Fundraising Fox

Haystack

Venture capitalActively deployingoperating company · company profile

San Francisco · Pre-Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked

Also known as HAYSTACK MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC · Haystack Ventures

Find your way into Haystack

724 people in our graph share verified history with the Haystack team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Crystal Huangunlockedknows Semil Shah · together at Harvard University (overlapped)
×6knows the team · via Harvard University
×3knows the team · via University of Michigan
knows the team · via Duke University
knows the team · via Lightspeed Venture Partners
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Investment thesis

Haystack invests at the initial chapters of software and technology startup formation. Operating as a small team of investors, it partners closely with founders, limited partners, operators, and industry contacts. The firm typically writes initial checks of $1M to $3M and is willing to either lead or participate in rounds.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 15, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Series A
Check
$1M – $3M
HQ
San Francisco, CA, US
Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2013
Last 12 months
10 investments
Private fund assets
$671M
VC funds
17
Tracked investments
104

Team · 3 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Thomas Lehrman· General Partner

What they invest in

from 92 of 104 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×42SaaS ×37Enterprise Software ×35Developer Tools ×19Data & Infrastructure ×15Consumer ×13Fintech ×12Deep Tech ×9

HQs:United States×63United Kingdom×2Brazil×1Canada×1China×1Ireland×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 17 portfolio companies
18%
solo founders
3 of 17 mapped founding teams
46%
repeat founders
of 24 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×32 founders×83 founders×44+ founders×2

Where their founders studiedfrom 23 founders with education data

Stanford University ×4Harvard University ×3Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×2Yale University ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with field-of-study data

Computer Science ×12Engineering ×6Business & Management ×4Economics ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 24 founders with career history

Facebook ×4Founders Fund ×2Square ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Y Combinator ×6

3 hold an MBA (of 26 with degree data)

Investments · 104 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 62025 · 52024 · 52023 · 42022 · 92021 · 72020 · 12018 · 12016 · 12015 · 241 dated

DoorDashdoordash.comin𝕏NASDAQ: DASH

DoorDash operates a restaurant delivery platform that connects customers with dining establishments across hundreds of cities in North America through a logistics network.

ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechMarketplacesSan Francisco, US

Tony Xu(Co-founder & CEO)inAndy Fang(Co-founder & CTO)inStanley Tang(Co-founder & CPO)inGergely Nemeth(Senior Engineering Manager)in

Co-investorsA*BoxGroupBrave CapitalCoatue ManagementCRV (Charles River Ventures)Day One Ventures+24 more

Figmafigma.comin𝕏NYSE: FIG

Figma is a collaborative design platform that enables teams to create apps, websites, and products through shared design tools integrated with development workflows and AI-powered design assistance.

Developer ToolsSaaSSan Francisco, US

Evan Wallace(Co-Founder (former Chief Technology Officer))Dylan Field(Co-founder & CEO)inPraveer Melwani(Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer)inKris Rasmussen(Chief Technology Officer)inShaunt Voskanian(Chief Revenue Officer)inBrendan Mulligan(General Counsel & Secretary)in

Co-investors137 VenturesAlkeon InnovationAmplify.LAAndreessen HorowitzAtlassian VenturesBase Partners+26 more

Instacartinstacart.comin𝕏NASDAQ: CART

Instacart operates a marketplace connecting grocery retailers with customers who order food and household items for same-day delivery or in-store pickup, serving millions of households across North America through partnerships with over 350 retailers.

ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechSan Francisco, US

Apoorva Mehta(Founder & CEO)inBrandon Leonardo(Founder)inMax Mullen(Founder)in

Co-investorsA*Andreessen HorowitzBACKGROUND CAPITALBling CapitalBright Pixel CapitalCanaan Partners+29 more

Opendooropendoor.comin𝕏NASDAQ: OPEN

Opendoor offers instant cash offers for residential properties through real estate agents, allowing sellers to choose between a fast sale or list the home later.

