Jess Bartos

Backing builders with global ambitions

A young idealist from America, I started my career as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Obama Administration, eager to put my economics training to work. But I quickly realized I was more drawn to backing builders than writing policy memos. I found myself financing infrastructure projects in some of the world’s riskiest markets—from SpaceX’s first launches to renewable energy and novel space propulsion. Negotiating with governments, navigating complex politics, and seeing ambitious projects succeed taught me that trust, shared purpose, and strong relationships are everything. Every business is a people business.

Walking the walk on Wall Street 

Chasing the intellectual challenge of high-stakes deals, I moved to Wall Street as an investment banker with Rothschild. Advising technology companies on strategic M&A, I realized the tools were financial, but the constant was human: success came from aligning people behind a shared vision to take big risks. Five years in (and having seen a lot of businesses’ ups and downs), I became convinced of the power of entrepreneurial individuals, the primacy of growth, and the unstoppable demand for technology. 

Backing the next generation of European SaaS Leaders

Venture capital investing was the natural next step. At AlbionVC and then Salesforce Ventures, I focused exclusively on backing software founders building the next generation of category leaders. With Salesforce Ventures, I got to see first-hand how the world’s premier B2B SaaS business builds, deepening my understanding of how founders succeed at scale. 

Growth investing at Notion Capital

Now at Notion Capital, Europe’s leading business software investor, I focus on growth-stage investments, partnering with founders to turn their audacious visions into reality. I bring my full energy to every collaboration, guided by authenticity, thoughtfulness, and a belief in positive-sum cooperation. I thrive on the moment when a founder articulates a fundamentally new insight – and shows you how they bring together the people and resources to deliver the vision. I’m driven by results, but also by Notion’s “have fun, make money” philosophy. That human dimension—that connection—is what makes this work so rewarding.

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