From Meta to VC: David Fischer’s Career Transition
For more than a decade, David Fischer was one of the key players in Meta VP Marketing success. Fischer Chief Revenue officer of the company formerly known as Facebook, oversaw the expansion of its advertising revenue from a modest scale to a massive one that reaches over 200 million businesses globally.
Fischer left Meta in 2021, saying that he felt it was a good time to explore other options after growing the business to such a high level. He also said he needed a break and wanted to have more time with his family. His break was brief though. Not long after quitting Meta, he was reached out by Antler, a Singapore-founded venture capital firm and startup studio. Antler’s founder and CEO, Magnus Grimeland, had attended Harvard with Mark Zuckerberg and had known Fischer via Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who Fischer had worked for in the 90s.
Antler offered Fischer a seat on its board of directors, where he would join other notable people such as Summers himself, B Capital Group vice chairman Sheila Patel, and hedge fund manager Nancy Zimmerman. Fischer agreed to the proposal and became an Antler board member in early 2022. What is Antler’s vision and what drew it to Fischer? Antler is a venture capital firm that also functions as a startup studio. It assists entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their businesses from nothing by offering them funding, mentorship, network access, and talent matching.
Antler operates in 16 locations in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. It has backed over 300 startups since it was founded in 2017, in different sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, e-commerce, and more. Antler was interested in Fischer for its board because of his vast experience and expertise in marketing and scaling businesses globally. Fischer has a solid record of building and leading teams, creating innovative products and solutions, and driving revenue growth for Meta and other companies he has worked with.
Fischer said he was astonished by Antler’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs to solve real problems and create positive impact. He also said he was delighted to work with Antler’s diverse and talented team of partners, advisors, founders, and portfolio companies. As an Antler board member, Fischer will provide strategic guidance and advice to Antler’s leadership team and portfolio companies. He will also utilize his network and connections to help Antler increase its presence and reach in new markets.
Fischer’s move from Meta to Antler shows that he is not afraid to take on new challenges and opportunities. He is also passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs who are building the future of technology.
