With $6B+ in AUM, 8VC has taken a different approach to venture capital: instead of just funding startups, they also build them.

Founding Partner Drew Oetting joins Sourcery to unpack 8VC’s infamous “Build” Program, where nearly 30% of the fund’s capital goes into companies they co-found. With a track record of creating 28 companies—including Affinity, Saronic, Epirus, and Resilience—alongside massive outcomes like Palantir ($370B), Addepar (Managing $7T+), and OpenGov ($1.8B acquisition), 8VC’s DNA is centered around building (*ehem Joe Lonsdale*).

In this episode, we dive into:

• How 8VC identifies opportunities worth building in-house

• Why structuring incentives and culture is key to balancing venture + company creation

• Case studies from OpenGov, Saronic, and Resilience

• 8VC’s perspective on biotech, AI, defense, and reindustrialization

• The role of public & private collaboration, startups, and capital in rebuilding America

Connect with us:

1. Drew Oetting: https://x.com/andrewoetting

2. Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠

3. Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc⁠

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00:00 Introduction to Reindustrialization02:10 Insights from the Reindustrialized Summit02:32 The Role of Government and Startups03:39 Building Billion-Dollar Companies07:2 The 8VC Build Program08:17 Core Components14:50 Highlighting Key Portfolio Companies23:08 Biotech and Life Sciences Innovations33:12 The Impact of Sentiment on Biotech Innovation34:40 Patriotism and Its Influence on Investment36:01 Challenges in Scaling Manufacturing36:40 The Role of Startups in Industrial Policy41:09 The Future of AGI and Its Implications43:15 AI's Impact on Small Businesses47:55 Capital Allocation in Startups52:51 Rapid Fire Questions and Fun Predictions

How 8VC Builds Billion-Dollar Companies | Palantir, Addepar, Saronic

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