Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed Venture Partners, a leading multi-stage VC firm renowned for its bold innovation and its role in nurturing category-defining startups.

Global Impact & Presence

Established in 2000 and based in Menlo Park, CA, Lightspeed boasts a global presence across the US, Europe, India, Israel, and Southeast Asia. The firm oversees over $28 billion in assets, supporting more than 500 companies in sectors such as enterprise, consumer, fintech, health, and emerging tech.

India & SEA: The Growth Focus

Lightspeed India Partners started investing in 2007, initiated region-specific funds by 2015, and recently secured a groundbreaking $500M fund for India and Southeast Asia.

Their investments power numerous innovation leaders in India, including BYJU'S, OYO, ShareChat, udaan.com, Razorpay, Pocket FM, Innovaccer, and many others. Lightspeed invests in both “built in India for the world” and “built for India” models, focusing on consumer tech, SaaS, fintech, climate tech, electric mobility, and emerging areas like AI and Web3.

Investment Approach & Portfolio:

Multi-Stage Mastery: From seed to Series F and beyond, Lightspeed supports bold founders with strong conviction, hands-on assistance, and a global network. Their portfolio features prominent unicorns and successful IPOs such as Affirm, Snap Inc., Nutanix, Rubrik, Epic Games, Faire, Guardant Health, among others.

Consistent Investing: Despite a slowdown in global VC funding, Lightspeed maintained steady investments in India, completing 20–25 deals in 2023 and deploying nearly $700M. Their focus is on companies addressing significant challenges with scalable technologies, clear monetization strategies, and robust teams.

Leadership & Vision

A Diverse Team: Lightspeed’s partners include global and India-based leaders like Bejul Somaia, Rahul Taneja, and Hemant Mohapatra, who bring extensive operational and strategic expertise.

Building for the Next Decade: Lightspeed is placing bets on climate tech, deep tech, electric mobility, cross-border commerce, and generative AI as the upcoming growth drivers.

Lightspeed Venture Partners is more than just a VC platform; it’s a launchpad that is shaping the future of entrepreneurship across the globe.