Updated:
Felicis Ventures
Felicis Ventures is a venture capital firm for iconic founders. It backs early-stage companies, with 94% of investments at Seed or Series A, and leads or...
Felicis Ventures
Felicis Ventures is a venture capital firm for iconic founders. It backs early-stage companies, with 94% of investments at Seed or Series A, and leads or co-leads the majority of its deals. Across 10 funds and 20 years the firm has $4.1B AUM; Felicis-backed startups have driven $300B+ in total market value and include 65+ unicorns.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2006
AUM
$4.1B (per firm website, 2026)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Menlo Park
Corporate office
Menlo Park, CA, United States
Principals
Aydin Senkut
Founder, Managing Partner
Peter Deng
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Felicis Ventures?
Aydin Senkut is the Founder and Managing Partner. The firm operates a flat structure where conviction-driven decisions are made quickly, with the firm able to go from first meeting to term sheet in 24 hours. Peter Deng is also a named Partner on the firm's website.
How does Felicis Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's primary source is referrals from existing founders. 80% of new Felicis-backed founders come from portfolio referrals, creating a closed-loop network that spans 40-plus countries. They also invest before consensus, acting on conviction in areas like sustainable compute and national security AI.
Does Felicis participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm focuses entirely on direct startup investments, with 94% of its deals at the Seed or Series A stage. It leads or co-leads more than 83% of those investments and does not actively market a fund-of-funds or LP commitment program.
What investment stages does Felicis Ventures typically target?
Seed and Series A. The firm states that 94% of its investments are made at these earliest stages, writing first checks before it is obvious a company will become a category leader.
Which sectors does Felicis explicitly avoid?
The firm's website does not list avoided sectors. Its disclosed thesis centers on AI, enterprise, fintech, infrastructure, cybersecurity, global resilience, health, and consumer. Investments in heavy industrials or extractive industries are absent from the portfolio.
How does Felicis's founder-support model work?
Felicis allocates 1% of every first check to direct founder support for coaching and leadership development. It also maintains a perpetual pledge to vote with founders on all board matters — it has never cast a vote against a founder — which governance partners cite as a structural guarantee rather than a marketing claim.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on venture capital firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: