We're excited to introduce you to Alex Marley, our newest addition to Upfront's investment team. Alex most recently worked at Lux Capital and Dorm Room Fund investing in startups in the AI/ML space, but has also spent time at Cometeer as the company’s first controls engineer.

Read on to learn more - including why he’s excited about the LA tech ecosystem!

How will you be adding value to Upfront and the portfolio?

At Upfront, I’ll bring a highly technical lens to evaluating investments and supporting founders as they tackle hard technical and operational challenges. I am also a very direct communicator and value analytical clarity and transparent feedback as the foundation for building trust, effectively collaborating, and driving better decisions. I also respond to every email, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Why were you excited to join the Upfront team?

The Upfront team is genuine, intelligent, and driven. Maintaining these attributes for nearly 30 years is a feat only achieved by a small number of funds and I could not be more excited to continue building upon Upfront’s legacy.

Why is LA a great city for venture and tech?

Los Angeles is at the forefront of a movement to revitalize domestic manufacturing, defense, and aerospace industries. Pairing this trend with a plurality of top-tier educational institutions and research labs, the city fosters a robust pipeline of innovations and talent.

What gets you excited about meeting a new company or startup?

I’m excited by the chance to learn about how exceptional founders envision the future. These are the people who cultivate bold, unique ideas and convince you that their vision has the power to reshape our current reality. As someone with endless curiosity, I enjoy exploring how founders think about strategizing and navigating the journey to bring their vision to life.

What areas will you focus on or do you really love?

“It’s really about teaching the AI, not about generating creative content, but teaching the AI to understand the physical world.” - Jensen Huang, January 7th 2025

I focus on AI & ML applications and infrastructure. We are at a unique time where society is beginning to undergo another industrial revolution, this time driven by automation, robotics, logistics, energy, and compute. Supporting incredible founders focused on disrupting these verticals is what gets me most excited.

If you had to eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Matzo ball soup. Whenever I get sick, matzo ball soup is always the first item I desire. My grandmother also has a special recipe and would often keep some soup stored in her freezer for emergencies.

One last question: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

In high school, I spent 3 years conducting research under Dr. Rehan Kapadia at USC. I will always remember one piece of advice in particular, "Being a great researcher is not just about mastering a particular subject, but mastering the skill to learn any subject.”

As someone who spends the majority of my time getting up to speed on a variety of topics, mastering the art of research continues to be one of my lifelong passions.