At a Glance
Founders Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2005 by Peter Thiel, Ken Howery, and Luke Nosek, all former PayPal executives. The firm is known for its contrarian investment philosophy, famously captured in Thiel's critique that 'we wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters.' Founders Fund deliberately seeks out transformative technology companies that traditional VCs might consider too risky or unconventional. The firm has backed some of the most groundbreaking companies of the past two decades, including SpaceX, Palantir, Stripe, Airbnb, and Facebook. With over $12 billion in assets under management, Founders Fund typically writes checks ranging from seed to late-stage growth rounds. The firm is particularly focused on deeptech, AI, aerospace, biotechnology, and enterprise software. Led by partners including Peter Thiel, Brian Singerman, and Trae Stephens, Founders Fund maintains a lean team structure and takes a long-term approach to company building, often supporting portfolio companies through multiple funding rounds and strategic pivots.
“Backs companies solving hard problems that matter, with a contrarian philosophy and long-term conviction.”
| Fund | Vintage | Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founders Fund VIII | 2021 | $3.15B | Investing |
| Founders Fund VII | 2019 | $1.8B | Harvesting |
| Founders Fund VI | 2017 | $1.3B | Harvesting |
| Founders Fund V | 2014 | $1B | Harvesting |
| Founders Fund IV | 2011 | $625M | Fully Realized |
| Founders Fund III | 2008 | $220M | Fully Realized |
2023
Anduril
$1.5B2022
Varda Space Industries
Series B$73M2021
Relativity Space
$650M2020
Ramp
Series A$25M2019
Nubank
$400M2018
Flexport
Series C$1B2017
Oscar Health
$165M2016
Stripe
Series C$150M2015
Wish
$500M2014
Docker
Series B$40M2012
Airbnb
Series C$200M2009
Spotify
Series A$21.6M2004
Founders Fund primarily invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are building their initial product and finding product-market fit.
Founders Fund is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Founders Fund focuses on investments in Deeptech, AI, Aerospace & Defense, Biotech, Enterprise. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Founders Fund's typical investment check size ranges from 500000 to 300000000. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
Founders Fund manages approximately $12B+ in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.