Mantis

Overview

Mantis is the venture firm founded by Drew Taggart and Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers.

Current Profile

The founders describe Mantis as a seed and Series A investor across cybersecurity, AI, infrastructure, deep technology, and health technology. It does not seek lead positions and instead claims a collaborative “sixth man” role in relationships, go-to-market work, and brand building. The interview emphasizes that this positioning must still produce realized returns.

Key Characteristics

• Focuses primarily on seed and Series A investments.
• Invests across several technology and health categories.
• Avoids lead positions in favor of a supporting portfolio role.
• Uses founder access, relationships, distribution, and brand experience as claimed value-adds.
• Treats follow-on concentration and liquidity as capabilities still being developed.

Evidence

• Stage and sector focus: Jake Paul & The Chainsmokers: Turning Fame into Funds, Jake Enters Politics? & Venture Bubble Signs states the firm’s seed/Series A and sector scope.
• Operating role: Jake Paul & The Chainsmokers: Turning Fame into Funds, Jake Enters Politics? & Venture Bubble Signs describes the “sixth man” position and go-to-market contribution.
• Fund maturation: Jake Paul & The Chainsmokers: Turning Fame into Funds, Jake Enters Politics? & Venture Bubble Signs discusses institutional skepticism, Underdog Fantasy liquidity, follow-on investing, SPVs, and a possible growth fund.

Qualifications

The episode supplies no audited fund returns, portfolio-wide results, ownership data, fee terms, or independent founder assessments. The Underdog Fantasy event and fundraising implications remain speaker-reported.

What Changed

• Created a profile distinguishing Mantis’s stated support model from evidence of investment performance.

Relationships

• Drew Taggart - co-founder.
• Alex Pall - co-founder.
• The Chainsmokers - music brand and relationship network behind the firm.
• Celebrity Operational Capital - claimed contribution beyond capital.
• Venture DPI Liquidity Pressure - realized-return and follow-on discipline relevant to the fund.