Josh Kopelman — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Awarded Ernst and Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the Greater Philadelphia region in 2000.
Founder and Partner at First Round Capital since 2004, a seed-stage technology venture fund that has invested in over 350 emerging technology startups.
Founded Half.com in 1999, which was acquired by eBay in 2000 for $300 million.
Co-founded Infonautics Corporation in 1992, taking it public on NASDAQ in 1996, and TurnTide in 2003, an anti-spam company acquired by Symantec within six months.
Inventor on sixteen U.S. Patents for his work in Internet technology.
Served as Chairman of the board of The Philadelphia Inquirer from 2016 to 2024, now Chair Emeritus.
Earned a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Biography

Josh Kopelman is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. He is a founding Partner at First Round Capital, a seed-stage technology venture fund established in 2004. Under his leadership, First Round Capital has invested in over 350 emerging technology startups, becoming one of the most active venture capital firms in the United States.