Inside the Insight Partners mafia that has taken over New York venture capital—and the $90 billion firm’s unique approach to software investing

view of the exterior of the New York Stock Exchange (Credit: Erik McGregor—Getty Images)

As Insight Partners celebrates its 30th anniversary, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more influential venture firm that calls New York its home. Union Square Ventures created the blueprint for early-stage venture out of NYC, Tiger Global may earn the claim of infamy due to its 2021 spending spree, and Thrive Capital is quickly becoming a dynasty. But Insight, with its $90 billion of assets under management and army of software investors, has left an indelible footprint on New York—and the world’s—tech scene.

Part of Insight’s impact stems from its extensive alumni network of fund managers, which could fairly be characterized as a bona fide mafia—a venture equivalent to PayPal. In New York alone, there’s Elodie Dupuy of Full In Partners, Harley Miller of Left Lane Capital, Nnamdi Okike of 645 Ventures, and Bradley Twohig of Smash Capital, just to name a few, and I feel like I’m stumbling across someone new each week.