Ryan Shank · 2x exited founder

Operator capital for wonderful companies.

Cameo Ventures is how I back founders. I've built and sold two companies, and since 2015 I've invested in 42 more. Seven of them have been acquired.

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Ryan Shank smiling on a New York City street
Ryan Shank Founder, Cameo Ventures
42Companies backed
$1M+Capital deployed
7Acquisitions
2015Investing since

The story

Two exits as an operator. Seven as an investor.

I'm a founder first. I've hired the first ten people, chased the first hundred customers, and sat across the table from an acquirer. When I invest, founders get someone who has done the job they're doing now.

“I love working with brilliant founders who think without constraints and are building products that people love.” Ryan ShankFounder, Cameo Ventures
  1. 2014

    COO

    Helped scale field-service software for home service contractors, through its acquisition by HomeAdvisor.

    Acquired byHomeAdvisor2014
  2. 2015

    First angel checks

    HotelTonight · inDinero · Kinsa

    Started investing alongside building. HotelTonight went on to be acquired by Airbnb.

  3. 2021

    Founder & CEO

    Built call tracking and marketing attribution for small businesses, then sold it to CallRail.

    Acquired byCallRail2021
  4. Today
    Building

    Founder & CEO

    A platform for businesses to design, launch and manage profit sharing plans, so every employee wins when the company wins.

Track record

Companies I backed that were acquired.

Portfolio

The full portfolio.

Includes direct investments, syndicates and fund commitments. Excludes companies that have shut down.

Approach

This is a people business.

I typically write $25k–$100k checks from seed through Series A, four or five times a year. Here is what I look for.

01

Exceptional founders

Passionate people with real conviction and an unfair insight into the problem they're solving.

02

Real differentiation

A product that is clearly different and solves a painful, expensive problem.

03

Fanatical customers

Early signs that customers love the product: they pull it forward, pay for it and tell their friends.

04

What I bring

Operator playbook for GTM, product, fundraising, and everything it takes to go from 0–1.

Building something wonderful?

Whether it's a new idea you want feedback on or a company that's already working, I'd love to hear about it.