Haystack

Haystack, the seed firm founded by Semil Shah (haystack.vc, Mill Valley), does not publish a pitch form or a pitch inbox. The site is essentially a thesis, team and portfolio page, so the practical route is a warm introduction from a founder they already back or a co-investor. If you have no path in, Semil is publicly active in writing and on social, so a short, specific note referencing your traction is more likely to land than a generic email to the firm. Do not wait for a form to appear; build the intro instead.

haystack.vc

Worth knowing. It is a deliberately small fund (Fund VIII around 79M) writing early seed checks, and the thesis is people first rather than sector, so late seed or Series B rounds are out of range. A large part of Haystack's activity runs through syndicate vehicles alongside the core fund, and Semil also holds venture partner roles at larger firms, which can create conflict issues if you are competitive with one of those portfolios.

Built from 21 rounds we recorded since Jul 12, 2023.