Investing in Pittsburgh

Eric Silver, Principal

I am a four-time entrepreneur who has consistently beaten the market as an angel and equity investor.  I've degrees in decision-making, business, and economics and certificates in programming, mediation, and project management.  I am interested in innovation, community formation, education, and how people derive meaning.  

I have worked as the founder of multiple companies which has given me experience as the first developer and product designer of a platform that received over a million daily views, as the most productive salesperson of a six person team, and as a market-beating investor.  I enjoy getting involved with early stage companies and am happy to give clear and immediate feedback on ideas, companies, and problems.  

I am exploring machine learning as a mechanism to identify novelty and innovation.  My PhD dissertation at Carnegie Mellon is a general equilibrium model of technological progress and innovation.

Selected Investments

Acquired by Amazon

Acquired by RealPages

Acquired by WalMart

Acquired by Medallia

How to get in touch:

Too often, fund-raising seems like a complicated game or contest: education around entrepreneurship celebrates the pageantry of public pitches and presentations, yet the best investment decisions are usually made based on traction, product, and opportunity - not the format of your presentation or your rhetorical flourish.  

My preferred way to get to know a company is by meeting a founder and working with her to solve real problems.  I enjoy the chance to travel with founding teams to meet customers and prospective customers, the chance to be a customer, and the opportunity to work with the wider team to help solve real problems.  In this exchange, I seek to prove that I deserve to be a partner in your company while also having the chance to truly understand your business and challenges.

Email me at eric -at- alt-capital.com, tell me about what you're building, and where you are in Pittsburgh.