Felicis Ventures
Seed and early-stage fund with a global outlook, backing category-creating companies in enterprise, consumer, and health.
Felicis is the real deal - they've earned their stripes with genuine founder loyalty and spectacular returns. Aydin Senkut's "always vote with founders" commitment is actually in their term sheets, not just marketing fluff. The 1% founder development pledge (coaching, therapy) is legit and founders rave about it. But here's the thing: they're drinking their own AI Kool-Aid hard right now. 70% AI-native portfolio means if you're not building something AI-adjacent, you might get politely passed over. They move fast (24 hours from meeting to term sheet) but that speed cuts both ways - they can also pivot away from sectors quickly when the winds change. Aydin's been on the Midas List for 12 straight years, so he's not some flash-in-the-pan super angel.
- —Best for: AI-first founders who want genuinely founder-aligned investors and fast decisions
- —Watch out for: Heavy AI bias means non-AI companies may struggle to get attention
- —Known for: Actual founder loyalty (votes with founders), speed, and consistent home runs
Felicis believes that "luck can be engineered" and backs founders building iconic companies that transcend boundaries. They focus on AI-native companies, with over 70% of their active portfolio being AI-first, believing that AI is becoming the foundational layer of modern technology stacks.
Primarily seed and Series A (94% of investments), with the ability to follow through to growth stages. While they claim to be sector agnostic, they're heavily focused on AI/infrastructure, health/biotech, cybersecurity, global resilience (defense/energy), and vertical SaaS. Over 70% AI-native portfolio shows clear bias despite generalist positioning.
Former Google employee #63 and first product manager who launched their first 10 international sites. On Forbes Midas List for 12 consecutive years (2014-2025). Built Felicis from a $4M solo fund to $900M institutional powerhouse. Known for his "10x or nothing" investment filter and hands-on founder support approach.
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