David Fischer: How He Joined the VC World After Meta
Meta Veteran David Fischer is a well-known name in the marketing world. He was the chief revenue officer of Meta, formerly known as Facebook Marketing for 11 years. He helped grow the company’s advertising business from a relatively small operation to a global powerhouse that serves over 200 million businesses around the world.
Fischer left Meta in 2021, saying that he felt it was a good time to explore other options after growing the business to such a high level. He also said he needed a break and wanted to have more time with his family. His break was brief though. Not long after quitting Meta, he was reached out by Antler, a Singapore-founded venture capital firm and startup studio. Antler’s founder and CEO, Magnus Grimeland, had attended Harvard with Mark Zuckerberg and had known Fischer via Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who Fischer had worked for in the 90s.
Antler offered Fischer a seat on its board of directors, where he would join other notable people such as Summers himself, B Capital Group vice chairman Sheila Patel, and hedge fund manager Nancy Zimmerman. Fischer agreed to the proposal and became an Antler board member in early 2022. What does Antler do and why did it want Fischer on its board? Antler is a venture capital firm that also operates as a startup studio. It helps entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses from scratch by providing them with funding, mentorship, network access, and talent matching.
Antler runs in 16 locations in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. It has supported over 300 startups since it started in 2017, in various sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, e-commerce, and more. Antler wanted Fischer on its board because of his extensive experience and expertise in marketing and scaling businesses globally. Fischer has a strong track record of building and leading teams, developing innovative products and solutions, and driving revenue growth for Meta and other companies he has worked for.
Fischer said he was amazed by Antler’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs to solve real problems and create positive impact. He also said he was thrilled to work with Antler’s diverse and talented team of partners, advisors, founders, and portfolio companies. As an Antler board member, Fischer will provide strategic guidance and advice to Antler’s leadership team and portfolio companies. He will also leverage his network and connections to help Antler expand its presence and reach in new markets.
Fischer’s move from Meta to Antler shows that he is not afraid to take on new challenges and opportunities. He is also passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs who are building the future of technology.