What FoundersX Ventures does

FoundersX Ventures is an AI-first venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Helen H. Liang, PhD, and Tom Kosnik, PhD, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with regional offices in Cambridge/Boston (co-located with Harvard and MIT) and New York City (opened October 2025 at 3 World Trade Center). The firm manages assets under management exceeding $600 million and has made over 100 early-stage investments since inception. Its core investment thesis spans "full-stack AI" across three pillars: GenAI Infrastructure (AI chips, quantum computing, autonomous robotics), Deep Domains (AI applications in fintech, healthcare, and enterprise software), and GenAI Agents (applied AI in healthcare, finance, entertainment, and commerce). The investment team originated from Stanford and includes PhDs from Harvard, MIT, and Berkeley with specialized expertise in machine learning, bioengineering, CRISPR, neuroscience, and computer vision.

The firm's portfolio includes 8 to 12 unicorns (sources vary — 8 cited in third-party reporting, 12 on the firm's own homepage), 30+ companies valued over $100M, and 10 acquired companies. Notable holdings include SpaceX (IPO pending at $1.75T+ valuation), World Labs (spatial intelligence, founded by Fei-Fei Li, $1B raised), Salt Security (API security, $1.4B valuation), Jeeves (fintech, $2.1B valuation), and Kapital (LATAM fintech, $1.3B valuation). The firm leads or co-leads seed and Series A rounds and has established repeat co-investment relationships with tier-one funds including Y Combinator (across 5+ portfolio companies), Peak XV Partners, Tribe Capital, 20VC, and corporate strategics such as AMD, NVIDIA, and Autodesk.

The business model is standard venture capital: revenue is generated from management fees (typically 1.5–2.5% of committed capital, not publicly disclosed) and carried interest on successful portfolio exits. The firm differentiates itself from competing AI-focused VCs through its "invest early, win deep" philosophy, deep domain research capabilities sourced from Stanford-affiliated talent networks, and value-add services including top talent access, long-term capital partnership, and strategic enterprise introductions. Operational extensions include the FoundersX Fellowship Program (analyst-level program sourcing Harvard/MIT PhD fellows) and the annual FoundersX AGM portfolio community event. The firm is privately held and independent with no parent company or public listing.

Name

FoundersX Ventures

Legal name

FoundersX Ventures

Website

https://foundersxventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FoundersX Ventures is an AI-first venture capital firm founded in 2016, managing over $600M in AUM and investing at seed-to-Series A stages across GenAI infrastructure, deep domain AI applications, and agentic AI, serving technical founders from its Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD), Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• AI startup funding
• Early stage venture
• Portfolio investment management
• Venture capital firm

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Fund Management: Returns driven by carried interest (carry) from successful portfolio exits and management fees from VC fund operations. Portfolio includes 8 unicorns, 30+ companies valued over $100M, and 10 companies acquired.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FoundersX Ventures is an AI-first venture capital firm that invests in full-stack AI — from next-generation compute chips, AI and space infrastructure, physical AI foundation models and robotics, to agentic AI solutions across industries. The firm originates deals from frontier research institutes (Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Berkeley), leads seed rounds and co-leads Series A rounds, and provides portfolio companies with talent access, long-term capital, and strategic enterprise network. Since 2016, it has made 100+ early-stage investments generating 12 unicorns, 30+ companies valued over $100M, and 10 acquisitions.

Product overview

FoundersX Ventures is an AI-first venture capital firm founded in 2016 with offices in Silicon Valley, Cambridge/Boston, and New York City. The firm offers investment services across three primary focus areas: GenAI Infrastructure (AI chips, quantum computing, autonomous robotics), Deep Domains (fintech, healthcare, enterprise solutions), and GenAI Agents (AI-driven applications in healthcare, finance, entertainment, and commerce). The firm manages a portfolio of 100+ early-stage investments including 9 unicorns and 30+ companies valued over $100M, and supports founders through fellowship programs and annual portfolio events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FoundersX Ventures Investment Services AI-first venture capital firm investing in full-stack AI from next-gen compute chips, AI & Space infrastructure, physical AI foundation models and robotics, to Agentic AI solutions across industries.
• FoundersX Fellowship Program Analyst-level fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in investment analyses, portfolio company calls, and deal sourcing, with mentorship from senior investment analysts and partners.
• FoundersX Annual General Meeting (AGM) Annual flagship event featuring investor panels, founder panels, and networking opportunities for the FoundersX portfolio community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 unicorns and 30+ companies valued at $100M+ from 100+ early-stage investments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Nvidia Inception ProgramminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 September 2025FoundersX portfolio companies access Nvidia Inception Program for AI startup acceleration, growth resources, and technology benefits.
• Google Startup AcceleratorminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 September 2025FoundersX portfolio companies access Google Startup Accelerator for cloud credits, mentorship, and growth resources.
• Major Insurance ProviderminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Jericho Security partnered with a major insurance provider to integrate industry-specific threat intelligence and enhance its AI-powered phishing defense platform capabilities.
• Leading Telecommunications CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Jericho Security partnered with a leading telecommunications company to broaden its reach in protecting organizations from sophisticated AI-driven phishing attacks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Greylock Partners: Established early-stage venture firm with deep AI/enterprise franchise. Comparable stage focus but larger fund size and broader sector mandate.
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Mega-fund with significant AI infrastructure and applications franchise across seed, venture, and growth stages. Comparable AI thesis but materially larger AUM and broader stage coverage.
• Bessemer Venture Partners: Large multi-stage venture firm with strong AI/cloud portfolio. Comparable in stage overlap but materially larger AUM and broader sector coverage.

Direct peers

• DCVC (Data Collective): Deep tech and AI-focused early-stage venture firm investing in data-driven companies including AI infrastructure, computational biology, and advanced computing. Comparable AI infrastructure thesis and seed-to-Series A stage focus.
• Lux Capital: Early-stage venture firm investing in frontier science and technology including AI, space, robotics, and biotech. Highly comparable given shared focus on deep tech, AI infrastructure, and emerging tech with similar check sizes and stage.
• Khosla Ventures: AI-first venture firm investing from seed through growth in AI infrastructure, healthcare, sustainability, and frontier tech. Closely comparable investment thesis and stage focus as FoundersX.
• Zetta Venture Partners: AI-first early-stage venture firm investing in enterprise AI, data infrastructure, and intelligent systems. Direct competitor for AI seed and Series A deals.
• Founders Fund: Early-to-growth stage venture firm investing in frontier technology, AI, aerospace, biotech, and crypto. Comparable stage, AI/deep tech focus, and Silicon Valley-anchored franchise.

Emerging players

• Bloomberg Beta: Early-stage venture firm focused on the future of work and AI/data-driven enterprise. Comparable AI-first thesis and seed-stage focus with limited overlap in deep tech infra.
• Two Sigma Ventures: Early-stage venture arm focused on data, AI, and machine learning companies. Comparable AI thesis with smaller AUM and more limited stage range.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundersx-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments76 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FoundersX Ventures