Updated:
Necessary Ventures
Necessary Ventures invests in what the world needs. They lead $1-2M pre-seeds and also invest non-lead from pre-seed to pre-IPO. They are thesis-driven and...
Necessary Ventures
Necessary Ventures invests in what the world needs. They lead $1-2M pre-seeds and also invest non-lead from pre-seed to pre-IPO. They are thesis-driven and invest across a wide range of sectors, technologies, and business models. They support founders with talent, capital, and attention.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2020
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Neil Devani
Founder and Managing Partner
Akash Malhotra
Partner
Deepa Sheth
Venture Partner
Dr. Greg Burrell
Venture Partner
Dr. Nachi Gupta
Venture Partner and Technical Advisor
Nikita Gaurav
Venture Partner
Michael Dempsey
AI and Deep Technology Advisor
Adrian James
Healthcare Technology Advisor
Dr. Edmondo Robinson
Healthcare Technology Advisor
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Necessary Ventures?
Founder and Managing Partner Neil Devani leads investment decisions, supported by Partner Akash Malhotra. Devani's investment track record includes first-check positions in Vicarious Surgical and Recursion Pharmaceuticals, both of which later reached public markets. The firm's Venture Partners and advisors contribute deal evaluation and portfolio support but final investment authority sits with Devani.
How does Necessary Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
The firm sources through three channels: Devani and Malhotra's networks across Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the broader Bay Area deep-tech ecosystem; the Venture Partner bench of operating executives from Oak Street Health, Carbon Health, and SCAN Health Plan; and the firm's own content engine — its Necessary Nuggets newsletter and Money Moves podcast attract pre-seed founders seeking mission-aligned capital. The content acts as both an educational platform and an inbound funnel for founders who are actively building in AI, hard tech, and life sciences.
Does Necessary Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Necessary Ventures makes only direct venture investments. The firm describes its model as leading $1–2 million pre-seed rounds and also investing non-lead from pre-seed through pre-IPO. There is no public indication that the firm makes fund-of-fund commitments or invests in other VC firms as an LP. All disclosed portfolio activity is in direct company equity.
Which sectors does Necessary Ventures focus on?
Neil Devani explicitly backs deep tech, hard tech, and AI companies across healthcare, reindustrialization, climate, financial services, and education. The portfolio includes autonomous vehicles (Wayve), chemicals manufacturing (Solugen), healthcare services (Akido), electrification (Arc Boats), and robotics (Vicarious Surgical). The Venture Partner roster adds specific domain depth in gene therapy, medtech, digital health, and primary care services.
What is Necessary Ventures' known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The firm's investment model is built on co-investing — its website states it leads $1–2 million pre-seed rounds and invests non-lead alongside other VCs from pre-seed through pre-IPO. Devani's track record includes deals where he was the first investor and board director at Vicarious Surgical before Khosla Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, and Bill Gates joined subsequent rounds. Necessary Ventures actively syndicates rather than pursuing solo deals.
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: