Sequoia

Sequoia Capital is the most successful and legendary venture capital firm in history, founded in 1972 by Don Valentine. With a 50+ year track record, Sequoia has backed some of the world's most iconic companies including Apple, Google, Airbnb, Stripe, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, and PayPal.

Sequoia manages investments across the entire lifecycle from pre-seed to pre-IPO and beyond through its innovative evergreen fund structure. In October 2025, the firm launched $950 million in new early-stage funds ($750M Series A + $200M Seed), demonstrating unwavering commitment to backing outlier founders at the earliest stages.

The firm operates globally with dedicated teams in the US, Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. Sequoia is renowned for its founder-first approach, offering hands-on operational support through structured programs like Company Design and Arc, plus a global Scout network that has backed 1,000+ startups.

For ZHC builders, Sequoia offers patient capital, world-class operational guidance, and access to an unmatched network of portfolio companies and industry leaders. The firm's philosophy: 'We are only as good as our next investment' - maintaining relentless focus on identifying generational businesses.

Investment Focus

• AI and Machine Learning: Core priority across all sectors - OpenAI, Harvey, Sierra, Temporal
• Enterprise Software & SaaS: B2B platforms, cloud infrastructure, developer tools
• Fintech: Digital banking, payments, crypto/blockchain infrastructure
• Cybersecurity: Network security, data protection, security testing (Xbow, Vanta)
• Consumer Technology: Social, marketplaces, e-commerce enablement
• Healthcare: Digital health, biotech, health tech platforms
• Hardware: Deep tech, robotics, space technology
• Climate Tech: Clean energy, carbon reduction, sustainability

Stage Focus

• Primary: Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A (core competency)
• Also Active: Series B through pre-IPO growth rounds
• Evergreen Structure: Can hold investments through IPO and beyond
• Typical Investment Sizes:
  • Pre-seed: $500K-$2M (getting in earliest possible)
  • Seed: $1M-$5M (from new $200M seed fund)
  • Series A: $5M-$30M (from new $750M fund)
  • Series B-C: $20M-$100M
  • Growth: $50M-$200M+

Company Profile

• Exceptional founding teams with vision to build generational businesses
• Addressing large, expanding markets with massive TAM
• Innovative technology or business model with strong differentiation
• Clear path to market leadership and dominance
• Scalable business model with strong unit economics
• Product-market fit or clear trajectory to achieve it

Special Programs

• Company Design: Structured founder program for company-building
• Arc: Accelerator program for early-stage founders
• Scout Network: 1,000+ scouts identifying pre-seed opportunities
• Operator Network: Access to experienced executives and advisors

ZHC-Specific Fit

✅ Excellent for:

• AI-first companies across any sector or application
• Founders with vision to build category-defining, generational businesses
• Scalable B2B SaaS with clear path to market leadership
• Deep tech and frontier technology innovations
• Founders seeking structured support through Company Design/Arc programs
• Companies targeting massive markets with 10x better solutions
• Teams with technical depth and execution capability
• Startups ready for the intensity of Sequoia partnership

❌ Poor fit if:

• Small niche markets without expansion potential
• Incremental improvements to existing solutions
• Services or consulting business models
• Founders not ready for high-intensity partnership
• Companies without clear path to significant scale
• Lack of technical innovation or differentiation

Investment Process

Step	Timeline	Details
Discovery	Ongoing	Via Scout network, portfolio referrals, direct outreach, warm intros
Initial meeting	1-2 weeks	Pitch to relevant partner covering your sector
Partner interest	1 week	Partner champions deal internally if aligned
Deep diligence	2-4 weeks	Product demo, market analysis, customer references, technical review
Investment committee	1-2 weeks	Partnership decision and approval
Term sheet	3-5 days	Investment terms and structure
Legal and closing	2-4 weeks	Documentation, due diligence completion, funding

Recent Fund Structure (October 2025)

• $750M Series A Fund: Target early-stage companies with initial traction
• $200M Seed Fund: Back pre-seed and seed-stage founders, secure ownership at lower valuations
• Evergreen Main Fund: Enables Sequoia to hold stock through IPO and beyond

Investment Philosophy

• "We are only as good as our next investment" (written by every investor in their office)
• Focus on outlier founders building generational businesses
• Invest as early as possible to maximize ownership and impact
• Patient capital - support companies from inception through IPO and beyond
• Hands-on operational support and strategic guidance

Recent Success Stories

• Early-stage wins: Clay, Harvey, n8n, Sierra, Temporal (all appreciated significantly)
• Pre-seed conviction: First checks into Xbow (security), Traversal (AI reliability), Reflection AI (DeepSeek alternative)
• Operational support examples:
  • Recruited former Databricks CRO to Xbow's board
  • Connected Traversal with 30+ potential customers
  • Arranged Reflection AI meeting with Nvidia's Jensen Huang (led to $500M investment)

Portfolio Scale

• Backed Apple, Google, Airbnb, Stripe, NVIDIA, OpenAI in their infancy
• Consistent top-tier returns over 50+ year history
• Strong follow-on capabilities through evergreen structure
• Global presence: US, Europe, India, Southeast Asia

• Official Website
• Portfolio Companies
• Team
• Company Design Program
• Arc Accelerator
• Blog and Insights
• LinkedIn
• Twitter/X

Key Partners (US):

• Roelof Botha (Senior Partner)
• Alfred Lin (Partner)
• Bogomil Balkansky (Partner - Early Stage)
• Luciana Lixandru (Partner - Europe)
• Multiple sector-focused partners across AI, enterprise, consumer, fintech