Investor profile
Haystack Management Company
VC
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Haystack is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on 'backing outlier founders at the earliest stages.' For over a decade, the firm has concentrated on the initial chapters of software and technology startup formation, investing $1M–$3M in initial rounds and serving as the first institutional partner for many portfolio companies. Rather than chasing sector trends, Haystack operates with a 'people over sectors' thesis — hunting for unusually high-signal founders solving enduring problems across any category, regardless of geography. The firm maintains a small, tight-knit team and a craftsman mentality, deliberately staying nimble rather than scaling up AUM, believing that 'founders carry the future's secrets and it is the investor's job to find founders who are building the future and partner with them.'
Notable quotes
“It's the investor's job to find founders who are building the future and partner with them.”
“Since 2013, Haystack has made approximately 290 pre-seed or seed-stage investments… we have over 60 companies valued at $100M+, 16 companies valued at $1B+, and 36 accretive exits to date. Over the past few years, our median initial check size has stabilized around $700K on a median entry post-money valuation of $15M.”
“We believe Haystack's historical orientation and focus on founder selection and partnership above all else is evergreen. These funds will enable us to form new relationships with entrepreneurs, and we're excited to earn our way into their rounds and work for them as they explore new frontiers.”
Team
Recent investments
Frequent co-investors
| VC firm | Deals together |
|---|---|
| Lightspeed Venture Partners | 12 |
| Sequoia Capital | 10 |
| Lux Capital | 8 |
| General Catalyst | 7 |
| Founders Fund | 6 |
| Andreessen Horowitz | 6 |
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