Former Facebook general counsel and ex-Amazon.com attorney Rudy Gadre has quickly established himself as one of the top angel investors in the Pacific Northwest, bankrolling startup companies like Jobaline, Walkscore, Porch, Wire and dozens of others.
Now, the Seattle super angel — who has been flying solo as an investor for the past few years— is hanging a new shingle. Gadre is joining venture capital firm Founder’s Co-op, joining founders Chris DeVore and Andy Sack as the third general partner.
Gadre is a University of Washington law school grad who joined Seattle firm Perkins Coie, before moving on to Amazon.com and Facebook. He worked at Facebook from 2006 to 2008, before returning to Seattle and joining Paul Allen-backed Evri. As part of the affiliation with Founder’s Co-op, Gadre will direct his future investments through the fund.
“Chris, Andy and I share a goal of making Seattle a world class destination for startups and innovation, and they have already pulled together an incredible community of mentors and investors into Founders’ Coop and TechStars,” said Gadre in a release. “By joining forces, I believe we’ll be able to make a significant contribution to the future of the region’s economy, and with our combined strengths and networks there will be no better place for great Northwest entrepreneurs to find investors and partners who can help them realize their visions.”
Founder’s Co-op was started in 2008, and it has since raised $10 million in financing. Its investments include Appature, HasOffers, Haiku Deck, Simply Measured and Urban Airship. DeVore declined to comment on its future fundraising efforts, but allying with the likes of Gadre certainly could help as the firm looks to raise more money.
“We’ve worked with Rudy as friends and co-investors for several years now and his passion, energy and insight make it obvious why he’s become the most sought after angel investor in town,” said DeVore.
Founder’s Co-op has experimented in the past with bringing on board a super angel, naming Geoff Entress as a general partner in 2010. Entress is no longer formally involved in the day-to-day operation of the firm.