Investors & Partners at Defy.vc

Madison McIlwain

Partner, Seed, Defy.vc

Madison McIlwain is a Partner at Defy.vc, where she focuses on seed-stage investments across enterprise, artificial intelligence, fintech, consumer, and SaaS sectors. Based on her investment thesis and portfolio focus, Madison identifies and supports early-stage founders building transformative technology solutions in high-growth markets. Her expertise spans multiple verticals, enabling her to provide strategic guidance to portfolio companies navigating complex business landscapes. At Defy.vc, she leverages deep market insight and operational experience to partner with founders during their critical early growth phases, helping them scale from seed stage toward sustainable, venture-scale businesses.

Neil Sequeira

Founder & Partner, Defy.vc

Neil Sequeira is Founder & Partner at Defy.vc, a venture capital firm investing across enterprise, AI, fintech, consumer, and SaaS sectors. As a founding partner, he leads investment strategy and portfolio development, bringing deep expertise in identifying and scaling high-impact technology companies. With a focus on businesses leveraging artificial intelligence and financial technology innovation, Neil works closely with founders to accelerate growth and market expansion. His investment thesis emphasizes sectors undergoing digital transformation and disruption. Active in the startup ecosystem, Neil maintains visibility into emerging trends and market opportunities, leveraging his experience to support portfolio companies through critical growth phases. He is engaged with the venture community through social platforms, where he shares insights on technology investment and entrepreneurship.