Jesse Walden
InvestorGeneral Partner at Variant Fund
New York
Writes $250K – $750K checks · typically $500K
Find your path to Jesse
195 people in our graph share verified history with Jesse — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
About
Jesse Walden is the founder and general partner of Variant, an early-stage crypto-focused venture firm he launched in 2020 to back founders at the earliest possible stage. He grew up in New York and studied Art History and Economics at McGill University, where he was active in Montreal's DIY music scene before cofounding an artist management firm that worked with musicians including Solange Knowles and Blood Orange and helped launch Boiler Room in North America. After becoming interested in bitcoin in 2013, he cofounded Mediachain Labs, a startup aimed at putting media onchain, which Spotify acquired in early 2017. He later joined Andreessen Horowitz's crypto investment team in 2018 before starting Variant. His investment focus centers on crypto networks, onchain media, and decentralized social applications.
Contact· published on Jesse's own website
Invests in
Creator EconomyCrypto & Web3Developer ToolsFintechMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Founded Variant, an early-stage venture firm focused on technology that enables autonomy. Cofounded Mediachain Labs, a startup that was acquired by Spotify in early 2017. Cofounded an artist management firm in New York focused on helping artists reach fans directly through new technology platforms.
- Education
- Studied Art History and Economics at McGill University in Montreal.
- Communities
- Was active in Montreal's DIY music scene while in school, throwing parties, building websites, and promoting concerts.
- Hobbies
- Is drawn to music and curates favorite sounds on Spotify and Mixcloud.
- More
- Worked as an artist manager for musicians including Solange Knowles, Blood Orange, and Majical Cloudz.
From Jesse's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Experience
- VariantFounder, General Partnercurrent2020 — presentNew York, NY
- Andreessen HorowitzProgram Director, Crypto Startup School2019 — 2020SF & NY
- Andreessen HorowitzInvestment Partner, Crypto2018 — 2019SF & NY
- SpotifyProduct Lead, R&D2017New York, NY
- Mediachain LabsFounder2014 — 2017New York, United States
- Cool ManagersFounder, Artist Manager2012 — 2015New York, NY
- Gimme.ioFounder2011 — 2014
- Boiler RoomBroadcast Director2012 — 2013New York, NY
- Lookout ProductionsFounder2006 — 2012Greater Montreal Metropolitan Area
- Red Bull Music AcademyArtist Development2009 — 2011Montreal, Quebec
Deals · 2
PhantomLed round
via Variant Fund
UniswapLed round
via Variant Fund
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Other disclosed investments
Led
FlashbotsFoundationMirror
Per the firm's website.
Writing
All posts ↗Jesse Walden has recently written about the mindset behind long-term success (love of craft over grasping ambition) and about how crypto, trading, and AI agents are converging—covering composable agentic software, onchain payments, tokenized revenue, and the expansion of financial markets into mass-participation culture.
Drawing on stories about music, comedy, and tennis, the author argues that lasting success comes from love of the craft rather than grasping for financial or social validation.ate.but concisely: love of craft outlasts ambition.
The author argues that open, composable AI agents will drive software composability and connect mechanically with crypto through onchain payments, tokenized revenue, and revived DAO-style governance.
The author contends crypto is expanding finance itself, with mass participation, permissionless markets, and programmable markets turning trading into a broad culture heading toward a billion traders.
Colleagues at Variant Fund
Network2
Investors connected to Jesse in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Jesse Walden?
- Jesse Walden is the founder and general partner of Variant, an early-stage crypto-focused venture firm he launched in 2020 to back founders at the earliest possible stage. He grew up in New York and studied Art History and Economics at McGill University, where he was active in Montreal's DIY music scene before cofounding an artist management firm that worked with musicians including Solange Knowles and Blood Orange and helped launch Boiler Room in North America. After becoming interested in bitcoin in 2013, he cofounded Mediachain Labs, a startup aimed at putting media onchain, which Spotify acquired in early 2017. He later joined Andreessen Horowitz's crypto investment team in 2018 before starting Variant. His investment focus centers on crypto networks, onchain media, and decentralized social applications.
- Where does Jesse Walden work?
- Jesse Walden is General Partner at Variant Fund.
- What does Jesse Walden invest in?
- Jesse Walden invests in Creator Economy, Crypto & Web3, Developer Tools, Fintech, Media & Entertainment, Social.
- What check size does Jesse Walden write?
- Jesse Walden typically writes checks of $250K – $750K.
- What companies has Jesse Walden invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Flashbots, Foundation, Mirror, Phantom, Uniswap.
- Where did Jesse Walden go to school?
- Jesse Walden studied at McGill University (Bachelor’s Degree).
- What has Jesse Walden written?
- Jesse Walden has 3 tracked posts on jessewalden.com, including "Love vs. Grip", "Geeks like us", "Everything Is Market".
- Does Jesse Walden lead rounds?
- Yes — Jesse Walden has led 5 tracked investments.
Same school
Also attended McGill University769
+ 763 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Andreessen Horowitz271
+ 265 more
Also worked at Spotify99
+ 93 more