B2B MarketplacesE-commerceMarketplacesPropTechPhoenix, US

Eric Wu(Co-founder)inKeith Rabois(Co-founder)inKaz Nejatian(Chief Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsA*Andreessen HorowitzBlue Lion GlobalCoatue ManagementCrunchFundFelicis Ventures+23 more

Frontierfrontieraudio.com✓ verified

Frontier develops a platform for frontline teams and crews to maintain secure communication and operational coordination.

Defense TechEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkLogistics & Supply ChainChicago, US

Co-investorsLMNT VenturesGenius VenturesZigg CapitalChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)

Kintohubkintohub.comin𝕏✓ verifiedAcquired

Kintohub provides a platform that enables developers to build, deploy, and operate modular code units while managing costs and reliability at scale.

Cloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSaaS

Joseph Cooper(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsAngular Ventures

Patina Systemspatinasystems.com𝕏✓ verified

Patina Systems builds Angles, an AI-powered photos app for consumers that offers natural-language photo search, similar-content browsing, and auto-updating albums, with an on-device ML stack for speed and privacy.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerNew York, US

Tyler Angertin

Co-investorsAir Street CapitalMoth Fund

Polar Signalspolarsignals.com𝕏✓ verifiedAcquired

Polar Signals develops software performance and reliability tooling, including continuous profiling, to help developers build faster and more reliable applications.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsClaymont, US

Frederic Branczyk(Founder & CEO)inThorbald Hansen(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsLightspeed Venture PartnersGV (Google Ventures)Spark CapitalLorimer VenturesAmplify Partners

Xbiomexbiome.com✓ verified

未知君 (XBiome) develops microbiome-based therapeutics and diagnostics using AI-driven bioengineering, targeting diseases including cancer immunotherapy, inflammatory conditions, and autism through live bacterial therapeutics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesBeijing, CN

Co-investorsGaorong CapitalMorningside Venture Capital LimitedHike CapitalLegend CapitalPrimavera Venture Management Limited

1Confirmation1confirmation.com𝕏

1confirmation is an early-stage venture fund that backs founders working on decentralization of the web.

Crypto & Web3

Nick Tomaino(Founder)in

Co-investorsDarco CapitalRuna CapitalPropel Venture Partners

Aestheticaesthetic.comin𝕏

Aesthetic uses AI to generate images based on a user's personal visual style, producing results in seconds.

AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareNew York City, US

Nate Smith(Founder/CEO)inMatthew Trost(Founder/CTO)inAndrew Look(Founder)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorSignalFireVIEWPOINT VENTURES

AlphaXivalphaxiv.orgin𝕏Nov 2025 · $7M

alphaXiv is a platform that connects academic papers, researchers, and organizations, providing AI-grounded answers based on underlying research work.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechMedia & Entertainment

Rehaan Ahmad(Founder)inLino Le Van(Founder)in

Co-investorsSHAKTIUpfront VenturesMenlo Ventures

Andurilanduril.comin

Anduril builds autonomous systems and software for defense and military applications, including attack aviation, unmanned aircraft, and underwater vehicles, unified by an autonomy platform.

AI & Machine LearningDefense TechHardwareRobotics

Palmer Luckey(Founder)inBrian Schimpf(CEO)inTrae Stephens(Founder)in

Co-investors137 Ventures1Flourish Capital8VCAltra VentureAndreessen HorowitzAnorak Ventures+82 more

Applied Intuitionappliedintuition.comin𝕏

Applied Intuition develops physical AI software for autonomous and intelligent machines, including vehicles, robots, ships, and satellites across industries like automotive, defense, logistics, and manufacturing.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareRoboticsSunnyvale, US

Qasar Younis(Co-founder and CEO)inPeter Ludwig(Co-founder and CTO)in

Co-investors137 VenturesAndreessen HorowitzCoatue ManagementElad GilEQUIAMFloodgate+22 more

Astranisastranis.comin𝕏

Astranis manufactures small, high-powered geosynchronous satellites equipped with advanced digital processing technology for global telecommunications and connectivity services.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US

John Gedmark(Founder/CEO)inRyan McLinko(Founder/CTO)in

Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzBlack FlagBoxGroupCantos VenturesCherubic VenturesCommonweal Ventures+38 more

Benchbench.coinFeb 2024 · $2.8M

Bench provides catch-up bookkeeping and tax resolution services for small business owners who have fallen behind on their books and back taxes.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSVancouver, US

Ian Crosby(Founder)in

Co-investorsAlpine MeridianCore Ventures GroupTechstarsBain CapitalFenwick & WestInovia Capital+2 more

BentoBoxgetbento.comin

BentoBox provides restaurant marketing and commerce solutions, now integrated into the Clover POS ecosystem.

