Eric Franchi — General Partner at Aperiam Ventures

Eric Franchi has joined Aperiam Ventures as General Partner, marking a significant transition for one of the AdTech industry's most recognized figures. Franchi is best known as the co-founder of Undertone, a digital advertising company he helped build into a major player in high-impact ad formats before it was acquired by Perion Network in 2015 for approximately $180 million. His move into venture capital with Aperiam Ventures represents a natural evolution for an operator-turned-investor who has spent years advising and investing in early-stage AdTech and MarTech companies. Aperiam Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in advertising technology, marketing technology, and related digital media businesses. The firm leverages deep domain expertise to back founders building the next generation of AdTech infrastructure and solutions. Franchi's addition as General Partner significantly bolsters the firm's operational credibility and its network within the advertising ecosystem, given his decades of hands-on experience building, scaling, and exiting an AdTech company. This appointment underscores a broader trend of seasoned AdTech operators transitioning into venture capital roles, bringing pattern recognition and industry relationships that purely financial investors often lack. Franchi has been an active angel investor and advisor in the AdTech space for years, making this formalization of his investment role a logical next step and a meaningful signal to founders seeking capital and mentorship from someone who has navigated the full lifecycle of an AdTech business.

Franchi's elevation to General Partner at Aperiam Ventures strengthens the firm's position as a domain-specialist investor in a crowded early-stage VC landscape. For AdTech founders, having access to a GP with direct operating experience building and selling a scaled advertising business is a meaningful differentiator when choosing investors. This move is likely to increase deal flow for Aperiam from founders who prioritize strategic value-add over pure capital. It also signals continued institutional interest in early-stage AdTech investment despite broader market headwinds, suggesting that experienced insiders see durable opportunity in the space. Franchi's network spans publishers, agencies, brands, and technology platforms, which could open partnership and customer introduction opportunities for Aperiam portfolio companies. The appointment may also intensify competition among AdTech-focused funds such as Luma Partners' investment vehicles, Medialink, and other operator-led funds vying for the best early-stage deals in programmatic, identity, CTV, and retail media.