Last week’s Affinity webinar featuring David Hefer from BlackRock and Rohan Sahigh from OpenAI delivered some striking validation of the investment thesis we’ve been executing at D3VC since our inception in the investment crowdfunding space.
The Writing Was on the Wall
Two standout quotes from industry leaders caught our attention:
“The firms pulling ahead are the ones building proprietary data pipelines…that creates a lasting moat, even as models evolve.” – Rohan Sahigh, OpenAI
“If you don’t control your own data sets, you can be replaced…those are critical factors in assessing whether an AI company is sustainable.” – David Hefer, BlackRock
These insights aren’t revolutionary to us—they’re exactly what we built D3VC around in the investment crowdfunding market.
D3VC: Ahead of the Curve in Investment Crowdfunding
While the early-stage venture industry is just beginning to recognize the critical importance of proprietary data in AI-driven investing, we’ve been living this reality for over two years in investment crowdfunding. Here’s what we saw coming:
Proprietary Data as Competitive Moat: We didn’t just talk about the importance of unique datasets—we built one. Our proprietary database comprises over 150 data points across more than 10,000 investment crowdfunding offerings (including daily commitments and the number of checks written), creating an unparalleled view into early-stage investment patterns.
AI-Native Investment Process: Starting in August 2021, we spent 18 months developing our state-of-the-art machine learning algorithm, training it on nearly a decade of meticulously labeled historical investment crowdfunding data we’d been collecting since 2016. But we didn’t stop there—our algorithm continuously learns from new data daily, adapting to market shifts in real-time. This wasn’t an add-on to our existing process—it became the foundation of how we identify success signals and forecast outcomes.
Data-Driven Deal Flow: While other firms are still figuring out how to integrate AI into their workflows, we built our entire investment thesis around it using investment crowdfunding data. Our algorithm doesn’t replace human expertise—it amplifies it by efficiently narrowing hundreds of potential investments down to the most promising opportunities for our investment committee.
The Validation Continues
The webinar revealed several trends that align perfectly with our investment crowdfunding approach:
Speed and Scale: Rohan highlighted how small AI-native teams are “doing more with less”—a dynamic we see from both sides. D3VC operates with lean efficiency while also evaluating companies that leverage AI to scale their business models with smaller teams. Our data reveals these AI/ML companies in the equity crowdfunding space are increasingly post-revenue and mature, demonstrating sustainable business models built on AI efficiency.
Research Transformation: David emphasized AI’s power in research and due diligence—precisely what our partnership with Crowdfund Capital Advisors and CCLEAR enables through comprehensive daily data collection and analysis of investment crowdfunding campaigns.
First-Mover Advantage: Both speakers stressed the importance of moving fast in the AI space. We didn’t wait for the industry to catch up—we’ve been leveraging AI for investment decisions in the investment crowdfunding market since before it became a talking point.
What’s Next
As BlackRock and OpenAI executives validate the critical importance of proprietary data and AI-first investment approaches, we’re already implementing the next phase of our strategy. Our diversified approach of investing in approximately 200 companies reflects our deep understanding of venture returns’ power-law distribution—knowledge derived from our unique investment crowdfunding dataset.
The convergence of data science and venture capital isn’t coming—it’s here. And we’ve been building it from day one.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform investing. The question is whether you’re building with proprietary data that creates a sustainable competitive advantage, or relying on tools everyone else has access to.
At D3VC, we made that choice years ago.
Interested in learning more about data-driven venture capital in investment crowdfunding? Visit D3VC.ai to explore how we’re leveraging AI and machine learning to transform early-stage investing.
