Asset ManagerRIA · CRD 161792Exempt Reporting AdviserPrivate Fund Adviser

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Matrix Partners

Matrix is an early-stage venture capital firm, investing from idea through Series A. As a close-knit team of former founders and company builders, they have...

Matrix Partners logo

Matrix Partners

Matrix is an early-stage venture capital firm, investing from idea through Series A. As a close-knit team of former founders and company builders, they have partnered with companies from Apple and FedEx to Oculus and Canva. They are contrarians who invest with conviction, working with founders who have deep technical expertise and a specific vision of the future.

General information

Firm type

Generalist

Year founded

1977

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Cambridge

Corporate office

San Francisco, CA, United States

Additional offices

Mountain View, CA · New York, NY · Boston, MA · Palm Beach, FL · Miami, FL

Principals

Paul Ferri

Founder

Dana Stalder

General Partner

Patrick Maloney

General Partner

Sector focus

Enterprise SoftwareFinTechAI/MLCybersecurityConsumer Tech

Frequently asked questions

Who leads investment decisions at Matrix Partners?

Investment decisions are made collectively by the general partnership, which has numbered roughly six to eight investing partners during recent fund vintages. Dana Stalder, who joined from PayPal in 2010, and Patrick Maloney, a more recent addition from Coatue, are among the most visible active investors. The firm has historically operated with a flat partnership structure rather than a CEO or CIO model.

Does Matrix Partners invest from a single fund or multiple vehicles?

Matrix has traditionally raised a single, integrated early-stage fund series—Matrix Partners XIII was reported as a $600 million vehicle in 2021 (per regulatory filings, 2021). The firm does not operate separate growth, seed, or opportunity funds, though it reserves capital for follow-on investments from each flagship fund. The 2024 separation from Matrix India (renamed Z47) means the US franchise now invests solely from domestic vehicles.

How does Matrix Partners source proprietary deal flow?

Matrix relies on a deep partner network built over nearly five decades, supplemented by the firm's status as a preferred first-call investor for repeat founders and operator-executives in enterprise infrastructure and fintech. Partners have historically sourced through academic connections (MIT, Stanford), company-foundation exits in the portfolio, and long-running relationships with seed-stage co-investors like Benchmark and Greylock.

Which sectors does Matrix Partners typically avoid?

Matrix historically avoids capital-intensive sectors: hardware, clean energy equipment, biotech and therapeutics, and heavy industrial technology fall outside the firm's core mandate. The portfolio is concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, fintech, cybersecurity, and selective consumer technology, where early capital efficiency can be demonstrated.

How is Matrix Partners related to Z47 in India?

Matrix India was founded in 2006 as a partnership within the Matrix network, co-managing capital with the US team under a shared brand. In November 2024, the two entities formally separated. The Indian franchise renamed itself Z47 and now operates independently, while the US firm retains exclusive rights to the Matrix Partners name and all future US-domiciled fund activities.

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