🎉 TECH WEEK IS NEXT WEEK!

• On Oct 11, we're hosting an AMA panel + mixer with early stage VCs along with our friends at Brex and Notion for SF Tech Week.

  • Confirmed panelists include Pear VC’s Vivien Ho, Patron’s Amber Atherton, and Kapor’s Ulili Onovakpuri.

• On Oct 15, we're hosting an AMA panel + mixer with post-exit founders along with Techstars for LA Tech Week.

  • Confirmed panelists include Nikita Bier and Raj Singh.

⭐ Highlights from Adam's AMA
(edited for clarity)

What is the thesis behind BAM Ventures?

BAM is a pre-seed and seed fund based in LA, founded in 2014 by Brian Lee and Shamin Walsh. Shamin has expertise in consumer and logistics investing, while Brian is a serial entrepreneur behind businesses like LegalZoom and The Honest Company. We focus on consumer brands, consumer tech, and commerce enablement, investing in both physical products and software to leverage insights across our portfolio.

What do you look for in CPG startups?

In CPG, we look for strong unit economics, high velocity, and great sell-through with door count expansion. While exits often occur around $300 million, traditional venture returns can be challenging at that range. We focus on market opportunity, exit potential, and capitalization needs. If a company raises at $5 million and exits at $100 million without further funding, it’s a success for all involved.

Where do you see consumer finance going?

Around 15% of Americans use a digital banking platform today, presenting significant potential. In consumer fintech, the focus is on customer acquisition and creating products for specific demographic groups to either include or unlock their potential. We're seeing a more targeted, verticalized approach, where platforms are built to cater to the unique needs of these groups.

What's unique about LA?

LA's strengths lie in marketing, Hollywood, and storytelling, making it a hub for brand building and narrative-driven businesses. The dominant creative industries attract top talent, benefiting other sectors. LA’s smaller fund sizes foster a collaborative environment, where investors take full rounds when they believe in a business. The ecosystem thrives on the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats.

What do you look for in pre-seed startups?

Every business is unique, and we recognize that each journey is different, whether it's years of R&D or a food brand. Two key factors we focus on are the team and founder. We back people who can adapt, understand their market and customers deeply, and execute well. The other crucial factor is market size. We look for big markets with friction where the new experience will vastly improve on the current one.

What consumer categories are you excited about?

I’m really excited about CPG right now. While many have moved away, it’s led to attractive pricing and lower valuations. Most founders, even at the pre-seed stage, are focused on raising money to become profitable. Achieving profitability early opens up vast opportunities and helps founders better understand how to scale their business effectively.

For the full AMA, click here.

📺 Past AMAs

Missed any of our previous AMAs? No worries! You can catch up on all the guests here.

• Will Drewery, Founder and CEO at Diagon (AI-powered procurement platform)

• Gaurav Seth, Founder and CEO at PierSight Space (maritime surveillance using satellites)

• Tejes Srivalsan, Founder and CEO at Poppin (event-based social media)

• Christie Marchese, Founder and CEO at Kinema (film distribution platform)

• Michael Kapps, Founder and CEO at Sanii (longevity and lifestyle for the elderly)

• Ahmed Mirza, Investor at Techstars Los Angeles (leading startup accelerator)

• Clara Hong, Founder and CEO at Smore (B2B form building platform)

• Luiza Justus, Founder and CCO at Supersocial (gaming for the metaverse)

• Mark Linao, General Partner at Progression Fund (early stage consumer VC)

• David Yi, General Partner at Ethos Fund (early stage VC in Vietnam and the US)

• Fay Wells, Angel Investor and VC in Residence at Techstars

• Christian Dorffer, General Partner at Defiance Capital (early stage VC fund in AI)

• Brent Murri, Partner at M13 (leading consumer VC fund)

• Jorge Garcia, Founder and CEO at Linker Finance (financial platform for community banks)

• Bodin Scepanovic, Partner at SparkLabs Saudi Arabia (startup accelerator in the Middle East)

👋 Want to be an AMA guest?

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