# Stanford-StartX Fund

Stanford-StartX Fund is a Venture capital fund based in Palo Alto, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture capital fund
- **Headquarters:** Palo Alto, United States
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Palo Alto, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2013
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** startxfund.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/startx-fund

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Stanford-StartX Fund was founded in 2013 as a venture capital fund that invests in startups founded by Stanford University alumni, faculty, and students. It is separate from StartX, the nonprofit Stanford-affiliated accelerator, but draws deal flow from that community. The fund targets early-stage investments across enterprise software, digital health, AI/ML, fintech, and climate tech, typically leading or co-leading Seed and Series A rounds. Known portfolio companies include unicorns such as Anduril Industries (defense tech), Scale AI (data labeling), and Branch Metrics (mobile attribution). The fund operates primarily in North America, with a secondary office in London. The fund does not disclose its total AUM or deployment amounts. It employs a lean team of professionals, with notable managing directors Camille Samuels (former partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures) and Todd H. Chaffee (formerly at In-Q-Tel and later at Mastercard's corporate venture arm). The fund has not reported any major recent operational changes in the last 24 months. A structural differentiator: the fund is an independent entity that still syndicates university-anchored deal flow, creating a closed loop between Stanford's entrepreneurial ecosystem, the StartX accelerator, and the fund's own capital. This model allows it to invest in companies that might not appear on traditional VC radar, while maintaining governance separate from the university endowment.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- Digital Health
- AI/ML
- FinTech
- ClimateTech

## Offices

- London, United Kingdom

## People

- Camille Samuels — Managing Director
- Todd H. Chaffee — Managing Director

## Questions

### How does Stanford-StartX Fund source proprietary deal flow?

The fund sources deal flow through its relationship with Stanford University and the StartX accelerator program. StartX identifies promising startups founded by Stanford affiliates; the fund then has the opportunity to invest in those companies before they appear on most VC radars. This closed-loop model gives the fund access to rotation of Stanford-entrepreneur-led deals (per the fund's communications).

## Related profiles

- [Waldencast](https://altss.com/profile/waldencast)
- [Live Oak Environmental](https://altss.com/profile/live-oak-environmental)

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

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