Felicis Capital, an early-stage investment firm founded by great investors for great investors, has recently released their latest fund— Fund X. Congratulations to this amazing fund on closing $900 million! Felicis is personally celebrating its founder Aydin Senkut’s 20th anniversary as an institutional early-stage investor. As part of that celebration, they’re introducing this new and very cool initiative. The firm is well-positioned to capitalize on the booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector. It’s an effort to locate, fund, and nurture private enterprise that has the greatest potential to achieve enormous market capitalization.
Felicis believes that this decade will see the emergence of dozens of companies valued at over $100 billion in the AI industry. The firm boasts that its approach is deeply rooted to a bold commitment to AI. In fact, nearly 70% of its active portfolio consists of early-stage companies that are legitimately AI-native. By investing in these early-stage companies, Felicis’ mission is to drive innovation in an increasingly fast-paced technology world.
That’s why the firm’s 10x fundraising success is an amazing feat! Only a year ago Felicis was in the market successfully raising $825 million for Fund IX after raising $600 million for Fund VIII in 2021. Since its founding in 2006, Felicis has funded more than 50 unicorns. It has produced over 125 exits, underscoring its unparalleled track record in finding world-changing companies to invest in. Successful companies in its portfolio include Ayden, Bonobos, Ring, Shopify and Twitch.
As Felicis rides this growth trajectory upward, the firm plans to use the experience and insights it gains to serve as an early backer for other promising AI startups. The firm’s concentration on this relatively narrow sector is perhaps indicative of the growing awareness that AI has the potential to radically change practically every industry.
“We believe dozens of $100B+ AI companies will emerge this decade (not merely $1B or $10B)” – Felicis
Felicis intends to go out with a bang on Fund X. Their strategy involves investing in positions of strength within the AI sector in order to bolster homegrown startups, all while influencing the future of technology. The firm’s decades-long expertise, combined with the firm’s historic focus on advocacy, makes it uniquely qualified to help clients succeed in this ever-changing arena.
