Fundraising Fox

Haystack

San Francisco · Pre-Seed–Seed · 1 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Haystack focuses on early-stage software and technology startups during their initial chapters of formation. The firm invests $1-3 million in initial rounds and can either lead or participate in these investments. Based on its portfolio, Haystack backs founders across software, infrastructure, design, marketplaces, and autonomous vehicle platforms.

Invests inSector AgnosticSan Francisco

Source: firm website, verified Jul 17, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
Check
$1M – $3M
HQ
San Francisco, US
Leads rounds
Leads
Founded
2013
Tracked investments
11

Team · 1 people

from the firm's website
Semil Shah

Founder of Haystack who has been an early-stage investor for over a decade with notable early investments in DoorDash, Instacart, Figma, Hashicorp, and Applied Intuition. Prior to investing, he held product and operational roles at early-stage startups, including one acquired by Apple. Named to Forbes Midas List for Seed Investors in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Investments · 11 tracked

  • Applied Intuition
  • Conductor AI
  • DoorDash
  • Exa
  • Figma
  • HashiCorp
  • Haus Analytics
  • Instacart
  • Nominal
  • Opendoor
  • Suno

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Haystack invest at?
Haystack invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is Haystack's typical check size?
Haystack typically writes checks of $1M – $3M.
What sectors does Haystack focus on?
Haystack focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Where is Haystack located?
Haystack is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Does Haystack lead rounds?
Yes, Haystack leads investment rounds.

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