From Y Combinator to Andreessen Horowitz, we use CB Insights data to break down Sequoia Capital’s inner circle.
Relationships mean everything in the world of venture capital.
Sequoia Capital, one of the oldest and most prominent VCs, has a global network of investment firms that it calls on to inform investment decisions and open doors to new opportunities.
We used CB Insights data on investments made by Sequoia Capital’s flagship US/Europe entity to track Sequoia’s investment syndicate relationships, the network of investors — from Y Combinator to Index Ventures to Andreessen Horowitz — who backed companies before, with, and after Sequoia:
- Before relationships (feeder investors) show Sequoia’s most trusted pipelines for deal sourcing
- With relationships (co-investors) reflect the firms that Sequoia teams up with to drive deal flow
- After relationships (follower investors) indicate who Sequoia relies on to help portfolio companies grow and reach an exit
A number of factors come into play that make investors more likely to invest in companies together. These include the size of an investor’s network, physical proximity (e.g., being based in Silicon Valley), personal relationships between partners, alignment of investment theses, and shared target deal stages (i.e., early, mid, or late).
VCs, PE firms, CVCs, and limited partners (LPs) can use the Sequoia Investment Syndicate Map below to understand Sequoia’s network, identify its most important relationships, and find potential deal sources and follow-on investors. Investors can also use the map to see how they can grow their own network or even help find points of entry into Sequoia’s inner circle.
Below the map, we rank Sequoia’s 5 most important relationships.
