Felicis Ventures

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Felicis Ventures
TypePrivate
IndustryVenture capital
Founded2005; 16 years ago (2005)
FounderAydin Senkut
HeadquartersMenlo Park, California, U.S.
Key people
Aydin Senkut
(Managing Partner)
Wesley Chan
(Managing Director)
Sundeep Peechu
(Managing Director)
Victoria Treyger
(Managing Director)
ProductsVenture capital
Websitewww.felicis.com

Felicis Ventures, also known as Felicis, is a US-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage to growth-stage investments in a variety of companies. The company was founded in 2005 by former Google product manager Aydin Senkut, and is based in Menlo Park, California.[1]

History[]

The firm was founded in 2005 by Aydin Senkut, a former Google employee who was the company's first product manager.[1] Senkut started the firm with $4 million of his own money as its first investment.[2] The company initially focused on seed stage investments as an Angel investor, but expanded its scope to include later rounds.[3]

In 2012, the company was named the second most successful venture capital firm of the year.[1] That year, Felicis' portfolio company Meraki was acquired by networking company Cisco for $1.2 billion.[4]

Other successful investments followed: The Climate Corporation (acquired by Monsanto in 2013); Twitch (acquired by Amazon in 2014); Shopify (it went public in 2015); Fitbit (it also went public in 2015); Cruise (acquired by General Motors in 2016); Dollar Shave Club (acquired by Unilever in 2016); and Rovio (which went public in 2017).[5]

By August 2014, when the company announced a new $96 million fund, the company had invested in 50 startups that were either acquired or sold shares in an initial public offering.[6]

In 2018, the company saw three major exits: Amsterdam-based payments platform Adyen went public in June, corporate learning platform Pluralsight went public on the Nasdaq in May, and video doorbell maker Ring was acquired by Amazon.[5] As of August 2018, with the addition of new managing director Victoria Treyger, the firms other managing directors were Senkut, Wesley Chan and Sundeep Peechu.[5] Also in 2018, the company received coverage for launching a founder development program, pledging 1% on top of every new investment it makes for things like therapy and coaching for the founders of the companies it invests in.[7]

In March 2020, the company raised $510 million for its largest fund to date.[8]

Business[]

Felicis invests in a variety of different companies at different stages and in different geographies. As part of its investment model, the company pledged to never vote against the founders of companies it invests in.[9]

Investment tracking firm Cambridge Associates ranks Felicis' first three funds in the top decile for their respective years.[2]

The firm is headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California, and has an office in San Francisco.[2]

Notable investments[]

The firm's most notable investments include:

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Aydin Senkut taps early Google days for success at Felicis Ventures". Silicon Valley Business Journal. February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "With a string of hits behind it, Felicis Ventures wraps up its newest fund with $510 million look". TechCrunch. March 11, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Felicis Ventures closes sixth fund at $270 million". VentureBeat. February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Cisco Buys Networking Firm Meraki for $1.2B Acquisition". Silicon Angle. November 19, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Felicis Ventures has a new, $270 million fund, and a new managing director: Victoria Treyger". Techcrunch. August 1, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Felicis Ventures Stocks Up With $96 Million Fund". Wall Street Journal. August 5, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "This VC Firm Is Gifting Founders 1% Of Every Invested Dollar To Spend On Coaching And Mental Health". Forbes. September 10, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "Felicis Ventures Raises $510 Million Fund". Wall Street Journal. March 11, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021. (subscription required)
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Here's how Felicis Ventures founder says the firm wins hot unicorns in a valley awash with cash". Silicon Valley Business Journal. February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.

External links[]

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