Fundraising Fox

Semil Shah

InvestorFounder

Founder and General Partner at Haystack

Mill Valley, California, United States

Writes $250K – $1.5M checks

FoundedHaystack

Midas 2026 · #98

About

Semil Shah entered venture via startups and consulting, founded his firm in 2013, brings deal flow and networks, is a prolific writer, and acts as a hybrid investor/venture partner.

Contact· published on Semil's own website

Invests in

Data & InfrastructureDeep TechDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareHardwareSaaS

Founder at Haystack

Intro paths

In turn, Semil can intro founders to Haystack's investors below.

Experience

  1. HaystackGeneral Partnercurrent2013 — presentMenlo Park, CA
  2. Lightspeed Venture PartnersVenture Partnercurrent2018 — presentMenlo Park, CA

Colleagues at Haystack

Network9

Investors connected to Semil in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Semil Shah?
Semil Shah entered venture via startups and consulting, founded his firm in 2013, brings deal flow and networks, is a prolific writer, and acts as a hybrid investor/venture partner.
Where does Semil Shah work?
Semil Shah is Founder of Haystack and Founder and General Partner at Haystack.
What does Semil Shah invest in?
Semil Shah invests in Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Developer Tools, Enterprise Software, Hardware, SaaS.
What check size does Semil Shah write?
Semil Shah typically writes checks of $250K – $1.5M.
What companies did Semil Shah found?
Semil Shah founded Haystack.
Where did Semil Shah go to school?
Semil Shah studied at Harvard University (Master's, Economic Development and Strategy); University of Michigan (BA, History).

Founder mafias

Same school