K5 Global: Venture Capital & Network Super-Connector
Investment Thesis
K5 Global is a venture capital firm and incubation studio founded in 2018 by Michael Kives and Bryan Baum that takes a distinctive network-first approach to backing entrepreneurs. Rather than following traditional sector-focused thesis, K5 leverages its founders' exceptional deep connections across media, entertainment, politics, finance, technology, and sports to help founders access the networks they need to succeed—from inception through IPO. The fund believes that the best companies are built by founders who can access world-class talent, capital, and strategic relationships. K5's value proposition centers on its ability to open doors across industries that most VC firms cannot.
Investment Approach & Strategy
K5 Global operates as both a venture capital firm and an incubation studio. This dual model means K5 actively helps launch companies from scratch (as evidenced by their launched companies like 818 Tequila, Khloud, Sprinter, and others) while also backing external founders across all funding stages. The firm takes a stage-agnostic approach to investments, backing companies from pre-seed through late stage. This flexibility is unusual in VC and reflects the founders' conviction that great opportunities can emerge at any point in the company lifecycle.
Founder Backgrounds & Strategic Positioning
Michael Kives, Co-Founder & Managing Partner: Kives brings unparalleled connections to media, entertainment, and politics. Prior to founding K5, he spent 15 years at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the world's most prestigious talent agencies, where he represented A-list celebrities including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katy Perry, and Kate Hudson, as well as world leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev and Warren Buffett. Before his CAA career, Kives worked in politics, serving as an interim spokesperson for President Bill Clinton and as an aide to Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff Huma Abedin in the Senate. His extraordinary access to boardrooms, world leaders, and major decision-makers is a core asset of the fund.
Bryan Baum, Co-Founder & Managing Partner: Baum is a serial entrepreneur and prolific angel investor with deep expertise in technology and early-stage company building. He has founded and sold multiple companies: Blue Vision Labs (sold to Lyft in 2018, a self-driving car localization and mapping platform), Operam (data analytics and marketing insights), and Represent.com (e-commerce platform sold to CustomInk in 2016). Baum has made over 200 angel investments personally, backing major winners like Uber, Airbnb, Slack, Flexport, Carta, PillPack, and Sweetgreen before they became household names. He was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and featured in Forbes 30 Under 30.
Portfolio & Investment Activity
K5 Global maintains an exceptionally diverse portfolio of 289+ direct investments with 23+ exits. Notable portfolio companies include SpaceX, xAI, Anduril, Neuralink, DuckDuckGo, Databricks, Coinbase, Uber, Lyft, Canva, and Flexport. The firm has completed approximately 10 new investments in the last 12 months (as of November 2025), including participation in Series A rounds. Recent notable exits include Airplane (acquired by Airtable), Balsa (acquired by Airtable), Parrot (acquired by Filevine), and Lacework (acquired by Fortinet).
Team & Leadership
The K5 team includes experienced venture partners and operational professionals: Michael Kives and Bryan Baum as co-founders/managing partners, Keenan Rice as general partner, Jessica Bixby as associate partner, Dana Pollick as general counsel, Chris Moore as CFO, Logan Solomon as EVP of business development, F Myles Nuzzi as vice president, and additional partners and operational staff.
Investment Criteria & Decision Making
K5 Global demonstrates flexibility across funding stages, backing companies from pre-seed through late-stage. The fund's investment thesis emphasizes founder quality and strategic fit within K5's network ecosystem. Portfolio composition reveals no explicit sector restriction, with investments spanning enterprise software, developer tools, AI/ML infrastructure, fintech, biotech, aerospace, consumer tech, and branded consumer products.
Lead Tendency
K5 Global actively leads and co-leads rounds, as evidenced by board seats (Michael Kives serves on boards of Yahoo, 818 Tequila, and Sprinter) and the firm's incubation studio approach where K5 founds and launches companies directly. The firm is capable of substantial checks and demonstrates willingness to lead significant rounds.
Fund Status & Deployment
K5 Global is actively deploying capital as of early 2026, with recent investments including Series A participation in Curate (January 2026). The firm appears well-capitalized and actively seeking quality investments across all stages.