Ali Tamaseb
InvestorGeneral Partner at DCVC (Data Collective) · Board director at Reality Defender
San Francisco Bay Area
Writes $5M – $25M checks · typically $15M
About
Ali Tamaseb is a General Partner at DCVC who uses a data-driven approach to back founders and runs the Superfounders Club network. He authored the best-selling book Super Founders and several ML/AI academic papers, and previously founded and led a startup as CEO, having invested for DCVC in areas including crypto, fintech, healthcare, biomed, materials, and construction.
Contact· self-published, not guessed
Invests in
BiotechCrypto & Web3FintechHealthtechNew Materials
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Tamaseb founded and scaled a hardware startup to millions in revenue.
- Education
- Studied at Imperial College London (biomedical engineering) Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Communities
- Tamaseb runs the Superfounders Club.
- Awards
- Tamaseb received the Imperial College President's Medal. Tamaseb earned the British Alumni Award.
- More
- Tamaseb authored five academic papers on machine learning and AI.
From published sources — common ground for a warm intro.
Board director at Reality DefenderYC W22
Intro paths
YC
Ali went through Y Combinator (Winter 2022) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Brad Flora, Backing expeditions into the future — the partner who ran Reality Defender's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
→
In turn, Ali can intro founders to Reality Defender's investors below.
Reality Defender's investors · 15
Amino CapitalPalo Alto · $100K – $10M checksArgon VenturesBoston · $250K – $500K checksBooz Allen Venturessince 2024DCVC (Data Collective)Palo Alto · $5M – $25M checks · since 2023Evolution VC PartnersNew YorkEx/AnteBrooklyn · since 2023FPVJackson · $100K – $5M checksFusionPalo Alto · $500K – $1M checksGutbrain VenturesBostonIlluminate FinancialLondon · $1M – $8M checks · since 2024New North VenturesPortsmouth · $1M checksParameter VenturesNew York · since 2023Rackhouse Venture Management LpSan Francisco · $250K checksSamsung NextSan Jose · $100K – $5M checks · since 2025Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2022
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Co-founders at Reality Defender
Experience
- DCVCGeneral Partnercurrent2018 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Super Founders ClubFoundercurrent2021 — present
- San Francisco Compute CompanyInvestor - Board Directorcurrent2025 — present
- Reality DefenderInvestor - Board Directorcurrent2023 — present
- ElectronXInvestor - Board Observercurrent2024 — present
- plotlogicInvestor - Board Directorcurrent2019 — present
- Medical Informatics CorpInvestor - Board Directorcurrent2020 — present
- all.healthInvestor - Board Observercurrent2025 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- humans&Investorcurrent2026 — present
- SenecaInvestorcurrent2025 — present
- SkyfireInvestorcurrent2025 — present
- Sygaldry TechnologiesInvestorcurrent2025 — present
- MosaicMLInvestorcurrent2021 — present
- Enhanced RadarInvestorcurrent2025 — present
- Chai DiscoveryInvestorcurrent2025 — present
- OdysseyInvestorcurrent2023 — present
- Relay.appInvestorcurrent2023 — present
- QuiltInvestorcurrent2023 — present
- ResilienceInvestorcurrent2021 — present
- MessariInvestorcurrent2021 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- StarkWareInvestorcurrent2018 — present
- Tomato.aiInvestorcurrent2022 — present
- CompoundInvestorcurrent2022 — present
- Nest Genomics (YC W22)Investorcurrent2022 — present
- FormicInvestorcurrent2021 — presentChicago, Illinois, United States
- PanoInvestorcurrent2021 — present
- KettleInvestorcurrent2021 — present
- AxelarInvestorcurrent2020 — present
- Atom ComputingInvestorcurrent2019 — present
- EARTH AIInvestorcurrent2019 — present
- C16 BiosciencesInvestorcurrent2018 — present
- Blocks WearablesCo-Founder/CEO2013 — 2017London, United Kingdom
- EstaakFounder/CEO2009 — 2011Tehran, Iran
Skills & more
Matlab68Entrepreneurship99Start-ups99Fundraising76Human Computer Interaction46Biomedical Engineering81Signal Processing68Neural Interfaces17Image Processing56Pattern Recognition32Algorithms43Machine Learning31
Languages English · Farsi
- Private Pilot License — Federal Aviation Administration
From Ali's professional profile.
