Founders Fund

Founders Fund is a contrarian, technology-focused venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, Ken Howery, and Luke Nosek in 2005. The firm is known for backing bold, unconventional ideas that other investors might dismiss, with a philosophy centered on supporting breakthrough technologies that can transform industries and society.

Founders Fund has invested in some of the most transformative companies including SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, Airbnb, Stripe, Neuralink, OpenAI, Anduril, and many others. The firm manages multi-billion dollar funds and invests across all stages from seed to late-stage growth.

What sets Founders Fund apart is their 'founder-friendly' investment approach and willingness to back technically ambitious, high-risk projects in deep tech, aerospace, biotech, AI, and frontier technologies. The firm famously asks: 'What important truth do very few people agree with you on?' - seeking founders building the future, not incremental improvements.

For ZHC builders, Founders Fund offers patient capital for ambitious technical visions, minimal interference (founder-focused governance), and a network of iconoclastic entrepreneurs and technologists. The firm is particularly interested in hard tech, AI/ML, space technology, biotech, and contrarian approaches to massive problems.

Investment Focus

• Deep Tech & Frontier Technology: Aerospace, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing
• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning: Foundation models, AI applications, robotics
• Space Technology: Launch systems, satellites, space infrastructure (SpaceX, Varda)
• Biotech & Healthcare: Gene therapy, longevity, novel therapeutics, medical devices
• Defense & National Security: Autonomous systems, defense tech (Anduril)
• Fintech & Crypto: Digital currencies, financial infrastructure (Stripe, Nubank)
• Enterprise Software: B2B platforms, developer tools, infrastructure
• Consumer Technology: Social platforms, marketplaces (when transformative)
• Energy & Climate: Next-generation energy, carbon reduction technologies
• Neurotechnology: Brain-computer interfaces (Neuralink)

Stage Focus

• Invests across all stages: Seed to late-stage growth
• Typical Investment Sizes:
  • Seed: $1M-$5M
  • Series A: $5M-$20M
  • Series B-C: $20M-$75M
  • Growth: $50M-$100M+
• Total range: $1M to $100M+ depending on opportunity and stage

Investment Philosophy

• Contrarian thinking: Back important truths few people agree with
• Founder-friendly: Minimal board interference, founder control prioritized
• Long-term orientation: Patient capital for ambitious technical visions
• Technical ambition: Prefer hard problems over easy businesses
• Mission-driven: Support technologies that advance civilization

Company Profile

• Founders tackling hard technical problems with breakthrough potential
• Contrarian or unconventional approaches to massive markets
• Deep technical expertise and domain knowledge
• Ambitious vision for transforming industries or creating new ones
• Defensible technology moats through innovation, not incremental improvement
• Mission-driven teams building for impact, not just returns

ZHC-Specific Fit

✅ Excellent for:

• Hard tech and deep tech innovations (aerospace, quantum, advanced materials)
• AI/ML companies with novel approaches or applications
• Space technology and infrastructure startups
• Biotech and life sciences breakthroughs
• Defense and national security technologies
• Contrarian approaches to massive, established markets
• Founders with bold technical visions others dismiss as impossible
• Companies requiring patient capital for long development cycles
• Mission-driven founders building transformative technologies

❌ Poor fit if:

• Incremental SaaS or consumer apps without deep innovation
• 'Me-too' businesses or copies of existing models
• Small addressable markets or niche applications
• Lack of technical differentiation or defensibility
• Founders seeking intensive operational support (hands-off approach)
• Conservative, conventional business approaches
• Short-term thinking or quick-flip mentality

Investment Process

Step	Timeline	Details
Introduction	-	Warm intros strongly preferred, cold outreach rarely succeeds
Initial review	1-2 weeks	Partner reviews pitch and materials
Partner meeting	1-2 weeks	Present vision and technical approach to partner
Diligence	2-6 weeks	Technical, market, and team assessment (varies by complexity)
Partnership decision	1-2 weeks	Internal discussion and vote
Term sheet	1 week	Clean, founder-friendly terms
Closing	2-4 weeks	Legal documentation and funding

Investment Approach

• Tactical contrarianism: Bold entries, rapid pivots, conviction-driven decisions
• Founder-first governance: Minimal board seats, founder control preserved
• High conviction, concentrated bets: Focus on winners, not spray-and-pray
• Patient capital: Support multi-year development cycles for hard tech
• Hands-off operational style: Available when needed, not micromanaging

Portfolio Highlights

• SpaceX: Revolutionizing space access and Mars colonization
• Palantir: Data analytics and AI platforms (co-founded by Peter Thiel)
• Stripe: Global payments infrastructure
• Neuralink: Brain-computer interface technology
• OpenAI: Advanced AI research and deployment
• Anduril: Autonomous defense systems
• Airbnb: Global accommodations marketplace
• Ramp: Corporate spend management
• Nubank: Digital banking (largest digital bank globally)
• Cognition: AI-powered software engineering
• Varda: Space manufacturing platforms
• Hadrian: Autonomous factories for aerospace

Recent Activity (2025)

• Continued investments in quantum computing, space tech, AI, defense
• Portfolio companies: Quantum Systems ($208M Series C), Kriya Therapeutics ($321M Series D), Varda Space ($187M Series C)
• Public markets: Tactical positions in tech leaders, contrarian pivots

What Makes Them Unique

• Co-founded by PayPal Mafia members (Thiel, Howery, Nosek)
• Proven track record backing 'impossible' ideas (SpaceX, Palantir, Neuralink)
• Willingness to fund long development cycles (10+ years)
• Focus on civilizational impact, not just financial returns
• Founder-friendly terms and minimal governance interference

• Official Website
• Portfolio
• Contact via warm introductions (no public contact form)
• LinkedIn
• Twitter/X

Key Partners:

• Peter Thiel (Co-founder, PayPal & Palantir co-founder)
• Brian Singerman (Partner)
• Delian Asparouhov (Partner)
• Cyan Banister (Partner)
• Trae Stephens (Partner, Anduril co-founder)
• John Luttig (Partner)

Note: Founders Fund values warm introductions through their network. Cold outreach is rarely successful.