Rob Weber

Rob Weber: From Bootstrapped Founder to Venture Leader

Rob Weber is a seasoned entrepreneur and the founding partner of Great North Ventures, where he has overseen investments in over 50 startups across the Midwest and beyond. His investment philosophy is deeply rooted in his experience as an "operator," having co-founded Freeze.com (later W3i and NativeX) in 2000 and scaling it to $70 million in annual revenue with $10 million in annual EBITDA. Despite this eventual success, Rob’s journey was marked by the intense challenges of the dot-com bubble, including a period of severe founder anxiety and the difficult task of laying off a third of his staff at just 21 years old. These "hard lessons" shaped his belief that capital should serve as a force multiplier for a fundamentally sound business rather than a temporary lifeline for an inefficient one.

A student of computer science and entrepreneurship, Rob leverages his technical DNA to identify founders who possess unique insights and a mastery of emerging technologies. He is a staunch advocate for capital efficiency, granular KPI measurement, and "Seed-strapping"—a term he uses for founders who raise only what is necessary and treat every dollar with extreme care. Today, Rob focuses on backing teams that demonstrate a strong founder-market fit and a commitment to building durable, customer-focused companies. He remains a vocal proponent of mental health awareness for entrepreneurs, frequently sharing his own story to remind founders that their business does not define their identity.