Marketing TechMarketplacesSaaSNew York City, US

Krystle Mobayeni(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inPierre Drescher(Executive Officer, Promoter)

Co-investorsBullpen CapitalFemale FoundersLaunchCapitalRiverPark VenturesTechstarsThreshold Ventures+6 more

Bezibezi.comin𝕏Jul 2026

Bezi is an AI agent that operates within Unity to assist game developers with code generation, scene building, debugging, and automation tasks.

AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareGamingOakland, US

Cecilia Uhr(Co-founder and Chief Product Officer / Founding Designer)inJulian Park(Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer)inDenys Bastov(Co-founder and technical/security leader)in

BoardChetan Puttagunta(Director)inSusan Liu(Director / investor representative)in

Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersDesigner FundUncork Capital2.12 Angels8VCAdverb Ventures+15 more

Blockitblockit.comin𝕏Jan 2026

Blockit is an AI scheduling assistant that automates calendar management and responds to scheduling requests via email or Slack.

AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS

Co-investorsNext Play VenturesSequoia Capital

Boardboard.fun𝕏

Board makes physical, tabletop board games designed for in-person, face-to-face play, emphasizing tactile game pieces and inclusive design for players of all ages and skill levels.

ConsumerGamingHardware

Brynn Putnam

Co-investorsCoalition OperatorsIngeborg InvestmentsLerer HippeauUnion Square Ventures (USV)Patron

BrightHirebrighthire.cominOct 2021 · $20.5M

BrightHire offers deep integrations with applicant tracking systems that add hiring-focused features such as one-click scorecard completion, playable interview highlights, and click-to-call directly within the ATS.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSNew York City, US

Theodore Chestnut(Founder)in

Co-investorsFirebolt Ventures Management Company, LlcFlybridge Capital PartnersGround Up VenturesIndex VenturesNext Play Ventures01 Advisors

Bufbuf.buildin𝕏Dec 2021 · $93M

Buf Schema Registry is a package management and registry platform for Protobuf APIs that enables teams to publish, version, and consume API schemas with auto-generated SDKs, documentation, and governance policies.

Cloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsSaaS

Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalGarage CapitalLux CapitalAdditionAmplify Partners CVGreenoaks+2 more

Buf TechnologiesNov 2021 · $93M

Buf Technologies builds Protobuf-based, schema-driven developer tooling for APIs, including the open-source Buf CLI and Buf Schema Registry.

Buffalo, US

Peter Edge(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalAdditionAmplify Partners CVGarage CapitalGreenoaksLightspeed Venture Partners+2 more

Camblycambly.comin𝕏

Cambly connects language learners with tutors for online English instruction.

EdTechFuture of WorkSan Francisco, US

Sameer Shariff(Founder)inKevin Law(Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer / learning leader)in

Co-investors500 GlobalAUTHENTIC VENTURESBessemer Venture PartnersChapter OneMONASHEESRitual Capital+4 more

Canvascanvas.incin𝕏Jul 2022 · $24M

Canvas builds a continual-improvement system for organizations deploying AI agents in production, automating the feedback loop that learns from agent behavior, proposes updates, and applies improvements to enterprise workflows including sales and account management.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US

Essam Sleiman(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorFoundryIA VenturesInspired CapitalM13Trilogy Equity Partners+1 more

Canvascanvas.xyzJul 2022 · $24M

Canvas builds a toolchain for running applications in secure enclaves or Trusted Execution Environments, enabling software to run with verification, autonomy, and privacy properties.

