First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter 
About Nnamdi Okike
Nnamdi Okike is managing partner of 645 Ventures, the early-stage venture firm he co-founded in 2014. The firm, based in New York and San Francisco, invests at seed, Series A and growth stage in sectors including enterprise, AI infrastructure and developer tools, fintech, cybersecurity and health technology. He oversees its investing strategy, governance and compliance.
Before 645 he was an investor at Insight Partners, where he made 19 investments that produced nine exits, among them Mimecast. He sits on the board of the National Venture Capital Association, was named to the Midas Brink List in 2023, and holds BA, JD and MBA degrees from Harvard University.
On First Cheque with Cheryl Mack and Maxine Minter, he explained how 645 uses data to find founders in overlooked markets.
- Talks about
- Fundraising, Venture Capital
In conversation.
1 episode
First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter Go straight to the good bits.
Key moments from Nnamdi Okike's Playbook for Investing in Non-Obvious Winners.
- 4:34Nnamdi’s first investment during the dotcom boom
- 6:52Defining “non-obvious industries” and spotting hidden TAM
- 10:40Squire: From barbershop bookings to vertical SaaS OS
- 13:20Goldbelly, marketplaces, and the power of founder insight
- 17:58Algorithmic sourcing meets founder conviction
- 21:30What 645 Ventures learned from missing Facebook
- 26:46Building a fund around risk profiles, not just stages
- 30:34Why the power law should shape every VC decision
- 35:16Does 2024 echo 2002? A macro take on the downturn
- 42:41The rise of zombie funds and quiet closures
In their own words.
“There's a lot of ways to go wrong if you don't understand the ramifications of the power law.”
The path so far.
- Now
Co-Founder and Managing Partner · 645 Ventures
- Earlier
Analyst, later Principal (venture investor) · Insight Partners
Sources: 645ventures.com
645 Ventures on Day One
645 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and San Francisco.
1 person · 1 episode
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Spot something wrong? Suggest a correctionUpdated 29 October 2026
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