Nasdaq Ventures

Nasdaq Ventures is a global venture investing program focused on cultivating talent and technology advancement within financial services—spurring innovation that aligns with and accelerates our vision to reimagine the markets of tomorrow.

Disruption, Innovation, Ambition. Get there with Nasdaq.

Investment Criteria

Each investment drives at and reinforces our mission to reimagine the markets of today by strategically aligning with our key business areas. Companies applying for Nasdaq Ventures should meet the following criteria:

  • Strategic Nexus with Nasdaq

    Each investment should have a strategic nexus with at least one Nasdaq business unit (e.g., revenue or distribution synergy, joint product development, etc.).

  • Diverse & Experienced Team

    Strong team with diverse backgrounds, complementary skills and aligned incentives. Preferably led by a founder with prior experience as a successful company builder.

  • Large Market Opportunity

    Viable product with well-defined go-to-market and monetization strategy.

  • Investment Size

    Individual investments up to $10M, including subsequent expected financing rounds. Initial check sizes typically between $2M - $5M.

  • Board Presence

    Ability to influence and drive success through board representation.

Nasdaq Ventures Team

Gary Offner Headshot

Gary Offner

Former Managing Director (Principal Strategic Investments) at Morgan Stanley. Key Investments: Philadelphia Stock Exchange, BATS Global Markets, National Stock Exchange of India, TheMarkets.com, Chi-X Global, Symphony Communications, BIDS Trading, Visible Alpha. Received M.B.A from Columbia Business School.
Head of Nasdaq Ventures, Nasdaq Learn more about Gary
Ben Blueweiss headshot

Benjamin Blueweiss

Ben Blueweiss is an AVP at Nasdaq Ventures. Prior to joining Nasdaq, Blueweiss responsible for M&A, strategic investments, alliances, and new business development at Bloomberg LP. As an Associate on the Corporate Development team at IBM, Blueweiss focused on software M&A. Blueweiss started his career as an investment banking analyst in the Technology, Media, and Telecom group at Credit Suisse, and graduated with a Bachelors of Science from the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
AVP, Strategic Investments, Nasdaq Learn more about Benjamin
Yordanka

Yordanka Ilieva

Former Director of Finance and Operations at Selerity, Former Business Development Associate at Moody’s Analytics Knowledge Services, and Former TMT investment banking Analyst at Lazard. Received M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
Strategic Investments Director, Nasdaq Learn more about Yordanka
Randall Zuccalmaglio headshot

Randall Zuccalmaglio

Venture Team Director at NYU Strategic Venture Society. Former Operations Lead at ThankYouKindly. B.S. in Business and Political Economy from NYU Stern.
Strategy Analyst, Strategic Investments, Nasdaq Learn more about Randall

Have an idea you’d like to pitch to the Nasdaq Ventures team? Let us know by filling out the form!