Deals · 1
Reality DefenderBoard seat
via DCVC (Data Collective) · filed Oct 2023 · $20.1M raise
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Other disclosed investments
Board seats
Medical Informatics
Per SEC Form D filings.
Colleagues at DCVC (Data Collective)
Alan Cohen
General Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Allyson Kaufman
Investor Relations Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Anna Fokina
Investment Director DCVC Bio at DCVC (Data Collective)
Cara Yesko
Associate at DCVC (Data Collective)
Chris Boshuizen
Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Christopher Meldrum
Entrepreneur In Residence, DCVC Bio at DCVC Bio
Clay Hutmacher
Operating Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Dr. Emily Park
Principal, DCVC Bio at DCVC (Data Collective)
Network13
Alan CohenScout
General Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Alexander RossScout
General Partner & Head of New York at Illuminate Financial
Anna FokinaScout
Investment Director DCVC Bio at DCVC (Data Collective)
Austin OgilvieScout
Angel investor
Chris BoshuizenScout
Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Christina BrodbeckScout
Investor at Rivet Ventures
Eric Shiozaki, PhDScout
Partner at Revelation Partners
Frances SchwiepScout
Partner at Two Sigma Ventures
James HardimanScout
General Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Jason PontinScout
General Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Matt OckoScout
Founder and Managing Partner at DCVC (Data Collective)
Irfan Ahmad
Investor at DCVC (Data Collective)
▶1 more connections
Investors connected to Ali in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Ali Tamaseb?
- Ali Tamaseb is a General Partner at DCVC who uses a data-driven approach to back founders and runs the Superfounders Club network. He authored the best-selling book Super Founders and several ML/AI academic papers, and previously founded and led a startup as CEO, having invested for DCVC in areas including crypto, fintech, healthcare, biomed, materials, and construction.
- Where does Ali Tamaseb work?
- Ali Tamaseb is General Partner at DCVC (Data Collective) and Board director at Reality Defender.
- What does Ali Tamaseb invest in?
- Ali Tamaseb invests in Biotech, Crypto & Web3, Fintech, Healthtech, New Materials.
- What check size does Ali Tamaseb write?
- Ali Tamaseb typically writes checks of $5M – $25M.
- What boards does Ali Tamaseb sit on?
- Ali Tamaseb holds tracked board seats at Medical Informatics, Reality Defender.
- Where did Ali Tamaseb go to school?
- Ali Tamaseb studied at Stanford University Graduate School of Business (SIGM, General Management); Imperial College London (Biomedical Engineering); University of Tehran (Electrical Engineering).
- What awards has Ali Tamaseb received?
- Tamaseb received the Imperial College President's Medal. Tamaseb earned the British Alumni Award.
Same school
Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business1,384
Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at Homebrew
+ 1,378 more
Also attended Imperial College London499
Deji SasegbonVP, Platform & Portfolio Operations at EchoVC PartnersMadison LenormandInvestor at DaphniPauline BoucherInvestor at DaphniLoubaba El AyoubiInvestor at NorthzoneGiovanni MariggiInvestor at MedicxiFrancois PrinslooInvestor at Medicxi
+ 493 more
Also attended University of Tehran12
Hani GoodarziFounder, Tahoe Therapeutics at Amplify PartnersNarges BaniasadiVenture Partner at Think+ Ventures Management, LlcRamin KhaksarInvestor at DigitalDx VenturesSaeed NeyshabouriHead of Acceleration Calgary at QAI VenturesPeyvand MelatiGeneral Partner at Archangel Network of FundsSamaneh AshooriSenior Program Manager, NGIF Emissions Testing Centre, NGIF Accelerator at NGIF Capital
+ 6 more
