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Cayside Partners
Cayside Partners is a Menlo Park family office co-founded by Mick Hellman and Paul H. Stephens, making direct tech and healthcare investments.
Cayside Partners
Cayside Partners was co-founded by Mick Hellman and Paul H. Stephens, two former technology executives who transitioned into investment management. Hellman previously co-founded the enterprise software company 7Summits, while Stephens built a career in venture capital and operating roles. The firm's wealth origin is not publicly attributed to a specific family fortune. The firm invests across enterprise software, AI/ML, digital health, fintech, and industrial technology. Cayside Partners targets both early-stage and growth-stage companies, making direct equity investments and occasionally participating in syndicated rounds. Known portfolio companies include the AI-driven data platform Scale AI and the digital health company Virta Health (per public record). The firm's geographic focus spans the United States, with a concentration in the San Francisco Bay Area. Cayside Partners maintains a lean team of roughly half a dozen investment professionals. The firm has not publicly disclosed its AUM, total deployment, or any additional offices beyond its Menlo Park headquarters. There is no public record of affiliated philanthropic foundations or adjacent vehicles like club memberships in Tiger 21 or R360. In the last two years, the firm has been active in follow-on rounds for portfolio companies, though specific dates and terms remain undisclosed. A structural differentiator of Cayside Partners is its deliberate small-team, concentrated-portfolio model — a posture more akin to a single-family-office mandate than a traditional venture capital fund. The firm does not raise external capital, allowing it to hold positions for extended periods without the pressure of institutional fund cycles. This structure aligns incentives with long-term value creation but limits the firm's public profile.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Menlo Park
Corporate office
Menlo Park, CA, United States
Principals
Mick Hellman
Founder & Managing Partner
Paul H. Stephens
Founder & Managing Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who are the principals of Cayside Partners?
The firm was co-founded by Mick Hellman and Paul H. Stephens. Hellman previously co-founded the enterprise software firm 7Summits, while Stephens has a background in venture capital and operating roles. Both serve as Managing Partners.
Does Cayside Partners raise external capital?
Cayside Partners operates as a single family office and does not raise capital from external investors. All investments are made from the firm's own balance sheet, which allows for longer holding periods and reduced pressure from institutional fund cycles (per the firm's public posture).
What investment stages does Cayside Partners target?
The firm invests across the spectrum from early-stage to growth-stage companies. It typically leads or co-leads rounds alongside institutional venture firms, though it also participates in syndicated deals. The focus is on companies with strong technology defensibility and scalable business models.
Which sectors does Cayside Partners focus on?
Cayside Partners backs enterprise software, AI/ML, digital health, fintech, and industrial technology companies. Known portfolio holdings include Scale AI in the AI infrastructure space and Virta Health in digital therapeutics (per public record). The firm does not publicly disclose any sectors it explicitly avoids.
What is Cayside Partners' geographic footprint?
The firm is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and its investments are concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area. It does not maintain additional offices in other regions, and there is no public record of cross-border investments.
Is Cayside Partners affiliated with any larger firm or family?
The wealth origin of Cayside Partners is not publicly attributed to a specific family or fortune. The firm was co-founded by Mick Hellman and Paul H. Stephens, and there is no disclosed link to a broader multi-family office or institutional parent.
Does Cayside Partners have a formal co-investment program?
The firm does not publicly disclose a structured co-investment program. However, its practice of leading or co-leading rounds alongside institutional venture funds indicates a willingness to co-invest with trusted partners on a deal-by-deal basis.
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