How David Fischer Became a Venture Capitalist After Leaving Meta
As Meta’s chief revenue officer for 11 years, Fischer Facebook‘s inputs played a crucial role in the company’s marketing growth. He was responsible for scaling up its advertising revenue from a small base to a huge one that caters to over 200 million businesses worldwide.
In 2021, David Fischer California announced his departure from Meta, explaining that he had grown the business to a point where he could look for other challenges. He also said he wished to take a break and enjoy more time with his family. But his break was short-lived. Soon after exiting Meta, he was contacted by Antler, a venture capital firm and startup studio based in Singapore. Antler’s founder and CEO, Magnus Grimeland, had gone to Harvard with Mark Zuckerberg and had met Fischer through Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who Fischer had served under in the 90s.
Antler offered Fischer a seat on its board of directors, where he would join other notable people such as Summers himself, B Capital Group vice chairman Sheila Patel, and hedge fund manager Nancy Zimmerman. Fischer agreed to the proposal and became an Antler board member in early 2022. What is Antler’s vision and what drew it to Fischer? Antler is a venture capital firm that also functions as a startup studio. It assists entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their businesses from nothing by offering them funding, mentorship, network access, and talent matching.
Antler operates in 16 locations in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. It has backed over 300 startups since it was founded in 2017, in different sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, e-commerce, and more. Antler was interested in Fischer for its board because of his vast experience and expertise in marketing and scaling businesses globally. Fischer has a solid record of building and leading teams, creating innovative products and solutions, and driving revenue growth for Meta and other companies he has worked with.
Fischer said he was astonished by Antler’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs to solve real problems and create positive impact. He also said he was delighted to work with Antler’s diverse and talented team of partners, advisors, founders, and portfolio companies. As an Antler board member, Fischer will provide strategic guidance and advice to Antler’s leadership team and portfolio companies. He will also leverage his network and connections to help Antler expand its presence and reach in new markets.
Fischer’s move from Meta to Antler shows that he is not afraid to take on new challenges and opportunities. He is also passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs who are building the future of technology.