Artisan Ventures empowers high-potential operators to grow purpose-built businesses from idea to inception to product-market fit to scale to exit.
We practice rigor across all facets of business, but at our core, we are Artisans. We build for the sake of building, like a child playing legos. When we have conviction on an elegant solution to a clear problem for a customer we empathize with, we apply our logic, creativity, energy, and love to materialize our vision.
We operate at the “venture” stage, but take a private equity approach. We acknowledge and celebrate the rise of many such models (studios, micro PE, search funds), but believe we are uniquely positioned to pursue business creation with the following distinction:
The $10-$99M Opportunity
The democratization of software and AI provides fertile ground to build tech-enabled solutions for highly targeted customer bases - riches in the niches. While traditional venture firms compete over capital intensive, low-probability, billion dollar outcomes, we see a wealth of high-probability opportunities in narrowly targeted, capital efficient, 8-figure outcomes.
The Artisan Way
Artisan leverages a series of operating frameworks for idea validation, vision & strategy, performance management, sales & marketing, culture and more. These operating frameworks are highly tailored to the 0–1, 1-10 stage of entrepreneurship, particularly in bootstrapped or capital efficient business models. When implemented consistently, these operating frameworks can “rig the game” in our favor, leading to high success rates.
Deliberately Developmental
Artisan operates as a deliberately developmental organization - we view business and entrepreneurship as an incredible canvas for personal and professional growth. We avoid “fear of failure,” and “attachment to outcomes” as a motivator, and instead focus on executing the right inputs, and refining our craft along the way. We believe this more sustainable approach can lead to more success, growth, and fun.
Who We Are
Founder & CEO, Nick Shah
Artisan Ventures is led by tech entrepreneur Nick Shah, who has a proven track-record of building profitable, high-growth, tech-enabled startups.
Nick currently serves as Executive Chairman at GrapevineAI, a creator content marketing platform and Artisan’s first portfolio company. In partnership with GrapevineAI CEO Caroline Levere, Nick acquired select content assets (incl. My Subscription Addiction) in 2022 and successfully executed a pivot and re-brand to GrapevineAI, 6x’ing revenue and 8x’ing valuation in under two years.
Prior to launching GrapevineAI and Artisan, Nick co-founded Ampush, a leading provider of digital marketing technology and services to the world’s most innovative brands including Uber, Stitch Fix and many Fortune 500 companies. Ampush was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 500 fastest growing companies in America and drove over $300 million in annual advertising on social platforms. In 2023, Ampush was acquired by Tinuiti (New Mountain Capital).
Nick began his career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley focused on M&A and IPOs in the Tech, Media & Telecom sectors. The Wharton School awarded Nick the Joseph Wharton Award for Young Leadership, which is presented to the school's most accomplished alumni. He was also selected for The Wharton School’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list. Nick endows a needs-based scholarship (“The Ampush Scholar”) at The Wharton School @ UPENN each year.
Nick hails from Detroit and currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife Shivika and their two children, Shyla and Yuvaan.
Operating Partner, David Jacobson
David is a lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for helping companies scale strategically.
David brings deep experience in financial stewardship and organizational management to help startups thrive. His hands-on approach ensures companies can navigate the complexities of business expansion effectively.
David is the Director of Finance & People at GrapevineAI and leads financial strategy and talent development, ensuring the organization’s operational excellence while delivering impactful solutions for its clients in growth marketing.