DVC’s AI stack now automates all core venture workflows — from sourcing and due diligence to portfolio monitoring — enabling the firm to operate without analysts. Instead, DVC effectively “hires” 170 founders-turned-funders from OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, SpaceX, Perplexity AI, and other top AI companies. They source new deals and actively support the growth of 120 portfolio companies with hiring, sales, product, and strategic connections — and earning a share of carried interest in return.
DVC concentrates on core AI infrastructure, vertically focused model stacks and application-layer solutions. Its seed fund has already backed 120 AI startups — including the AI-search decacorn Perplexity AI, a breakthrough AI chipmaker Etched, Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, and an AI video startup Higgsfield that has jumped from $0 to $50M ARR in less than a year. The newly launched DVC AI Fund I has completed its first close and has already invested in five deals (two of which have already received substantial markups).
“The top 1% of asset managers control 66.3% of global assets, and in VC just 10 firms raise 75% of all capital. But despite strong advantages large scale brands give in deal access, small funds outperform mega funds actually delivering more value to founders. That’s why we re‑imagined venture capital from first principles and started DVC four years ago: our aim was to give small investors the same deal access and tools as megafunds, so they can actually deliver more value to founders,” says Nick Davidov, DVC Co-Founder and GP.
Alongside new fund launch, DVC is strengthening its operating and investment firepower with the addition of:
- Mel Guymon, Naval Officer, serial entrepreneur, and Product Executive at Google and Yahoo, joins as GP to spearhead enterprise go‑to‑market support and governance for growth‑stage portfolio companies.
- Charles Ferguson, creator of FrontPage (acquired by Microsoft for $133 million), Academy‑Award‑winning filmmaker, and AI editor of Project Syndicate, becomes GP focusing on deal origination.
- Alexey Rybak, Product at Meta AI, ex-Product Perplexity.ai, Google, joins DVC as VP.
“We fired our analysts and hired our LPs — empowering them with AI so they can focus on the most impactful work without the chore. Thus we get megafund‑level resources on one‑hundredth of the budget. We proved the model works. Now we scale,” adds Marina Davidova, DVC Co‑Founder and GP.
Among the limited partners (LPs) who have already backed the new fund are Mike Arrington, founder of TechCrunch and Arrington Capital, Denis Yarats, co-founder and CTO of Perplexity, Andrew Filev, co-founder of Zencoder, founder of Wrike (2.2B acquisition), Oleg Shchegolev, founder of Semrush, and numerous other leading AI founders and engineers, including those who have previously invested in DVC or whose companies have received investments from DVC. The fund is now open to additional institutional LPs, family offices, and accredited high‑net‑worth individuals.
