021Karlin VenturesLos Angeles · $250K – $2M checksUnderscore VCBoston · since 2021Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2015

Co-founders at TetraScience

SWSiping Wang
Siping WangFounder/CTO
SSSalvatore Savo
Salvatore SavoDirector, Executive Officer

Board director at CloudZero

Intro paths

→

In turn, James can intro founders to CloudZero's investors below.

CloudZero's investors · 5

G20 VenturesCambridge · $2M – $5M checksInnovius CapitalSan FranciscoMatrixSan Francisco · $100K – $10M checks · since 2025Threshold VenturesPalo Alto · $500K – $20M checksUnderscore VCBoston · since 2020

Co-founders at CloudZero

EPErik Peterson
Erik PetersonExecutive Officer, Director
MMMatt Manger
Matt MangerFounder

Experience

  1. TetraScienceChief Financial Officercurrent2026 — presentBoston, MA
  2. TetraScienceBoard Director2021 — 2026Boston, MA
  3. Underscore VCVenture Partnercurrent2026 — presentBoston, MA
  4. Underscore VCGeneral Partner, CFO/O2021 — 2026Boston, MA
  5. Underscore VCCFO/O2018 — 2021Boston, Massachusetts
  6. SalsifyBoard Directorcurrent2024 — presentBoston, Massachusetts, United States
  7. ApploiBoard Director2023 — 2026New York, United States
  8. CloudZeroBoard Director2023 — 2026Boston, MA
  9. SaaS Metrics Standards BoardAdvisory Council Membercurrent2023 — present
  10. OPEXEngineAdvisory Board Member2016 — 2020Greater Boston
  11. Maxwell HealthChief Financial Officer2016 — 2018Boston, Massachusetts
  12. Evariant, a Healthgrades companyChief Financial Officer2012 — 2016Farmington, CT
  13. American TowerSenior Manager, Corporate FP&A2010 — 2011Boston, MA
  14. Kaz USA, Inc. a Helen of Troy CompanyBusiness Partner, Finance2007 — 2010
  15. Decision Resources Group, part of ClarivateManager, FP&A2002 — 2007
  16. DigitasSenior Financial Analyst2000 — 2001
  17. DeltaTrendsFinance and Operations Manager1999 — 2000Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Skills & more

Strategy66Strategic Planning32Management44Leadership56Analysis22Forecasting50Finance47Project Planning9Financial Analysis21Financial Modeling15Financial Reporting17Budgets15
+12 moreBusiness ProcessAccountingRisk ManagementProject ManagementStrategic Financial PlanningCorporate FinanceBusiness StrategyCompetitive AnalysisSaaSSoftware as a Service (SaaS)AnalyticsNew Business Development
  • Chartered Financial Analyst — 162977

From James's professional profile.

Investments

Board seats

CloudZero

Per SEC Form D filings.

Colleagues at Underscore VC

Allison MacLeod
Venture Partner at F-Prime Capital Partners
Andrew Palmer
Co-Founder of Tamr at Underscore VC
Brian Devaney
Early-stage investor at Underscore VC focused on vertical AI and B2B software transforming legacy business processes
Brian Fakhoury
Investment Analyst at Underscore VC
Chris Gardner
Partner at Underscore VC
Claire Crowther
Vice President, Strategy & Operations at Underscore VC
Corey Thomas
Chairman & CEO of Rapid7 at Underscore VC
Devin Nash
Vice President, Brand & Experience at Underscore VC

Network2

Brian Devaney
Early-stage investor at Underscore VC focused on vertical AI and B2B software transforming legacy business processes
Chris Gardner
Partner at Underscore VC

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

Frequently asked questions

Who is James Orsillo?
James Orsillo is a General Partner at Underscore VC and serves as CFO of Underscore-backed TetraScience. He has spent his career in finance and operating roles, having previously been CFO at Maxwell Health and Evariant, where he led venture financings and scaled finance and operations teams that ended in exits for both companies. Earlier in his career he held finance and operating roles at American Tower, Kaz (now Helen of Troy), Decision Resources Group, Digitas, and State Street, and over his career has been involved in more than $2.5B in equity and debt transactions. At Underscore, he advises or sits on the boards of more than a dozen portfolio companies and is among the leaders who assumed management of the firm's General Partnership.
Where does James Orsillo work?
James Orsillo is Partner at Underscore VC and Board director at TetraScience and Board director at CloudZero.
What check size does James Orsillo write?
James Orsillo typically writes checks of $1M – $5M.
What boards does James Orsillo sit on?
James Orsillo holds tracked board seats at CloudZero.
Where did James Orsillo go to school?
James Orsillo studied at CFA Institute (Charterholder); Brandeis School of Business and Economics (MSF, Finance - Concentration); Boston College (BS, Business Administration).
What awards has James Orsillo received?
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.

Same school

Shared employers