Sequoia
Scout Program
Venture Capital
Discover how to become a
Sequoia
startup scout including requirements, application process, and compensation and explore other startup scout programs to join!
Venture Capital
Sequoia Capital is an American venture capital firm.The firm is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and mainly focuses on the technology industry.It has backed companies that now control $1.4 trillion of combined stock market value, equivalent to 22 percent of Nasdaq.Notable companies that Sequoia invested in early on include Apple, Google, Oracle, Youtube, Instagram, Zoom, WhatsApp, Linkedin, and Paypal.
Sequoia has been regarded as one of the top venture capital firms in the world, managing multiple investment funds including funds specific to India & Southeast Asia,Israel,and China, in addition to the US.The firm has offices in Menlo Park, Singapore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, London and Tel Aviv.
How does the Sequoia scout program work?
In its first phase, Sequoia chose 20 technology founders a small fund allocation that they could invest as they see fit. The idea was for those scouts to invest in other founders in their network. The scouts were chosen directly by Sequoia. Since then the program has continued in different iterations. The Sequoia scout program is invite-only and doesn't have an open application process.
How are Sequoia scouts compensated?
The initial Sequoia scout program worked on a carry-share model. Each scout would get 45% of the carry whereas a 5% portion would go in a pool for the 19 other scouts to benefit from. Sequoia on the other hand would get the remaining 50% carry in each of the scout's investments.
Is the Sequoia scout program available in Europe?
Yes, it is available in Europe.
Who are notable Sequoia scouts?
One notable Sequoia scout is Jason Calacanis who used part of his Sequoia scout allowance to make an early-stage investment in Uber. Another notable Sequoia scout who you may have heard of is Sam Altman who was at one point the president of Y Combinator and who invested a portion of his Sequoia fund in Stripe. There are many others who have joined the program since.
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For decades, venture capital firms followed a standard playbook: target promising startups as they hit their stride and invest up to $10 million or so for a series A round. But the rules were changing in 2009, when Sequoia Capital helped raise $2 million for use by Y Combinator, a seed funder gaining a high-profile reputation for making small $20,000 bets on startups such as Dropbox and Scribd, both of which were conceived of by college kids.
Founders are extraordinarily busy, even for their own investors. A decade ago, they might have had relationships with a handful of VC partners as they scaled their businesses and raised additional rounds of capital.
The famed scout programme from US VC firm Sequoia has launched in Europe. We meet the scouts.
Sequoia Capital has funneled millions of dollars to scores of well-connected entrepreneurs and academics, who invest and look for ideas.