Cloud ComputingCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Co-investorsHash3 CapitalFoundryIA VenturesInspired CapitalM13Trilogy Equity Partners+1 more

Canvas Medicalcanvasmedical.comin𝕏Jul 2022 · $24M

Canvas Medical develops a customizable and extensible electronic medical record (EMR) platform for ambulatory clinics, featuring developer tools, APIs, and AI capabilities like clinical co-pilots to automate workflows in scheduling, charting, and billing.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaS

Andrew Hines(Founder)in

Co-investorsInspired CapitalUpfront VenturesVillage GlobalWestern Technology InvestmentIA VenturesiSeed+2 more

Cartacarta.comin𝕏

Carta is a cloud-based ERP platform for private capital markets that manages cap tables, equity administration, fund management, and valuations for startups, private companies, and venture funds globally.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Henry Ward(Co-founder)inManu Kumar(Co-founder)inCharly Kevers(Chief Financial Officer)inJeff Perry(Chief Revenue Officer)inNick Avery(Chief People Officer)inNicole Baer(Chief Marketing Officer)in

Co-investorsA*Align VenturesAmity VenturesAndreessen HorowitzAnthemis VentureDraper Associates+35 more

Castlecastle.xyz

Castle is a platform for creating, playing, and sharing games built by a community of creators.

ConsumerCreator EconomyGaming

Co-investorsRed Swan VenturesBoost VCScript CapitalWinklevoss Capital

Chariotgivechariot.comin𝕏

Chariot builds financial infrastructure for donor-advised fund (DAF) giving, connecting donors, nonprofits, and platforms to enable faster, verified charitable donations and payouts.

FintechImpact & Social GoodSaaSNew York City, US

Salomon Serfati(Founder)inAaron Kahane(Founder)inDrew Schneider(Founder)in

Co-investorsHAWKTAILMaven VenturesMaveronY CombinatorAndreessen HorowitzUncork Capital

Chariotchariot.comAcquired

Chariot operates a shared commuting service that uses optimized routing to transport multiple passengers between home and work destinations.

ConsumerMobility & TransportationSan Francisco, US

Romain Di Vuolo(Founder)in

Co-investorsMaven VenturesY CombinatorAndreessen HorowitzUncork Capital

Citizencitizen.com𝕏

Citizen operates a platform that aggregates real-time public safety information and alerts to help communities stay informed and respond to emergencies.

ConsumerSocial

Andrew Frame(Founder)in

Co-investors8VCBreyer CapitalCity LightEthos VCGreycroftLux Capital+5 more

Codes Healthcodeshealth.cominSep 2024

Codes Health provides medical record retrieval and case analysis services for plaintiff law firms.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechLegalTechNew York City, US

Cody Durr(Founder)inAustin Mills(Founder)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorGeneral CatalystNight Capital

Codes Healthgetcodeshealth.cominSep 2024

Codes Health provides medical record retrieval services for plaintiff law firms, using AI and human-assisted processes to obtain complete medical records, billing documents, and case summaries for settlement negotiations.

LegalTech

Co-investorsNight CapitalGeneral CatalystY Combinator

Conductor AI

AI startup using AI to cut through government red tape.

Conductor AIconductorai.coinMar 2025 · $15M

Conductor AI builds the Conduit platform, which ingests complex policy documents and encodes expert processes into AI-powered agentic workflows for document review, approval, agentic search, and redaction.

AI & Machine LearningDefense TechGovTechBiddeford, US

Eric Schwartz(Executive Officer, Director)inBen Fichter(Founder)inZachary Long(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsAbstract VenturesBooz Allen VenturesBungalow CapitalHumba VenturesLux CapitalAlt Capital

Emerge Toolsemergetools.comin𝕏Nov 2021 · $1.7MAcquired

Emerge Tools provides mobile performance and competitor analysis tools for iOS and Android development teams, enabling measurement of app size, performance regressions, and competitive benchmarking without requiring source code access.

AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareLos Angeles, US

Josh Cohenzadeh(Founder)inNoah Martin(Founder)in

Co-investorsMatrixY Combinator

Enigma Labsenigmalabs.io𝕏

Enigma develops a platform for collecting, analyzing, and sharing reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings from a global community of observers.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeep TechSector Agnostic

Co-investorsDria VenturesKindred VenturesFJ Labs

Exaexa.aiin𝕏

Exa is an AI-powered search API that retrieves high-quality information from the web in real-time, designed for AI agents, developers, and applications that require precise natural-language search capabilities.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US

William Bryk(co-founder/CEO)inJeffrey Wang(Founder)inWalden Yan(Co-Founder)Will Bryk(Founder)in

Co-investors137 VenturesAndreessen HorowitzFelicis VenturesHelium-3 VenturesLightspeed Venture PartnersSLVC+9 more

Exa LabsinAug 2021

AI-native web search and research infrastructure providing neural retrieval, page contents, structured extraction, monitoring and research-agent APIs to developers and enterprises.

Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US

Jeffrey Wang(Executive Officer, Director)inWilliam (Will) Bryk(Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer)Jeffrey (Jeff) Wang(Co-founder)inMarcus Holm(Chief Revenue Officer)in

BoardGuru Chahal(Director; Lightspeed Partner)inSarah Wang (reported)(Board member (Andreessen Horowitz))

Co-investorsNVenturesSoma CapitalWndrCoY CombinatorAndreessen HorowitzBenchmark+1 more

Filament LabsOct 2015

Austin-based health software company behind Patient IO, an API-first platform for delivering mobile care plans to patients.

Austin, US

Colin Anawaty(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Jason Bornhorst(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardKyle Armbrester(Director)

Co-investorsBullpen CapitalCrosslink CapitalDigital Currency GroupMercury FundSamsung VenturesTechstars+2 more

Finleyfinleycms.comin𝕏Nov 2022Acquired

Finley provides software to banks and asset managers that automates debt capital management, due diligence, compliance, and reporting for asset-backed finance, private credit, and structured finance.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Jeremy Tsui(Co-founder & CEO)inKevin Suh(Co-founder)inJosiah Tsui(Co-founder)in

BoardJames Green(Director)in

Co-investorsCRV (Charles River Ventures)Upper90Y CombinatorBain Capital VenturesTwenty Two Ventures

Flintwithflint.comin

Flint connects international and U.S.-based healthcare professionals with hospitals and care organizations offering direct employment and pathways to permanent residency, addressing the critical shortage of nurses in the United States.

HealthtechHR TechVancouver, CA

Kenton Jarvie(Founder)inAnson Kung(Founder)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorAudaciousMPG Fund

Hadrianhadrian.co

Hadrian operates AI-powered precision manufacturing factories for the aerospace and defense industrial base, producing precision components and offering manufacturing capacity as a service.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDefense TechRoboticsTorrance, US

Christopher Power(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Thomas Cobbs(Founder)in

BoardDelian Asparouhov(Director)inBrandon Reeves(Director)inKatherine Boyle(Director)inDayna Grayson(Director)in

Co-investors137 VenturesAndreessen HorowitzCapitalGConstruct CapitalFloodgateFounders Fund+8 more

HashiCorphashicorp.comAcquired

HashiCorp builds multi-cloud infrastructure automation and security tools such as Terraform and Vault; an IBM subsidiary since 2025.

San Francisco, US

Mitchell Hashimoto(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Armon Dadgar(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inDavid McJannet(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardScott Raney(Director)inGlenn Solomon(Director)inRobin Vasan(Director)in

Co-investorsAmplify PartnersBessemer Venture PartnersCisco InvestmentsFounders Circle CapitalGeodesic CapitalICONIQ+10 more

Haushaus.ioin𝕏

Haus operates an AI-powered incrementality measurement platform with data science tools and expert guidance to help companies evaluate and optimize their marketing and ad spend.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Zach Epstein(Founder)in

Co-investors01 AdvisorsSauce.vc

Haus Analytics

A leading marketing measurement platform.

Hdwlatch.cominAcquired

A company that provides access control and building management solutions, extending beyond traditional locks to support the full operational ecosystem of buildings.

Enterprise SoftwareIoTPropTech

Co-investorsAlpaca VCAnsa CapitalAvenir Growth CapitalCalibrate VenturesCamber CreekCorigin Ventures+11 more

Headoutheadout.comin𝕏

Headout operates a global marketplace that connects travelers with local experiences, activities, and attractions across multiple countries.

