Rick Smith is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Crosscut Ventures. See sector focus and contact routes.
Rick Smith is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Crosscut Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Los Angeles that he established in 2008 after previously co-founding SunAmerica Ventures[3][7]. His investment thesis targets pre-seed through Series A companies in consumer Internet, enterprise software, gaming, digital media, e-commerce, and fintech, primarily within the Los Angeles ecosystem[1][3][8]. The firm typically writes checks between $1.5 million and $2.5 million at the seed level, though some sources cite a range of $250,000 to $750,000, and reserves up to 200% for follow-on investments while often leading rounds[3][7][8]. Notable portfolio companies include GumGum, HelloTech, JustFab, Docstoc (sold to Intuit), Ipsy, and Pacaso[3][8]. Smith and Crosscut distinguish themselves with a founder-first approach that dedicates at least 1% of invested capital to leadership development and mental health support for founders[8]. He has shared his perspectives publicly in interviews such as an “Ask A VC” feature on Medium and roundtable discussions with investor groups[1][9].
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