# Todd Dagres
Todd Dagres is an American venture capitalist who co-founded Spark Capital in Boston in 2005 and is now listed by the firm as a co-founder and partner emeritus.[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) He built his reputation in media, entertainment, and technology investing, first as a general partner at Battery Ventures, where his deals included [Akamai Technologies](https://www.edgepedia.org/akamai-technologies), and then at Spark, whose early wins included thePlatform, Twitter, and Tumblr.[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) • [2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/) By early 2022 he had stepped back from active investing at the firm.[2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Firm and role | Co-founder and partner emeritus, Spark Capital (founded 2005)[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) |
| Earlier roles | General partner, Battery Ventures; senior technology analyst at Montgomery Securities, Smith Barney, and Yankee Group; Digital Equipment Corporation[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) • [3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) |
| Education | B.S. in Psychology, Trinity College; M.B.A., Boston University[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) |
| Battery-era exits | Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM), Qtera (Nortel), XCOM (Level 3), Broadbus, and River Delta Networks (Motorola), Redstone (Siemens)[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) |
| Spark investments led | 1stdibs, Freight Farms, Jana, Kateeva, SiFive, Signpost; earlier Covestor (acquired by Interactive Brokers) and Verivue (acquired by Akamai)[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) |
| Boards | 1stDibs (December 2012 to 2021 IPO); chairperson of Liteboxer; co-founder and chairman of Power Launch[4](https://vectorshift.ai/research/companies/1stdibs-com/people/todd-a-dagres) • [1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) |
## Early life, education and career before Spark
Dagres was born and raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) He holds a B.S. in [Psychology](https://www.edgepedia.org/psychology) from Trinity College and an M.B.A. from [Boston University](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-university); a 2006 profile also described his Trinity degree as covering psychology and economics.[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) • [3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/)
He began his career in equity research and analysis, working as a senior technology analyst at Montgomery Securities, Smith Barney, and Yankee Group, with a prior stint at [Digital Equipment Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/digital-equipment-corporation).[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) • [3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) He then became a general partner at Battery Ventures, where he led investments in Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM), Arbor Networks, Broadbus (acquired by Motorola), Redstone (Siemens), River Delta Networks (Motorola), Qtera (Nortel Networks), and XCOM ([Level 3 Communications](https://www.edgepedia.org/level-3-communications)).[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) The list shows the pattern that carried into Spark: communications infrastructure and media-adjacent technology sold to large strategic buyers.
## Founding and role at Spark Capital
Dagres founded Spark Capital in July 2005 in Boston with three co-founders: [Dennis Miller](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-miller), a former Turner Broadcasting and [Sony Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures) executive; [Santo Politi](https://www.edgepedia.org/santo-politi), previously of Blockbuster; and Bijan Sabet, an early WebTV employee.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) • [2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/) The debut fund was $260 million, about 25 percent committed as of September 2006, allocated roughly one-third each to technology-enabling companies, media and content, and new-media ventures.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/)
The founders used the acronym MEAT, for media, entertainment, and technology, to describe their focus, betting on user-generated content and technology-driven disruption of traditional media.[2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/) In a 2006 interview Dagres said Spark invested only where it expected 10x returns and that he aimed for a batting average of about .667, meaning roughly two of every three investments succeeding.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/)
By early 2022 Dagres and Sabet had stepped back from active investing roles, leaving two investors in Spark's Boston office and 13 in New York and San Francisco; Spark's team page now lists Dagres as partner emeritus.[2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/) • [1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres)
## Notable investments and exits
Spark's first investment under Dagres was thePlatform, an online video publishing company: Spark put in $8 million, and Comcast bought the company in late June 2006 for more than $100 million, giving Spark about three times its money in roughly six months and its first liquidity event.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) At the firm level, Spark's early hits also included Tumblr and Twitter, and it later backed Oculus, Slack, Cruise, Warby Parker, Snap, Wayfair, and Flywire.[2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/)
Deals credited to Dagres at Spark include 1stdibs, Freight Farms, Jana, Kateeva, SiFive, and Signpost, plus [Covestor](https://www.edgepedia.org/covestor), acquired by [Interactive Brokers](https://www.edgepedia.org/interactive-brokers), and Verivue, acquired by Akamai.[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) His early Spark portfolio also included Veoh Networks, an online video service.[3](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/) The mix spans consumer internet and marketplaces (1stdibs, Signpost), hardware and semiconductors (Kateeva, SiFive), and agtech (Freight Farms).
## Boards and outside roles
Dagres served on the board of directors of 1stDibs from December 2012 and, according to the company's May 2021 S-1, transitioned off the board when the registration statement for its 2021 IPO became effective.[4](https://vectorshift.ai/research/companies/1stdibs-com/people/todd-a-dagres) The same filing describes him as co-founder and chairperson of Liteboxer, a connected fitness company.[4](https://vectorshift.ai/research/companies/1stdibs-com/people/todd-a-dagres)
Outside portfolio boards, Spark's team page describes him as co-founder and chairman of Power Launch, a venture philanthropy organization, as an adjunct professor at MIT Sloan, and as a film producer whose credits include Pretty Persuasion, Transsiberian, Invisible Hands, and Nothing Left to Fear.[1](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres) The Boston Globe independently noted his producing work and quoted his characterization of rising venture prices as "just another form of inflation."[2](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/)
## References
1. [Todd Dagres — Spark Capital team page](https://www.sparkcapital.com/team-members/todd-dagres)
2. [With $2 billion in new funds, Spark Capital doubles down on tech — The Boston Globe, March 9, 2022](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/09/business/with-2-billion-new-funds-spark-capital-doubles-down-tech/)
3. [Digital Dealmakers: Todd Dagres — TVWeek, September 2006](https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2006/09/digital-dealmakers-todd-dagres/)
4. [Todd A. Dagres, Director (former) at 1stdibs.com, Inc. — VectorShift, citing the May 2021 S-1](https://vectorshift.ai/research/companies/1stdibs-com/people/todd-a-dagres)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Venture and growth investors › United States venture since 1985 › Multi-stage firm partners*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license