David Frankel

David’s Favorite Quote

“It always seems impossible until it's done.”

- Nelson Mandela

David is a partner at Founder Collective. Ranked #2 on the 2025 Midas Seed List, David is the lead investor for Founder Collective in Coupang (NYSE: CPNG), SeatGeek, PillPack (acquired by Amazon), Suno, and Shield AI. Before Founder Collective, David provided the first capital for numerous companies including Olo (NYSE: OLO), where David continues to work closely with the company’s founder.

Previously, David was co-founder and CEO of Internet Solutions (IS), the largest ISP in Africa, ultimately acquired by NTT. David is the co-founder of NextUp, a youth employment accelerator in South Africa. David holds an honors degree in Electrical Engineering (Wits) and earned an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Fun Fact

Got his entrepreneurial start selling airbrushes at a South African swap meet.

David’s Pov

Call David Frankel AI at (617) 812-5018
Get real-time advice from the Founder Collective partner – whether you need a gut check, strategic input, or just someone who’s been there. Powered by Regal AI.

By: Founder Collective
If AGI Is Coming, Why Invest in Anything?
If you believe AGI is close, how do you justify backing a startup with a 5–10 year horizon? It’s a fair challenge, and one that deserves a better answer than: “We believe in founders.”

By: David Frankel