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Plug and Play Ventures
Founded in 2006 by Saeed Amidi, Plug and Play Ventures grew out of the Plug and Play Tech Center, a physical campus in Sunnyvale that already held an...
Plug and Play Ventures
Founded in 2006 by Saeed Amidi, Plug and Play Ventures grew out of the Plug and Play Tech Center, a physical campus in Sunnyvale that already held an improbable legacy — both PayPal and Google had their earliest offices there. Amidi formalized the ad-hoc ecosystem into a structured accelerator-vc hybrid, building a pipeline that combines physical workspace, corporate matchmaking, and direct investing. The firm runs 12 vertical accelerator programs twice annually, covering sectors from FinTech and Enterprise Software to Mobility, Health, and Energy. Its investment mandate spans seed — delivered through a 10-week Startup Camp — angel rounds sourced via monthly Plug and Play Angels sessions, and Series A co-investments typically sized from $2 million to $10 million. Deal flow is structurally tied to the accelerator; startups entering the program often receive an initial seed check. The firm then co-invests alongside the more than 180 venture capital partners in its network. This model has produced a portfolio of over 400 companies, including early positions in LendingClub, Dropbox, SoundHound, and Zoosk. Plug and Play operates from its Sunnyvale headquarters, with a global footprint spanning more than 30 locations across the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Key offices include Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Tokyo, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and São Paulo. The firm does not publicly disclose total assets under management or aggregate deployment figures. The structural differentiator is the corporate-partner flywheel. Plug and Play invites large corporations — roughly 550 global enterprises — into its accelerator programs as sponsors and innovation partners. These corporations gain early-access visibility into hundreds of vetted startups per year while providing the firm an evergreen source of deal flow and distribution insight. No other venture platform operates at this scale with a simultaneous mandate to invest its own capital, matchmake for corporate clients, and operate physical innovation hubs on multiple continents.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2006
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Sunnyvale
Corporate office
Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Additional offices
Amsterdam · Paris · Munich · Tokyo · Singapore · Abu Dhabi · Shanghai · São Paulo
Principals
Saeed Amidi
Founder & CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Plug and Play source its deal flow?
The primary sourcing engine is its 12 vertical accelerator programs, which run twice a year and each graduate a cohort of seed-stage startups into the firm's office-park campus in Sunnyvale. Monthly Plug and Play Angels sessions supplement this pipeline. Corporate partners — roughly 550 global enterprises — also contribute referrals as part of their innovation-scouting partnerships with the firm.
Who runs investment decisions at Plug and Play Ventures?
Saeed Amidi founded the firm and serves as its CEO, setting overall investment strategy and managing the senior partnership. Individual accelerator programs are managed by vertical-specific partners who make the initial selection and investment recommendations, typically co-investing alongside the 180 venture capital firms in Plug and Play's extended network.
Does Plug and Play only invest in its own accelerator graduates?
No. The accelerator is the dominant source of seed-stage deal flow, but the firm also makes angel investments outside the cohort through its monthly Plug and Play Angels sessions. Series A investments may include syndicated deals with startups that did not originate inside the accelerator, though the network effect strongly favors graduates.
What investment stages does Plug and Play typically target?
The firm is active from seed through Series A. Seed-stage checks are deployed via the 10-week Startup Camp program. Angel rounds are written throughout the year through the PAPA investor network. Series A participations, which Plug and Play describes as typically ranging from $2 million to $10 million in total round size, are executed in partnership with its roster of 180 co-investing venture firms.
How does Plug and Play's corporate-partner model actually work?
Corporations pay to join Plug and Play's innovation platform as sponsors, gaining structured access to the startups entering each accelerator cohort. They attend demo days, receive curated deal-flow introductions, and can initiate commercial pilots or strategic investments. This fee-for-access model creates a recurring revenue stream for Plug and Play that is separate from its venture capital returns.
Is Plug and Play a venture firm or an accelerator?
It is legally both. The entity operates a venture capital fund that makes direct equity investments from seed to Series A, and simultaneously runs 12 industry-specific accelerators that function as a pipeline for those investments. The accelerator side is also a corporate-innovation marketplace that sells access to 550 enterprise partners, giving it a hybrid business model distinct from a pure-play VC.
Which sectors does Plug and Play explicitly avoid?
The firm does not publish an explicit exclusion list, but its published accelerator verticals — FinTech, Health, Enterprise, Mobility, Energy, Food, InsurTech, PropTech — skew toward enterprise-oriented software and hardtech. Deeply regulated sectors like defense, nuclear, or adult-content platforms are not represented in the 12 thematic programs.
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.
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