Daniel Darling photo
Investor profile

Daniel Darling

Managing Partner, focal

About

Daniel Darling is a former advertising technology founder turned venture capital investor at Focal who hosts the "Five Year Frontier" podcast, where he interviews founders from companies like Clari, Voltron Data, and Poolside to explore how their products will reshape industries over a five-year horizon. As an Australian-born, San Francisco-based investor, he serves as a bridge for international capital (especially Australian investors) seeking access to early-stage AI and software startups in North America, while providing company-building support beyond capital in areas like go-to-market strategy and product positioning. Daniel Darling is a former advertising technology founder turned venture capital investor at Focal who hosts the "Five Year Frontier" podcast, where he interviews founders from companies like Clari, Voltron Data, and Poolside to explore how their products will reshape industries over a five-year horizon. As an Australian-born, San Francisco-based investor, he serves as a bridge for international capital (especially Australian investors) seeking access to early-stage AI and software startups in North America, while providing company-building support beyond capital in areas like go-to-market strategy and product positioning.

Works at

Investment focus

Stages
Pre-Seed
Sectors
AI
SaaS
Devtools
FinTech
Health

Investment details

Avg check size$100K - $750M
Can lead rounds
Yes
Geographies
USA
Canada