DFJ Growth
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSan Mateo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
DFJ Growth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DFJ Growth
- Legal name
- DFJ Growth
- Website
- https://dfjgrowth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DFJ Growth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Growth-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Security & Defense / GovTech Growth Equity (FSANACAN)
Keywords
Where DFJ Growth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Mateo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DFJ Growth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fund management and investment economics: DFJ Growth raises capital from limited partners (LPs) into multi-year, closed-end venture funds (e.g., DFJ Growth V at $1.2B, the firm's fifth and largest flagship fund). As a venture capital firm, revenue is generated through management fees on committed capital and carried interest on profitable exits across the portfolio, with returns tied to the lifecycle of each fund.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
DFJ Growth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DFJ Growth is a private venture capital firm that raises multi-year closed-end flagship funds (most recently DFJ Growth V at $1.2B) from institutional limited partners and deploys that capital as growth-stage equity investments into technology companies with product-market fit, an initial product in market, and clear customer adoption signals. In parallel with the capital, the firm provides portfolio companies with operator-led scaling support across talent acquisition, go-to-market strategy, product road mapping, business development, and IPO preparation. The firm invests across four primary theses: AI infrastructure and applications, Life Tech, Machine Assist (robotics and automation), and New Frontiers (aerospace, defense, industrial).
Product overview
DFJ Growth is a growth-stage venture capital firm, not a technology product company. Its core service offering is a series of flagship venture capital funds, most recently DFJ Growth V ($1.2 billion, closed May 2025), which deploy capital into growth-stage technology companies alongside operational and company-building support. The firm partners with visionary founders across four primary investment themes: (1) AI Infrastructure and Applications (including portfolio companies Scale AI, xAI, OpenAI, Goodfire, Modular, Positron, Endor Labs, XBOW), (2) Life Tech (Cellanome, Cellares, Delfi Diagnostics, Neuralink, Osmind, Paradigm Health, Vannevar Labs), (3) Machine Assist robotics and smart systems (Formlabs, Neocis), and (4) New Frontiers in aerospace, defense, and industrial (Anduril, Hidden Level, SpaceX, Impulse Space, Saronic). The DFJ Growth Investment Partnership Program wraps capital with operational expertise across talent acquisition, go-to-market strategy, product roadmapping, and IPO preparation, while the DFJ Growth Investor Portal (hosted via FIS Data Exchange) and the Talent Partnership Service are dedicated support offerings for LPs and portfolio companies, respectively.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DFJ Growth V Fund
- DFJ Growth Investment Partnership Program
- DFJ Growth Investor Portal (via FIS Data Exchange)
Quantifiable outcome
- Forbes Midas List recognition 13 times across partners, including 8x for Randy Glein and first-time recognition for Sam Fort in 2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use DFJ Growth
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DFJ Growth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
DFJ Growth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DFJ Growth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sequoia Capital: Premier Silicon Valley venture firm investing across stages and sectors. Like DFJ Growth, Sequoia is a longstanding backer of category-defining technology companies (Apple, Google, SpaceX co-investor, Stripe, OpenAI), with a much larger AUM and a broader early-to-growth stage mandate.
- Andreessen Horowitz: Large multi-stage venture firm with significant growth-stage activity in AI infrastructure, bio, and defense (e.g., Anduril co-investor, OpenAI, Coinbase). a16z's $40B+ AUM and operating partner model make it a direct strategic competitor to DFJ Growth's growth-stage franchise.
- General Catalyst: Multi-stage venture firm with a sizable growth-stage practice, including AI, defense, and health. General Catalyst is an active co-investor in rounds like Anduril's $1.5B Series F alongside DFJ Growth and competes for similar growth-stage mandates.
- Insight Partners: Large-scale growth and late-stage software investor with $90B+ in AUM. Insight competes directly with DFJ Growth for scaled growth-stage software and AI rounds, often writing $100M+ checks into similar companies.
- Lightspeed Venture Partners: Multi-stage venture firm with a large growth practice spanning enterprise, consumer, and fintech. DFJ Growth's CFO Johnna Lesch previously served as VP of Finance at Lightspeed, illustrating operational overlap and shared LP ecosystem.
- Bessemer Venture Partners: Long-tenured venture firm with a deep growth-stage practice and BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud Index. Bessemer is a natural peer for DFJ Growth on late-stage SaaS, AI, and fintech rounds and competes for similar founder relationships.
- Kleiner Perkins: Historic Silicon Valley venture firm with strong growth-stage and frontier tech franchises. Kleiner Perkins led Saronic's $1.75B Series D alongside DFJ Growth and shares DNA with co-founder Mark Bailey, who started his career at KPCB.
Direct peers
- Founders Fund: San Francisco-based venture firm with a thesis-driven approach to frontier and controversial sectors (space, AI, defense). Founders Fund co-led Anduril's $1.5B Series F alongside DFJ Growth and shares a similar contrarian, founder-first investment philosophy.
- Khosla Ventures: High-conviction venture firm with deep exposure to AI, biotech, and frontier tech. Justin Kao, now a DFJ Growth partner, was previously a partner at Khosla, and the firms share founder DNA and overlap on AI and life tech portfolio companies.
Emerging players
- Lux Capital: Thesis-driven venture firm focused on frontier tech, including AI, defense, robotics, and space. Lux is a direct peer to DFJ Growth's 'New Frontiers' thesis, often co-investing in defense and dual-use companies like Anduril and Saronic.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DFJ Growth social profiles
Digital presenceDFJ Growth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DFJ Growth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
DFJ Growth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DFJ Growth M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments183 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DFJ Growth
What does DFJ Growth do?
DFJ Growth is a private venture capital firm that raises multi-year closed-end flagship funds (most recently DFJ Growth V at $1.2B) from institutional limited partners and deploys that capital as growth-stage equity investments into technology companies with product-market fit, an initial product in market, and clear customer adoption signals. In parallel with the capital, the firm provides portfolio companies with operator-led scaling support across talent acquisition, go-to-market strategy, product road mapping, business development, and IPO preparation. The firm invests across four primary theses: AI infrastructure and applications, Life Tech, Machine Assist (robotics and automation), and New Frontiers (aerospace, defense, industrial).
Is DFJ Growth a public or private company?
DFJ Growth is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was DFJ Growth founded?
DFJ Growth was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DFJ Growth based?
DFJ Growth is headquartered in San Mateo, United States, in the North America region.
How does DFJ Growth make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund management and investment economics.
Who are DFJ Growth's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Insight Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and Kleiner Perkins. Direct peers are Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures. Lux Capital is listed as an emerging player.
Does DFJ Growth have an API?
No public API is recorded for DFJ Growth.
What industry is DFJ Growth in?
DFJ Growth's product category is Growth-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAA, Technology & Software Growth Equity, with a secondary code of FSANACAN, Security & Defense / GovTech Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.