Ryan Gilbert – Startup Investor Profile

Ryan Gilbert is a seasoned fintech entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. With over 20 years of global financial services expertise spanning payments, remittances, credit, security, and compliance, he brings a wealth of experience to Propel Venture Partners. As a General Partner at Propel Venture Partners, Ryan has been actively involved in several investments and served as Executive Chairman at SmartBiz. His collaborative leadership style and focus on rethinking and rebuilding financial services have led to successful partnerships and strategic investments. Ryan’s track record includes founding and advising various companies, serving on advisory boards, and holding key positions in multiple organizations. With a strong educational background in commerce and law from the University of the Witwatersrand, his expertise and network have made him a valuable asset in the investment landscape.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Country: South Africa

Investment Regions:

Investment Stages: pre-seed, seed

Website:

AI Reasoning: Multiple sources (company announcements, press coverage, and SEC filings) show Ryan Gilbert launching Launchpad Capital (April 2021) and holding active leadership and board roles (including a Chairman designation in a July 2024 SEC filing). He is publicly associated with investments and board involvement through 2023-2025 (press profiles and filings referencing Guideline, SmartBiz, and Launch One Acquisition), which indicates ongoing investment and operational activity. Although a single timestamped deal in the last 6 months was not found in the search results, the combination of recent filings, leadership changes, and continued press mentions supports classifying him as very-active.

Low Activity – Only known angel investments more than 12 months ago.

Active – Known angel investments between the last 12 and 6 months.

Very Active – Known angel investments in the last 6 months.