about the fund
Wayfinder invests time and money at the earliest stages of your journey, sometimes before you've even picked a name.
We've been there
We are founders and engineers. We've started startups, raised money, hired people, built teams, and did the non scalable things. We've experienced the highs of being a founder, and we've also experienced the lows. Startups are a marathon, and we've run it. We want to help you run yours.
How we help
Our job doesn't stop when we write the check; that's when it starts. We'll do office hours, help you with your early sales, your early hires, and your go-to-market. We'll be there to help you interview your early team, and when you have to make hard decisions.
Who we love
We love founders who live and breathe their product. The ones who've experienced the pain points themselves and have an intense, personal passion for solving them. Visionaries with deep domain expertise and insights, not just big ideas. You're relentlessly resourceful, scrappy, and obsess over the smallest product details because you know those add up to something great.
our thesis
Does the world really need another VC fund? If you ask a VC, the answer is always no.
If you ask a founder, they'll tell you there's still a shortage of people willing to be the first to bet on them. Who not only write a check, but actually spend time with them. Who undersand.
For us, that understanding comes from nearly a decade as founders where we've made our fair share of mistakes.
It also comes from feeling, first hand, the highs and lows involved with running a startup and still loving the journey.
We've had the good fortune to learn from 1,000+ startups, and invest in iconic unicorn founders. We've learned from them what greatness truly looks like.
With Wayfinder, our goal is to have all of these lessons benefit the next generation of founders.
the fund in numbers
Introducing Wayfinder II — a $35M seed-stage fund investing $300k-$1M checks in founders building enduring companies solving tomorrow's hard problems.
$85M+
Assets under management
$2 Billion
Combined Portoflio Valuation
80+
Startups Partnered With
200+
Founders
Yuri Sagalov
Yuri Sagalov is the founder and Managing Partner of Wayfinder Ventures, a seed-stage B2B focused fund. Prior to Wayfinder, Yuri was a partner at Y Combinator from 2014-2018 and also an active angel investor who seed invested in over a half dozen unicorns with a combined enterprise value of over $25B. Yuri is also a former Y Combinator alumni and founder and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with a Computer Engineering major from the University of Toronto.
When not spending time with founders, Yuri's happy place is flying or sailing.
in the press
industries we invest in
Finance
Enterprise Software
B2B
AI
Manufacturing
Technology
Robotics
Robotics
Partnering with Wayfinder.vc was one of the best decisions we made for our startup. Their team not only provided financial backing but also offered invaluable strategic insights that helped us navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
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Agentnoon
Wayfinder.vc's network proved to be a game-changer for our startup. They opened doors to strategic partnerships, introduced us to key industry players, and provided access to resources that accelerated our growth exponentially.
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Finmark
Working with Wayfinder.vc felt like having a dedicated partner invested in our success. Their hands-on approach, industry expertise, and unwavering support were instrumental in helping us navigate the challenges of scaling our startup.
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Remora Carbon
What sets Wayfinder.vc apart is their unwavering commitment to founder success. They not only provided the capital we needed but also served as trusted advisors, offering invaluable guidance that propelled our startup to new heights.
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LanceDB
Wayfinder.vc's commitment to our company's mission went beyond mere investment. They believed in our vision and worked tirelessly alongside us to turn it into a reality. Their dedication is unmatched.
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AirMyne
Wayfinder.vc didn't just invest in our startup; they invested in us as founders. Their belief in our team's potential empowered us to dream bigger, take calculated risks, and push the boundaries of innovation
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Svix
From day one, Wayfinder.vc demonstrated a deep understanding of our market and a genuine passion for our mission. Their hands-on approach and personalized support were crucial in overcoming obstacles and achieving our milestones.
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SalaryBox
As a first-time founder, I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Wayfinder.vc. Their expertise, resources, and mentorship were indispensable in shaping our startup's trajectory and achieving our goals.
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Openlayer
Recent Updates
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We prioritize relationships above transactions
We invest early – pre-seed and seed rounds that are often the first institutional capital into a businesses. We invest early – pre-seed and seed rounds that are often the first institutional capital into a businesses
We cultivate a rookie determination
Diversity is at the heart of our strategy. Contrarians drive outsized venture returns, and contrarian insight primarily comes from diversity of thought. Perspective. Culture. Gender. Race. Relationships.
We achieve outperformance through diverse thinking
We’ve assembled our team, our investors, and the founders and VCs we invest in, all with diverse heritages and experiences, giving us advantages that ultimately drive outperformance. Not only is diversity important to us, it’s great for business.
We help great founders foster their ideas into the world.
In the constantly changing world of technology and venture capital, a deep hunger for learning and relentless determination propels us onward, rather than resting on past achievements. Elite athletes in every domain never lose their rookie mentality, committing to continuous improvement and growth. Since we’re never done, we’re always just beginning.
Wayfinder is a venture capital fund.