ConsumerMarketplacesTravel & HospitalityNew York, US

Varun Khona(CEO)inSuren Sultania(COO)inVikram Jit Singh(Executive Officer, Director)inRachit Watts(CTO)in

Co-investors500 GlobalEvolvence India FundFundersClubLudlow VenturesVersion One VenturesFJ Labs+1 more

Hiredhired.cominDec 2015acquired by LHH (Adecco Group)

LHH provides talent solutions including recruitment, staffing, and executive search, supported by proprietary people analytics, serving organizations and job candidates.

B2B MarketplacesFuture of WorkHR TechSan Francisco, US

Douglas Feirstein(Director)Matthew Mickiewicz(Executive Officer, Director)Allan Grant(Executive Officer)Mehul Patel(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardTimothy Guleri(Director)inEric Chin(Director)in

Co-investorsComcast VenturesLumia CapitalNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)Crosslink CapitalSierra Ventures

Imageimagen.ioin𝕏Acquired

Imagen builds a video management platform designed to help clients make video content measurable, manageable, and profitable.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareMedia & EntertainmentSaaSLondon, GB

Anthony BlakePaul McConkey

Co-investorsCambridge Innovation CapitalGuinness VenturesCadenzaMenlo VenturesScript Capital

Integralintegral.xyzin𝕏

Integral is a crypto accounting and financial management platform built for web3 businesses, handling bookkeeping, treasury, tax compliance, and auditing for cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and other digital assets.

Crypto & Web3FintechSaaS

Gui Laliberté(Founder)

Co-investorsFranklin TempletonCoinbase VenturesElectric CapitalRecall CapitalAlso CapitalArray Ventures Management Llc+7 more

Integralintegral.aiin𝕏

Integral AI builds interactive world models, an agent generation platform for creating digital and real-world agents, and a multimodal input/output interface.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechRobotics

Jad Tarifi(Founder)inNima Asgharbeygi(Founder)in

Co-investorsGrit VenturesSamsung NextValkyrieAlso CapitalArray Ventures Management LlcCaffeinated Capital+5 more

Integraluseintegral.comin𝕏

Integral provides a platform that assesses re-identification risk, applies signal-preserving privacy remediation, and produces audit-ready documentation to prepare real-world sensitive data for AI and analytics.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Shubh Sinha(Founder)in

Co-investorsArray Ventures Management LlcCircle & Co.GreatPoint VenturesLifeX VenturesVirtue VenturesAlso Capital+3 more

Ironcladironcladapp.comin𝕏Sep 2018 · $150M

Ironclad is an AI platform for digital contract management that helps companies execute faster deals, reduce contract surprises, and measure value.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Jason Boehmig(Founder/CEO)inCai GoGwilt(Director)Jason Springer(Chief Executive Officer)Jeremy Smith(President)inVedavati Verma(Chief Technology Officer)Jason Herman(Chief Product Officer)

Co-investors500 GlobalAccelAmplo VenturesBetter Tomorrow VenturesElevate VenturesEmergence Capital Partners+19 more

Kineticwearkinetic.cominOct 2023 · $10M

Kinetic provides smart injury reduction technology integrated into workers' compensation policies, using wearable devices and AI-powered analytics to reduce workplace injuries and manage claims more effectively.

EdTechFintechHealthtechInsurTechIoTNew York City, US

Haytham Elhawary(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsCity LightCrosslink CapitalR/GA VenturesSIP Global PartnersSoundboard Venture FundTechstars+7 more

Kinetickinetic.autoin𝕏Oct 2023 · $10M

Kinetic builds hardware, robotics, and AI systems for automotive repair, helping service providers diagnose and repair modern vehicles with precision and speed.

AI & Machine LearningHardwareRoboticsCosta Mesa, US

Sander Marques(Founder)in

Co-investorsAutomotive Ventures MobilityConstruct CapitalMenlo VenturesAutomotive VenturesBalerion Space VenturesLux Capital

Kinetickinetic.xyz𝕏Oct 2023 · $10M

Kinetic is a decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Solana blockchain that lets users swap and trade over one million tokens with routing algorithms for efficient pricing and fast execution.

