How 8VC Builds Billion-Dollar Companies | Palantir, Addepar, Saronic

Sourcery

With $6B+ in AUM, 8VC has taken a different approach to venture capital: instead of just funding startups, they also build them.

Founding Partner Drew Oetting joins Sourcery to unpack 8VC’s infamous “Build” Program, where nearly 30% of the fund’s capital goes into companies they co-found. With a track record of creating 28 companies—including Affinity, Saronic, Epirus, and Resilience—alongside massive outcomes like Palantir ($370B), Addepar (Managing $7T+), and OpenGov ($1.8B acquisition), 8VC’s DNA is centered around building (*ehem Joe Lonsdale*).

In this episode, we dive into:

• How 8VC identifies opportunities worth building in-house

• Why structuring incentives and culture is key to balancing venture + company creation

• Case studies from OpenGov, Saronic, and Resilience

• 8VC’s perspective on biotech, AI, defense, and reindustrialization

• The role of public & private collaboration, startups, and capital in rebuilding America

Connect with us:

1. Drew Oetting: https://x.com/andrewoetting

2. Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠

3. Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc⁠

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(00:00) Intro: Drew Oetting, Founding Partner 8VC
(03:33) Origins Of 8VC & Lessons From Joe Lonsdale’s Founder DNA
(05:48) Early Experiments In Building Companies Inside 8VC
(07:03) Formalizing The Build Program (30% Of Capital)
(08:33) How 8VC Works With EIRs To Co-Found Startups
(10:33) Why Most VC Firms Fail At In-House Company Building
(13:03) Portfolio Highlights: OpenGov, Saronic, Epirus, Affinity
(17:03) Case Study: Resilience & Biotech Manufacturing
(27:03) American Reindustrialization, Policy, & Capital Allocation
(39:03) The Future Of AGI & Its Real-World Impacts
(45:33) Rapid-Fire Round: Recession Odds, National Debt, Aliens
(54:03) Closing Thoughts On Building America’s Future