# SciFi VC

SciFi VC is a Private Equity based in San Francisco, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** San Francisco, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2017
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** scifi.vc
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/scifi-vc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

We’re an early stage generalist firm with emphasis on fintech, marketplaces, and science.

## Sectors

- FinTech
- AI/ML
- Enterprise Software
- Healthcare Services
- Cybersecurity
- Robotics & Automation

## People

- Max Levchin — Co-Founder
- Nellie Levchin — Co-Founder
- Brooks Hosfield — Team Member
- Matt Therian — Team Member
- Mikaela Encarnacion — Team Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at SciFi VC?

Max and Nellie Levchin are the firm's co-founders and public faces, and the firm's website presents them as its principal investment decision-makers. Max Levchin brings his experience as co-founder of PayPal and founder of Affirm; Nellie Levchin is listed alongside him as a co-founder of SciFi. The firm does not disclose an investment committee structure beyond the named co-founders and team members.

### How does SciFi VC source proprietary deal flow?

SciFi's most distinctive sourcing channel is its "Brainstorm Stage" approach, where the partners work with founders before company formation — helping define product, strategy, and even models — and then lead the seed round. This operator-intensive, pre-incorporation model is designed to identify exceptional founders before broader market visibility. The firm's deep domain expertise in fintech infrastructure also attracts founders building in credit, payments, and regulated financial markets.

### Does SciFi VC participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

SciFi's stated model is exclusively direct investing — partnering with founders at the brainstorm, seed, Series A, and opportunistic growth stages. The firm's website makes no mention of fund-of-funds commitments, SPVs for third-party fund access, or club-deal structures. All observed portfolio references point to direct company investments.

### What investment stages does SciFi VC typically target?

The firm operates across three stages: Brainstorm (pre-incorporation, leading to a seed round), Early Stage (Seed and Series A), and Growth (follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies, plus opportunistic later-stage rounds). The Brainstorm Stage is the most structurally unusual, functioning as a hybrid between venture studio and seed fund.

### How is SciFi VC related to Max Levchin's prior companies?

There is no formal corporate relationship between SciFi VC and Max Levchin's prior operating companies — Affirm, Slide, or PayPal. However, the firm's strategy and network are deeply informed by that history: its fintech thesis draws on Levchin's experience building payments and credit infrastructure, and portfolio companies such as Brex operate in markets adjacent to those he shaped.

## Related profiles

- [Sciety](https://altss.com/profile/sciety)
- [SciFounders](https://altss.com/profile/scifounders)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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