Crypto & Web3Fintech

Co-investorsAbstract VenturesAutomotive VenturesBalerion Space VenturesConstruct CapitalLiberty Mutual Strategic VenturesLux Capital

Livelywearlively.comAcquired

Lively is a direct-to-consumer intimates brand selling bras and related apparel in a wide range of band and cup sizes as well as standard clothing sizes.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Co-investorsNotable CapitalCostanoa VenturesInterplay Ventures Early Stage Management LlcLiquid VenturesPJCStreamlined Ventures+2 more

Lively, Inc.livelyme.comin𝕏

Lively provides AI-powered customer service and support for the benefits administration industry, combining intelligent technology with human representatives to resolve employee and customer inquiries.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechHealthtechHR TechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Alex Cyriac(Founder/CEO)inShobin Uralil(Founder/COO)in

Co-investorsB Capital GroupB4 CapitalCostanoa VenturesFifty YearsFundersClubLobby Capital+9 more

Exits · 6

IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolio

DoorDashNASDAQ: DASHFigmaNYSE: FIGInstacartNASDAQ: CARTOpendoorNASDAQ: OPENHiredacq. by LHH (Adecco Group)Materiaacq. by Thomson Reuters

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Haystack made?
Haystack has 26 tracked investments, 5 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO.
What stage does Haystack invest at?
Haystack invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
What is Haystack's typical check size?
Haystack typically writes checks of $1M – $3M.
What sectors does Haystack focus on?
Haystack focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Enterprise Software, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Haystack located?
Haystack is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Does Haystack lead rounds?
Yes, Haystack leads investment rounds.
Who does Haystack co-invest with?
Haystack most often shares deals with Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Coatue Management, among 169 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

How Semil Shah Built Haystack

The Peel with Turner Novak · Semil Shah

Haystack Partner Semil Shah on the State of Venture and Almost Investing in Coinbase

The Logan Bartlett Show · Semil Shah

#43 - Aashay Sanghvi (Investor @ Haystack) Hype cycle of a venture career

ConfluenceVC · Aashay Sanghvi

Wide World of News - A Conversation with Semil Shah from Haystack

Walking Duck · Semil Shah

Semil Shah, Creator of Haystack Fund | Product Hunt LIVE

Product Hunt · Semil Shah

Images

Haystack photo

Co-investors · 7

Lux Capital

Lux Capital is a venture capital firm that backs founders building transformative deep technologies, having been among the first investors in category-defining companies across AI, robotics, biotech, defense, and infrastructure.

$100K – $100M
Benchmark

Benchmark is a venture capital firm with offices in San Francisco and Woodside that invests in early-stage startups.

$100K – $30M
Fuel Capital

VC Firm committed to standing in their founder's corner, not their kitchen.

Both backed · 3
$500K – $1M
Construct Capital

Construct Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm backing founders rebuilding foundational industries such as manufacturing, logistics, defense, and energy.

Both backed · 2
$2M – $6M
Alt Capital

Alt Capital is a 2023-founded San Francisco firm that has built an unusually large early-stage portfolio (40+ companies) in just two years, functioning as a tiny team that writes $1-25M checks like a much larger institutional fund but maintains direct founder relationships. The firm differentiates itself through founder Jack Altman's operator background (previously built Lattice) and "founder-philosopher-led" approach, quickly becoming a preferred co-investor for top-tier firms like Sequoia and Y Combinator in competitive AI and software rounds.

Both backed · 2
$1M – $10M
Battery Ventures

Battery Ventures is a global investment firm that has backed more than 450 companies over its 40-year history, operating its investment staff as a single global unit.

Both backed · 1
$500K – $100M
Inovia Capital

Inovia Capital is a full-stack venture capital firm based in Canada with a presence in the EU, partnering with founders to build global technology companies.

Both backed · 1
$250K – $8M

Firms observed investing alongside Haystack, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Haystack's recorded portfolio.

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