# Velvet Sea Ventures
Velvet Sea Ventures (formally VSV Management LLC) is a multi-stage venture capital firm that advises two funds, Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund LP and Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund II, LP, which together reported about $122.6 million sold in SEC Form D filings; the funds are tied to Birmingham, Michigan, while the manager's SEC registration address is [West Palm Beach, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-palm-beach-florida).[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt) • [2](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1895688/000189568821000001/0001895688-21-000001-index.html) • [3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) The manager is a Delaware limited liability company formed in May 2019 and registered with the SEC as an investment adviser since January 14, 2022.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 2019 (VSV Management LLC, Delaware)[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
| Locations | Fund I address: Birmingham, Michigan; manager ADV and Fund II mailing address: West Palm Beach, Florida[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt) • [2](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1895688/000189568821000001/0001895688-21-000001-index.html) • [3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
| Managing directors | John Giampetroni, Michael Lazerow, Kathryn Lazerow, Matthew Giampetroni, Katherine Q. Rosa[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
| Strategy | Discretionary, opportunistic investments in privately held seed, early-stage, and growth-oriented companies, plus special purpose vehicles[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
| Capital raised | About $122.6 million sold across two Form D funds (Fund I $53.5 million as originally filed; Fund II $69.1 million)[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt) • [2](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1895688/000189568821000001/0001895688-21-000001-index.html) |
| Regulatory AUM | $206,228,666 (Dec 31, 2023); $229,084,453 (April 2026 ADV data)[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
| Status (Sept 2026) | Active; nine private funds including SPVs; no Fund III filing located[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) |
## History and people
The firm was founded in 2019 by four managing directors listed on the funds' Form D filings: John Giampetroni, Michael Lazerow, Kathryn Lazerow, and Matthew Giampetroni, each recorded as Managing Director of the General Partner of the issuer; John Giampetroni signed the Fund I filing.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt) Katherine Quick Rosa later joined as a fifth managing director and investment committee member.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062)
The partners' backgrounds, as described on the firm's own website: John Giampetroni co-founded Rizvi Traverse Management in 2005 and continues to serve as its chief operating officer and on its investment committee; RTM has equity capital commitments in excess of $2 billion.[4](https://velvetseavc.com/team/) Michael Lazerow co-founded Buddy Media, a social software company sold for $745 million to Salesforce.com, where he then served as chief strategy officer and chief marketing officer of Marketing Cloud, and says he has made more than 60 early-stage investments including Scopely, Tumblr, and Buzzfeed.[4](https://velvetseavc.com/team/) Kathryn "Kass" Lazerow was co-founder and chief operating officer of Buddy Media and earlier founded and ran GOLF.com, which was purchased by Time Warner.[4](https://velvetseavc.com/team/) Matthew Giampetroni, a Duke graduate, previously served as "Chief of Stuff" at the New York technology startup Shape Matrix and partnered in raising technology special purpose vehicles.[4](https://velvetseavc.com/team/) Katherine Rosa was most recently Global Head of Alternative Investments for the J.P. Morgan Private Bank and previously a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager in J.P. Morgan Asset Management's Private Equity Group.[4](https://velvetseavc.com/team/)
Per the adviser's registration data, owners of 25% or more of VSV Management are Lazerow Enterprises LLC, Traverse Capital Partners LLC, and Acestes LLC.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062)
## Strategy
The firm describes itself as a multi-stage venture capital firm providing seed-to-growth stage capital investments coupled with strategic support across all sectors; its principals claim more than 80 years of combined experience and over $2 billion invested as founders and venture investors (the firm's own claims, not independently verified).[5](https://velvetseavc.com/) Its SEC registration describes discretionary advisory services to the two venture capital funds plus special purpose vehicles, with a focus on opportunistic investments in privately held seed, early-stage, and growth-oriented companies.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062)
## Funds, by the numbers
**Fund I.** Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund LP filed its original Form D on July 31, 2020, with sales commencing July 27, 2020, reporting $53,450,000 sold against an indefinite offering amount, a $250,000 minimum investment, and 29 investors, relying on Investment Company Act Section 3(c)(1).[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt) No verifiable record of a later amendment to this filing was located in the sources reviewed.
**Fund II.** Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund II, LP (CIK 0001895688) filed its Form D on November 29, 2021, reporting $69,100,000 sold, with a mailing address at 801 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 129, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407.[2](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1895688/000189568821000001/0001895688-21-000001-index.html)
Combined, the two funds reported about $122.6 million sold. The manager's regulatory assets under management grew from $206,228,666 at December 31, 2023 to $229,084,453, with private fund gross assets of $256,182,464 across nine private funds, as of April 2026 ADV data.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062)
## Portfolio
The firm's website lists a current portfolio of Scopely, eToro, [Liquid Death](https://www.edgepedia.org/liquid-death), LeoLabs, Strigo, SuperRare, Elementus, and Mercato.[5](https://velvetseavc.com/) These names are the firm's own claims; no independent reporting or exit records for these positions were located in the sources reviewed.
## Status and recent developments
The firm remains active according to its 2026 adviser data: assets under management rose from about $206 million at the end of 2023 to about $229 million, it reported nine private funds (including special purpose vehicles) and nine employees, of whom seven perform investment advisory functions.[3](https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062) No Fund III filing or press-reported financing, hiring, or departure events were located through September 2026.
## References
1. SEC Form D, Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund LP (filed 2020-07-31), https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1812041/0001812041-20-000001.txt
2. SEC EDGAR filing index, Velvet Sea Venture Capital Fund II, LP Form D (filed 2021-11-29), https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1895688/000189568821000001/0001895688-21-000001-index.html
3. VELVET SEA VENTURES, Form ADV summary (SEC registration 801-123062), https://9at.com/Adviser/801-123062
4. Team, Velvet Sea Ventures (firm website), https://velvetseavc.com/team/
5. Velvet Sea Ventures, Building dreams through investment (firm website), https://velvetseavc.com/
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Finance › Venture capital and private equity › Venture capital firms of the Americas › Growth and multi-stage investors › Titles M to Y*
*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