Picks & Shovels

Picks and Shovels is a venture capital firm based in Santa Monica, California, founded in 2022 by Josh Schlisserman. The firm focuses on investing in pre-seed and seed stage startups that develop tools and infrastructure for other businesses, particularly those involved in fintech and cryptocurrency sectors. This "picks and shovels" investment strategy is analogous to selling shovels during a gold rush, focusing on essential support and infrastructure rather than the end products themselves​. Picks and Shovels invests in companies such as Assistiv Labs, Blip Labs Technologies, and Openlytics, which provide services ranging from accessibility tools to fintech solutions and data analytics platforms​​. The firm typically writes checks ranging from $1 million to $2.1 million for seed rounds, aiming to empower foundational technology startups that can support broader market growth.