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Tess Hatch

Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners

Tess Hatch: Aerospace Engineer Turned Frontier Tech VC

Tess Hatch is a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She focuses on investing in frontier technologies, specifically:

  • The commercialization of space
  • Drones and autonomous vehicles
  • Agriculture and food technology
  • Defense technology

Background

  • Earned a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Stanford University14
  • Worked at Boeing and then SpaceX, integrating government payloads with the Falcon 9 rocket14
  • Remains involved with Stanford as a co-teacher, board advisor for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, and founder of the Stanford Aero/Astro Alumni Association14

Investing Philosophy

  • Invests in technology and people who believe frontier tech can solve societal problems like climate change and food shortages13
  • Encourages founders to do diligence on her as she does on them, asking about her performance during both highs and lows1
  • Stays calm under pressure, a skill honed during the "Seven Minutes of Terror" of the Curiosity Mars landing1

Notable Investments

  • Board director at companies like Spire Global, Iris Automation, DroneDeploy, Phantom Auto, Halter, and Lumachain24
  • Investor in Boom Supersonic2

Vision for the Future

  • Believes space travel will become as common as air travel in our lifetimes1
  • Sees space tech as key to humanity becoming a multi-planet species and solving problems on Earth3
  • Hopes to one day travel to space herself4

Tess Hatch has been recognized for her work, earning a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Venture Capital.14 She is a frequent speaker and writer on the future of space and frontier tech.4

Highlights

Feb 13 · payloadspace.com
Space and Defense Tech Roadmap, with Tess Hatch (BVP) - Payload
Oct 13 · youtube.com
Tess Hatch, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners - YouTube
Tess Hatch, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners - YouTube
Dec 20 · carta.com
Tess Hatch - Carta
Tess Hatch - Carta
Dec 13 · Bloomberg
2021 Year of the Space SPAC: Bessemer's Hatch - Bloomberg
Dec 10 · Bloomberg
Bloomberg Markets: What'd You Miss? (12/10/2021) - Bloomberg
Apr 13 · bvp.com
Meet Tess Hatch: Aerospace engineer turned VC (and Bessemer's ...
Meet Tess Hatch: Aerospace engineer turned VC (and Bessemer's ...

Related Questions

What are some of the companies Tess Hatch has invested in?
How did Tess Hatch transition from aerospace engineering to venture capital?
What are Tess Hatch's main interests in frontier technology?
What inspired Tess Hatch to become a venture capitalist?
How does Tess Hatch's background in aerospace engineering influence her investment strategies?
Tess Hatch
Tess Hatch, photo 1
Tess Hatch, photo 2
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Experience

Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners since June 2017
Board Director at Halter, Lumachain, Iris Automation Inc, DroneDeploy, and Phantom Auto, Board Advisor at STVP - the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, Investor in Boom Supersonic

Location

San Francisco Bay Area