Josh Kopelman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josh Kopelman
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (B.S.) |
| Alma mater | Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania |
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| Known for | Founder of Half.com |
| Spouse(s) | Rena Cohen |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Carol and Dr. Richard Kopelman |
Joshua Kopelman is an American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is known for starting successful companies and helping new businesses grow.
Kopelman founded First Round Capital, a special fund that invests in new companies when they are just starting. One famous company they invested in early was Uber. Before that, he created Half.com, a website where people could buy and sell used books, movies, and music. In 2000, he sold Half.com to eBay. Kopelman is often named as one of the top venture capitalists in the world.
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Early Life and School Days
Josh Kopelman grew up in Great Neck, New York, a town on Long Island. His father was a professor, and his mother worked as a real estate agent.
He went to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and finished his studies in 1993. While he was still in college, in 1992, Kopelman helped start his first company, called Infonautics. It was based in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Building Companies and Investing
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In 1996, Infonautics became a public company, which means its shares could be bought and sold on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Three years later, in 1999, Kopelman left Infonautics to create Half.com. After selling Half.com to eBay, he continued to work at eBay for three more years.
In 2004, Kopelman co-founded another company called TurnTide. This company developed technology to stop unwanted emails, known as spam. TurnTide was later bought by Symantec, a big computer security company.
Kopelman has invented many things related to internet technology. He holds 16 U.S. patents for his inventions.
Today, Kopelman is a managing director at First Round Capital. This fund helps new companies get started by providing them with early money and advice. He has invested in and advised many well-known companies like LinkedIn, Warby Parker, and Mint.com.
Awards and Recognition
Josh Kopelman has received many awards for his work. He has been listed among the top investors by major magazines.
- In 2008, New York Times ranked him 3rd on their list of Top Venture Capitalists.
- Forbes magazine has often included him in their Midas List, which names the top 100 tech investors. He was ranked 4th in 2015 and 6th in 2016.
- In 2007, Business 2.0 magazine called him one of "Tech's New Kingmakers."
- Fortune magazine named him a "Rising VC Star" in 2008.
- In 2014, Newsweek recognized him as one of the top ten angel investors in the United States.
Personal Life and Giving Back
In 1995, Josh Kopelman married Rena Cohen, who is an attorney. They live in a suburb near Philadelphia with their two children.
In 2001, Josh and Rena created the Kopelman Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that gives money to people who have new ideas to help society. They call these people "social entrepreneurs."
One project the Kopelman Foundation supported in 2002 was to put the entire text of the Jewish Encyclopedia online. This made it free and easy for anyone to read.
In 2016, Kopelman was chosen to be the chairman of the board of directors for The Philadelphia Inquirer, a major newspaper.
