Abe Spence

Abe Spence serves as Chief Financial Officer at 645 Ventures, one of New York's leading early-stage venture capital firms. Spence graduated from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, where he received his MBA. Based in New York, he oversees the finance and operations functions for a firm managing over $550 million across five funds.

As CFO, Spence plays a critical role in the financial management of a fast-growing venture firm that has evolved significantly since its founding in 2013. 645 Ventures was co-founded by Aaron Holiday and Nnamdi Okike, who brought technology-driven backgrounds from Goldman Sachs and Insight Venture Partners to build a new model for early-stage investing. The firm is organized into four core teams: Investment and Research, Founder Success, Engineering, and Finance & Operations—the latter of which Spence leads.

Under Spence's financial oversight, 645 Ventures closed two significant funds in 2023: a $194 million Fund IV and a $153 million Select Fund I, totaling $347 million in new commitments. This brought the firm's total assets under management to over $550 million, with more than $400 million available for deployment. The firm is backed by leading institutional investors including university endowments, funds of funds, and pension funds. Spence's role encompasses fund management, LP relations, portfolio company support, and operational infrastructure that enables the firm to maintain a high-velocity investment pace—making 10 investments in 2025 and 3 in early 2026.

645 Ventures differentiates itself through its proprietary Voyager software platform, developed by an in-house four-person engineering team. This technology enables data-driven dealflow sourcing and tracking, with features like "Candidates"—a discovery engine that flags high-potential companies outside the firm's network. Spence's financial leadership supports this technology-first approach to venture capital.

As CFO, Abe Spence supports 645 Ventures' investment strategy, which focuses on early-stage technology companies with transformative potential. While Spence himself is not a deal-making partner, his financial stewardship enables the firm's distinctive investment approach.

Firm Investment Philosophy: 645 Ventures backs exceptional founders building iconic companies and invests at the Seed and Series A stages. The firm's tagline is backing companies that bring "the invisible to life." They leverage their Voyager platform and Success team to help founders scale from early stages to growth stage and beyond. With over 120 investments completed, the firm takes a research-oriented approach to identify key market inflections.

Sector Focus:

Investment Approach:

Value-Add: The firm provides portfolio companies with access to its proprietary Voyager platform, dedicated Founder Success team, Connected Network for introductions and partnerships, and ongoing support from Investment and Research team members who contribute deep sector expertise.

• Enterprise SaaS and B2B software
• Infrastructure software and developer tools
• Artificial Intelligence and machine learning
• Blockchain and Web3 technologies
• Consumer technology
• Cybersecurity
• Fintech and financial software
• Healthcare technology
• Robotics
• Seed stage: $1M-$5M checks at valuations between $3M-$15M
• Series A: $5M-$10M investments
• Select/Growth: $10M-$15M for breakout portfolio companies (via Select Fund I)
• Geographic focus: Strong presence in NYC early-stage ecosystem, with national reach
• High-velocity deployment: Approximately 10-12 investments per year