Voice-based social networks and gaming as a new form of identity were among the top emerging trends in consumer social startups, according to an Extra Crunch survey of top social tech investors.
Meanwhile, anonymity and dating apps with a superfluous twist were spaces where investors were most pessimistic.Extra Crunch assembled a list of the most prolific and well-respected investors in social.
Many have funded or worked for the breakout companies changing the way we interact with other people.
We asked about the most exciting trends theyre seeing and which areas they expect will soon spawn blockbuster social apps.Subscribe to Extra Crunch to read the full answers to our questionnaire from funds like Andreessen Horowitz, CRV and Initialized.Here are the 16 leading social network VCs that participated in our survey:Olivia Moore, CRVJustine Moore, CRVConnie Chan, Andreessen HorowitzAlexis Ohanian, Initialized CapitalNiko Bonatsos, General CatalystJosh Coyne, Kleiner PerkinsWayne Hu, Signal FireAlexia Bonatsos, Dream MachineJosh Elman, Angel InvestorAydin Senkut, Felicis VenturesJames Currier, NFXPippa Lamb, Sweet CapitalChristian Dorffer, Sweet CapitalJim Scheinman, Maven VenturesEva Casanova, Day One VenturesDan Ciporin, CanaanStay tuned next week for a follow-up article from these investors detailing their thoughts on social investing in the COVID-19 era.What trends are you most excited about in social from an investing perspective?First, its worth noting that consumer social is very hard to predict.
Unlike enterprise software, theres no rational buyer, and the things that take off can seem random or dumb.
Startups that see huge success in this space are often pioneering a new feature or way of communicating that hasnt existed before.
Any VC who claims to know what the next big thing in consumer social will look like should probably go build it themselves!