Laude Ventures, a newly established seed-stage venture capital firm, is making waves in the tech investment landscape with its focus on research-driven, highly technical founders. Co-founded by Databricks co-founder Andy Konwinski, early-stage investor Pete Sonsini, and Antimatter CEO Andrew Krioukov, Laude Ventures boasts a unique blend of technical expertise, venture capital experience, and deep connections within the UC Berkeley research community, the birthplace of companies like Databricks and Perplexity AI. With a $150 million first fund, Laude aims to back approximately 25 pre-seed and seed-stage startups, leveraging their network and expertise to identify and nurture promising ventures.
The firm’s origin story is intertwined with the success of Perplexity AI. When Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas faced uncertainty during a funding round due to the looming threat of ChatGPT’s integration with Bing, Pete Sonsini, then at NEA, honored his commitment despite market anxieties. This act of integrity cemented a strong bond between Srinivas and Sonsini, leading Srinivas to back Sonsini’s new venture, Laude Ventures, during Perplexity’s subsequent funding rounds. This early bet has already proven fruitful, with Perplexity’s valuation skyrocketing, demonstrating Laude’s ability to identify and support high-potential startups.
Laude’s investment philosophy centers around supporting founders emerging from academic research labs, particularly those with a strong technical foundation. The partners’ deep ties to UC Berkeley, a renowned hub for computer science and AI research, provide them with unique access to a pipeline of innovative startups. This focus is further reinforced by the impressive roster of limited partners who have invested in Laude’s fund, including prominent figures in computer science and AI such as Databricks co-founders Ali Ghodsi and Ion Stoica, Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas, and Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean. This network of experts not only provides financial backing but also invaluable mentorship and strategic guidance to the startups Laude supports.
The partnership’s dynamic combines Konwinski’s technical acumen and founder experience, Krioukov’s entrepreneurial drive and research background, and Sonsini’s extensive venture capital experience. Konwinski, known for his ability to identify emerging technological trends, played a crucial role in popularizing Apache Spark, the foundation of Databricks. Krioukov, a serial entrepreneur with a focus on energy and climate change, brings a unique perspective to the team. Sonsini, with his deep understanding of the venture capital landscape and his proven track record of identifying successful startups, provides strategic guidance and access to resources.
The Laude team’s shared history is rooted in their connections to UC Berkeley and their early involvement with Databricks. Sonsini was an early investor in Databricks, recognizing the potential of the company even during challenging times. Konwinski, a Databricks co-founder, played a key role in the company’s early growth. This shared experience, combined with their individual expertise, forms the foundation of Laude’s investment strategy. They understand the challenges faced by research-driven startups and are uniquely positioned to provide the support needed to navigate the complex journey from lab to market.
While not exclusively focused on AI, Laude recognizes the transformative potential of the technology and anticipates investing in startups related to AI infrastructure, data analytics, and virtualization. Their approach is to identify exceptional founders with groundbreaking ideas, regardless of specific industry labels. This focus on founder quality and technical depth, coupled with their deep network and understanding of the research ecosystem, positions Laude Ventures as a promising new force in the venture capital landscape, poised to back the next generation of transformative technology companies. Despite some skepticism regarding the replicability of their early successes, the team remains confident in their ability to identify and support exceptional founders, leveraging their combined experience and network to drive significant returns and shape the future of technology.
