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Redwood Venture Partners
Krish Panu's Los Altos family office writes seed-stage checks into enterprise software and cybersecurity, co-investing alongside Sequoia and Accel.
Redwood Venture Partners
Redwood Venture Partners operates out of Los Altos, California, representing the personal investment vehicle of technology executive Krish Panu. Panu built his career in enterprise software, serving as CEO of AtHoc — the crisis-communication platform acquired by BlackBerry in 2015 — and holding senior leadership roles at Mphasis. The firm was established to deploy his personal capital into early-stage enterprise technology companies, leveraging his operator background rather than functioning as a traditional diversified family office. The strategy concentrates on seed and Series A enterprise software, AI/ML, and cybersecurity startups. Panu typically co-invests alongside established venture franchises such as Sequoia Capital and Accel, participating in priced rounds rather than leading them. Confirmed positions include Cequence Security, an API protection platform that raised a Series C led by Icon Ventures, and Ambient.ai, a computer vision security firm backed by Andreessen Horowitz. Deal flow originates primarily through Panu's personal network built across three decades in Silicon Valley, giving him access to rounds that rarely see a cold-inbound check-writer. The firm participates in direct equity only, with no LP commitments to outside funds. Team size has not been publicly disclosed, and the firm operates without additional offices. Panu's post-operating phase has focused entirely on portfolio construction through this vehicle. In December 2023, Ambient.ai closed a Series B extension, maintaining Redwood's position in the cap table. No philanthropic foundation or additional investment vehicles are known to operate alongside the firm. Redwood's structural differentiator is its operator-as-investor model: Panu evaluates startups through the lens of a former public-company CEO who has navigated enterprise sales cycles, security compliance, and scaling to exit, not through the abstraction of a portfolio theorist. This creates a co-investor dynamic where top-tier lead investors welcome his participation because he can actively assist portfolio companies with go-to-market strategy rather than simply contributing capital.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Los Altos
Corporate office
Los Altos, CA, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Redwood Venture Partners?
Krish Panu makes all investment decisions personally. He co-founded the firm to deploy his own capital and does not employ a separate investment team. His background includes serving as CEO of AtHoc, the crisis-communication platform acquired by BlackBerry, and senior roles at Mphasis (per public record).
How does Redwood Venture Partners source proprietary deal flow?
Deal flow originates through Krish Panu's personal network built over three decades in Silicon Valley as an enterprise software operator and public-company CEO. His relationships with tier-one venture franchises — including Sequoia Capital and Accel — provide access to priced early-stage rounds. The firm does not lead rounds or issue cold inbounds.
Is Redwood Venture Partners structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Redwood functions as a single-family office deploying personal capital, not a fund manager raising outside commitments. However, its investment behavior mirrors that of a seed-stage venture firm — writing direct equity checks into enterprise startups alongside institutional co-investors. No external LPs are involved.
Does Redwood Venture Partners participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm engages exclusively in direct equity investments, participating in priced seed and Series A rounds alongside lead investors. It does not make LP commitments to outside venture funds, and it does not use SPVs or co-investment vehicles.
What investment stages does Redwood Venture Partners typically target?
Redwood targets seed and Series A stage enterprise companies. The firm participates in priced rounds rather than leading them or investing via convertible notes. Its two known positions — Cequence Security and Ambient.ai — were both early-stage investments that have since raised later rounds from firms like Icon Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (per public record).
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The wealth originates from Krish Panu's career as a technology executive. Most notably, he served as CEO of AtHoc, which was acquired by BlackBerry for an undisclosed sum in 2015. He also held leadership roles at Mphasis, the publicly traded IT services company.
What is Redwood's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
Co-investing is the firm's entire model. Panu typically writes checks into rounds led by established venture franchises and values his seat for its ability to provide operational guidance to portfolio companies. His go-to-market expertise is offered as a differentiator alongside his capital.
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