Greylock — ZHC Institute

Description

Greylock Partners is one of Silicon Valley's most prestigious and longest-standing venture capital firms, founded in 1965. With over $3.5 billion in assets under management and 60 years of history, Greylock has backed some of the most iconic technology companies including Facebook, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Workday, Dropbox, and Figma.

Greylock operates with a focused, thesis-driven approach centered on early-stage investments in transformative consumer and enterprise software companies. The firm has invested in 476+ companies with a portfolio that includes 16 unicorns, 24 IPOs, and 224+ acquisitions.

Known for their hands-on partnership model and deep operational support, Greylock partners work intensively with founders from inception through exit. The firm emphasizes backing exceptional founding teams early, particularly in AI-native startups, cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, and developer tools.

For ZHC builders, Greylock offers patient capital, strategic guidance from legendary partners (including Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder), and access to an unparalleled network of portfolio companies and industry leaders. The firm is particularly focused on AI-first companies and software businesses with transformative potential.

Eligibility

Investment Focus

Enterprise Software & SaaS: Core historical strength with companies like Workday, Figma
AI and Machine Learning: AI-first focus across all sectors - seeking AI-native companies from inception
Cybersecurity: Active investor with portfolio including Abnormal AI, Apiiro, and others
Developer Tools & Infrastructure: Cloud infrastructure, data platforms, DevOps
Consumer Platforms: Social networks, marketplaces, and community-driven products
Fintech & Crypto: Digital banking, blockchain infrastructure, payments
Marketplace & Commerce: Two-sided marketplaces and e-commerce enablement

Stage Focus

Primary: Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A (80%+ of portfolio)
Also Active: Series B and growth rounds for existing portfolio
Typical Investment Sizes:
- Pre-seed: $500K-$2M (Greylock Edge program)
- Seed: $2M-$5M (average $4.22M round)
- Series A: $5M-$20M (average $14.5M round)
- Series B+: $10M-$75M for follow-on investments
Total Investment Range: $500K to $100M depending on stage and opportunity

Company Profile

Exceptional founding teams with technical depth and domain expertise
Clear vision to disrupt large, expanding markets
Innovative technology or business model with defensible moat
Demonstrated product-market fit or clear path to achieving it
Strong unit economics and scalability potential
Ability to become category-defining, market-leading companies

Special Programs

Greylock Edge: Flexible pre-seed program providing early strategic support and funding to founders at inception stage, even before traditional seed rounds.

ZHC-Specific Fit

✅ Excellent for:

AI-native startups building transformative products from day one
Enterprise SaaS with strong technical differentiation
Developer tools and infrastructure platforms
Cybersecurity innovations addressing modern threats
Founders seeking intensive, hands-on partnership and operational support
Companies targeting large enterprise markets with scalable business models
Technical founders with deep domain expertise
Startups ready for weekly engagement and strategic guidance

❌ Poor fit if:

Pre-product or pre-prototype stage without technical progress
Small niche markets without expansion potential
Services or consulting-based business models
Consumer businesses without network effects or viral growth
Companies preferring hands-off, passive investors
Incremental improvements without transformative potential

Application Process

Investment Process

Step	Timeline	Details
Warm introduction	-	Strongly preferred via portfolio founders, other VCs, or partners' networks
Initial partner meeting	1-2 weeks	Pitch presentation with relevant sector partner
Partner sponsorship	1 week	If interested, partner champions deal internally
Deep diligence	2-4 weeks	Product demos, customer references, market analysis, technical review
Partnership meeting	1-2 weeks	Full partner vote and investment committee decision
Term sheet	3-5 days	Investment terms and conditions
Legal and closing	2-4 weeks	Due diligence completion, documentation, funding

Engagement Philosophy

Hands-on partnership: Intensive involvement with portfolio companies
Weekly engagement: Regular check-ins and strategic guidance
Operational support: Access to Greylock's network, expertise, and resources
Long-term patient capital: Focus on building enduring, category-defining businesses
Founder-aligned: Flexible funding structures designed to support founder vision

Investment Track Record (2025)

Total investments: 476 companies over 60 years
2025 activity: 21 investments (6 new, 15 follow-on)
Recent notable deals:
- 7AI: Series A led by Greylock (AI-powered security operations)
- Bedrock Data: $25M Series A (AI data security)
- Tenzai: $75M Seed (AI penetration testing)
- SuperMe: $6.8M Seed (AI professional network)
- AirOps: $40M Series B (AI search marketing)

Portfolio Performance

Successful exits: 224 acquisitions + 24 IPOs
Current unicorns: 16 companies valued at $1B+
Notable exits:
- Facebook (IPO 2012, now Meta)
- LinkedIn (IPO 2011, acquired by Microsoft for $26.2B)
- Workday (IPO, leading cloud ERP)
- Figma (acquired for $6B, later IPO)
- Dropbox (IPO)
- Palo Alto Networks (IPO, cybersecurity leader)

Key Differentiators

60-year track record with consistent top-tier performance
Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder) as partner providing unmatched network
Deep sector expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise software
Strong follow-on investment rate (60%+ participation in next rounds)
Greylock Edge program for earliest-stage founders

Contact

Key Partners:

Reid Hoffman (Partner, LinkedIn Co-founder)
Sarah Guo (Partner - AI and Enterprise)
Asheem Chandna (Partner - Cybersecurity)
Saam Motamedi (Partner - AI and Infrastructure)
David Sze (Partner - Enterprise)
Jerry Chen (Partner - Enterprise Infrastructure)
Josh Elman (Partner - Consumer)
Aneel Bhusri (Partner, Workday Co-founder)