Lightspeed Hires 350,000-Follower Claire Zau as Investor After Instagram DM
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 5
Lightspeed Hires 350,000-Follower Claire Zau as Investor After Instagram DM
2 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 5
Summary
Claire Zau joined Lightspeed earlier this year after an Instagram direct message, bringing an audience of more than 100,000 TikTok followers and 250,000 Instagram followers to the venture firm.
Lightspeed says that reach fits a strategy to use social media and its Lightwork podcast to make tech and venture more accessible and to help startups tell their stories as traditional media shrinks.
Zau and Lightspeed CMO Josh Machiz said the effort is already helping the firm connect with early founders and gather real-time feedback on investments, including pushback from Gen Z on some AI themes.
Their longer-term aim is to turn Lightspeed into a media hub where future founders learn about venture, with more shows or formats still under consideration.