One Planet VC

Founder Payam Zamani and SVP of Strategy and Operations André Segovia lead day-to-day investment and portfolio activities. The firm operates as a closely held entity, and all final allocation decisions run through Zamani's office. The tightly held structure means decisions can be made quickly, and the team draws on operating expertise from the group's seven owned businesses.

The firm's primary sourcing engine is its own group of operating companies — including Buyerlink, Autoweb, and California.com — which generate relationships with early-stage founders in ad tech, mobility, and media. Additionally, the in-house design and performance-marketing agency, One Planet Studios, creates an early advisory touchpoint with startups before any investment is made.

It is the venture arm of One Planet Group, a closely held hybrid that owns and operates seven online technology and media businesses alongside its early-stage portfolio. This structure allows the group to deploy a mix of balance-sheet capital and, more recently, dedicated fund commitments — such as the $50 million Quite Remarkable launch — depending on the investment.

The firm primarily executes direct Seed and expansion-stage investments into tech-enabled companies. While known for direct stakes, the group has also structured dedicated capital vehicles to incubate new operating businesses — Quite Remarkable being one example — rather than functioning as a fund-of-funds allocator.

The firm has not publicly detailed a co-investment program. Given its integrated operating group and in-house studio, it tends to act as a principal lead or follow-on investor rather than a passive LP in external funds. The model prioritizes deep engagement through One Planet Studios, reducing reliance on syndicate dynamics.

Payam Zamani routes philanthropic activities through BahaiTeachings and One Planet, One People, which operate as separate foundation entities under the group umbrella. The investment team and the foundation arm share a mission — to align business with ethical principles — but manage programs, capital, and governance independently.

The firm does not publish a formal exclusion list, but its stated focus on 'Innovation + Intention' and Baháʼí-influenced values screens out companies whose core model does not claim a positive societal contribution. High-consumption extractive industries, weapons manufacturing, and pure-play gambling would be inconsistent with this ethos.