Tom Costin

Tom Costin is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Owl Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on education technology. Owl describes itself as the largest venture capital firm in the world focused on EdTech, with more than $2.2 billion in committed capital, seven funds, and more than 100 investments as of January 1, 2026.

Since Owl Ventures' inception, Costin has worked across the firm's business and investment functions. His firm biography says he helped build Owl into the largest venture capital firm focused on education technology and has held investment, managerial, and advisory roles across his career.

Before Owl Ventures, Costin was a Private Investments Specialist at Cambridge Associates, where he advised or invested on behalf of families, nonprofits, endowments, and pension funds with assets ranging from $800 million to more than $200 billion on venture capital and private equity investments. Earlier, he was an Associate at FLAG Capital and a Senior Associate at Cambridge Associates.

Costin received a B.A. from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also serves as an advisor to the education deal team for the Stanford GSB Impact Fund.

• Owl Ventures is purpose-built around education technology. The firm states it was founded on the belief "that education is the most powerful driver of human potential."
• Stage range is broad: Owl says it invests "from pre-seed through IPO" and leads rounds across the growth cycle.
• Sector focus spans the full learning journey: PreK-12, higher education, workforce development, lifelong learning, and AI-powered solutions for how knowledge is created, shared, and scaled.
• The firm looks for companies with measurable outcomes, stating that it backs mission-driven teams that expand access, improve equity, and reach learners and workers at global scale.
• AI is a central theme. In a 2025 firm announcement, Owl said AI remains central to its investment thesis, enabling scalable impact and expanded opportunity.
• Owl emphasizes sector-specific platform support beyond capital, including distribution, talent, M&A, insights, and strategic partner networks.