Startup kingpin David Tisch steps down as head of TechStars NY

Angel investor David Tisch says he is scaling down his involvement in startup incubator TechStars NY. The scion of the Tisch clan made a name for himself at the center of tech life in NYC’s by funding or incubating many of the stronger young companies to emerge in NYC over the last two years: GroupMe, Fab, Onswipe, Branch and IFTTT to name a few. That and starring as the irascible main character on the Bloomberg TV reality show, Techstars, that put New York’s tech scene in the spotlight. Watching where he ends up could say a lot about where the world of seed stage investing is headed in the near future.

The New York branch of TechStars, a mentor-based program that operates in several cities, has helped fund companies like personal assistant setup Fancy Hands and 4G hotspot provider Karma, a total of 36 companies in all since Tisch co-founded the New York branch in 2010. Tisch says he’s stepping down from his current post as Managing Director. He will continue to help pick, mentor, and fund companies that participate in TechStars, and he’ll be investing in other startups as well.

As for what’s next, Tisch hasn’t said. He appears to have a new project lined up, and he’s promised to reveal more information soon. Perhaps he should take a word of his own sage advice from the Bloomberg reality series, “Don’t blow this fucking opportunity.”