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Elie Seidman, former CEO of Tinder and OKCupid, has joined Shine Capital as a venture partner, after serving as a senior advisor since 2021, he tells Axios exclusively. 

Why it matters: Seidman will give the firm an investing presence in Austin, Texas, alongside its New York and San Francisco offices.

Zoom in: Mo Koyfman, general partner at Shine Capital, says the firm wants to be engaged in the Austin area as its ecosystem develops.

"The fact that Elie was in Austin could be considered a bug, but it's actually a feature," Koyfman says.  

By the numbers: In the fourth quarter, there were 75 venture capital deals in Austin, totaling $2.4 billion, according to PitchBook. 

What they're saying: "There are two parts of the job: what do you pick, and how do you help," Seidman says. "Help is not a game of volume. If you find the right points of leverage, you can be very helpful."

Between the lines: Shine Capital focuses on early-stage investments,  managing three early-stage funds and one opportunity fund.

In Q4 2025, early-stage funding reached $37 billion, a 20% jump from the previous quarter and up 36% year over year globally, according to Crunchbase. 

Context: Shine announced its third fund in March 2025, less than three years after raising $200 million for its sophomore vehicle.  

What we're watching: Koyfman sees two scenarios for success. 

"Ten years from now, Elie is my partner helping build the firm, or five years from now he's building or leading one of our portfolio companies as CEO," he says. "It's open-ended." 

Exclusive: Shine Capital taps former Tinder CEO as venture partner

The former Tinder CEO will be based in Austin, Texas.

Photo illustration of a collage featuring Elie Seidman next to colorful rectangles and a photo of shining light.

Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Shine Capital

Elie Seidman, former CEO of Tinder and OKCupid, has joined Shine Capital as a venture partner, after serving as a senior advisor since 2021, he tells Axios exclusively. Why it matters: Seidman will give the firm an investing presence in Austin, Texas, alongside its New York and San Francisco offices.

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Exclusive: Shine Capital taps former Tinder CEO as venture partner

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