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James Joaquin

James Joaquin

Co-Founder & Managing Director atObvious VenturesSan Francisco
LinkedIn X Obvious Ventures websiteFirm profile

James Joaquin is a co-founder and managing director at Obvious. He previously served as CEO of Xoom.com and Ofoto.

What James can write

Writes checks of$3M to $30M
Comes in atSeed, Series ACan lead the round
Ownership target10-12%, > 12%At first check
Email the firm[email protected]The firm's own inbox for founders.

Obvious Ventures writes $3M to $30M checks, larger than 93% of firms in the atlas.

Bars: how many firms report each check band. Highlighted: Obvious Ventures.

Career

  1. Clearview Software
  2. Apple
  3. When.com
  4. Ofoto · President and CEO
  5. Xoom.com · President and CEO
  6. Obvious · Co-Founder & Managing Director
    Now

Companies founded

ObviousWhen.comClearview Software

Investments named in public bios

Diamond FoundryBeyond MeatIncredible Health

Focus

AIadvanced materialsplant-based proteinlabor marketplaces

Education

Brown University, computer science

Also at Obvious Ventures

Andrew Beebe
Andrew BeebeManaging Director
Vishal Vasishth
Vishal VasishthCo-Founder & Managing Director
Kahini Shah
Kahini ShahPartner
Mo Islam
Mo IslamPartner
Rohan Ganesh
Rohan GaneshPartner

Partners like James

At firms with a similar stage, sector and check size.

Rick Moss
Rick MossFounding Partner, Better Ventures
Colin Greenspon
Colin GreensponCo-Founder, Narya Capital
Alan Kelley
Alan KelleyManaging Director, SJF Ventures
Eric EngelmannGeneral Partner, ISA Ventures
Adam Kaye
Adam KayeSenior Managing Director and Partner, Structured Capital, RA Capital Management
Daniel Balmisse
Daniel BalmisseManaging Partner, Cathay InnoSquare, Cathay Innovation

Alert me when Obvious Ventures is active

One email when James's firm raises a fund, adds a partner or shows new activity.

Founders and investors at a Mode VC gathering

Send Mode VC your deck

Raising a pre-seed or seed round? We write $1M to $5M first checks and help founders with distribution. A partner reads every deck.

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Questions

Who is James Joaquin?

James Joaquin is a co-founder and managing director at Obvious. He previously served as CEO of Xoom.com and Ofoto.

How much does James Joaquin invest?

James Joaquin invests through Obvious Ventures, which writes checks of $3M to $30M at seed, series a.

How do I pitch James Joaquin?

Email [email protected], the firm's inbox for founders, and name James in the subject. A warm intro from a founder Obvious Ventures backed works better.

What did James Joaquin do before Obvious Ventures?

Clearview Software; Apple; When.com; President and CEO at Ofoto; President and CEO at Xoom.com.

Last updated 2026-10-15. Is this you? Ask for a correction.