# Semil Shah at Lightspeed Venture Partners

> Semil Shah, Managing Director at Lightspeed Venture Partners. 38 investments on record. The rounds they were named in and the filings that name them, each...

Source: https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

Mill Valley, US · Partner

# Semil Shah

Managing Director i at [Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack)

Latest rounds

- **Silo** Round · $3M May 2019 · led
- **Carmera** Series A · $6.4M Jun 2017
- **Hired** Round · $30M Sept 2016

Backs *IT Services* *AI* *Big Data & Analytics* *Internet*

Profile summary

- **Rounds named:** 38 last May 2019
- **Filings:** 7 with regulators
- **Podcasts:** 6 +5 mentions

What this record rests on

- ✓ **Named in rounds** 38 rounds name them
- ✓ **On filings** 7 filings with a regulator
- ✓ **Linked to a firm** At Haystack
- **Claimed** Not claimed yet

Titles come from filings their firm signed.

[Correct or remove](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?person=semil-shah)[Is this you? Claim it](https://millionrounds.com/claim?person=semil-shah)

## The firm

[**Haystack** VC firm · US **25** cheques in 12 months **148** all time **0** led deploying](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack)

## Rounds they were named in

- **Rounds:** 38
- **Led:** 1
- **Disclosed:** $222.9M
- **Active:** 2012–19

2019

- [Silo](https://millionrounds.com/company/silo) *Round* **$3M** *US* May 2019 Led · +4 investors

2017

- [Carmera](https://millionrounds.com/company/carmera) *Series A* **$6.4M** *US* Jun 2017 Joined · +4 investors

2016

- [Hired](https://millionrounds.com/company/hired) *Round* **$30M** Sept 2016 Joined · +18 investors
- [HashiCorp](https://millionrounds.com/company/hashicorp) *Series B* **$24M** *US* Sept 2016 Joined · +5 investors
- [Q (Managed by Q)](https://millionrounds.com/company/q-managed-by-q) *Round* **$25M** Jan 2016 Joined · +31 investors

2015

- [One Concern](https://millionrounds.com/company/one-concern) *Round* *US* Oct 2015 Joined · +12 investors · historical
- [Bluesmart](https://millionrounds.com/company/bluesmart) *Series A* **$11.5M** *US* Oct 2015 Joined · +11 investors · historical
- [Prayas Analytics](https://millionrounds.com/company/prayas-analytics) *Seed* **$1M** *US* Sept 2015 Joined · +6 investors · historical
- [Trusted](https://millionrounds.com/company/trusted) *Seed* *US* Jul 2015 Joined · +5 investors · historical
- [Managed by Q](https://millionrounds.com/company/managed-by-q) *Series A* **$15M** *US* Jun 2015 Joined · +13 investors · historical
- [Cleanly](https://millionrounds.com/company/cleanly) *Seed* **$2.3M** *US* May 2015 Joined · +10 investors · historical
- [Chariot](https://millionrounds.com/company/chariot) *Seed* **$3M** *US* Apr 2015 Joined · +14 investors · historical

By stage

- Seed **18**
- Series A **7**
- Series B **5**
- Venture **3**
- Round **2**

What they backed

IT Services **3** AI **3** Big Data & Analytics **2** Internet **2** Education **2** Cloud **1**

Alongside

- [Sherpa Capital *3*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sherpa-capital)
- [500 Startups *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/500-startups)
- [David Stern *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/david-stern)
- [Fabrice Grinda *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fabrice-grinda)
- [FundersClub *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fundersclub)
- [GV *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gv)
- [Gary Vaynerchuk *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gary-vaynerchuk)
- [Great Oaks Venture Capital *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/great-oaks-venture-capital)

The latest 12 of 38. Rounds where a report named this person rather than a firm, matched on name: read it as a strong hint, not proof, since people share names.

## Where they are named on record

Filings

- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[HMC Needles](https://millionrounds.com/fund/hmc-needles)** Managing Director of the General Partner of the Issuer since 2025
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[Needle 2023-1](https://millionrounds.com/fund/needle-2023-1)** Managing Director of the Manager of the Issuer since 2023
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[Needle 2021-2](https://millionrounds.com/fund/needle-2021-2)** Managing Director of the Manager of the Issuer since 2021
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[HMC Needles](https://millionrounds.com/fund/hmc-needles)** Manager of the General Partner on 5 filings · since 2021
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[Needle 2021-1](https://millionrounds.com/fund/needle-2021-1)** Managing Director of the Manager of the Issuer since 2021
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[HayStack Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack-ventures)** Managing Director of the General Partner of the Issuer on 5 filings · since 2018
- SEC Form D · Venture Capital fund **[HayStack Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack-ventures)** Managing Member of the General Partner of the Issuer since 2017

Each row is a document a firm filed with a regulator: somebody signed it, and it carries a date.

## Also at Haystack

- [**Divya Dhulipala** Principal *0 rounds*](https://millionrounds.com/person/divya-dhulipala)
- [**Sanjay Rama** Investor *0 rounds*](https://millionrounds.com/person/sanjay-rama)

## Hear them before you pitch them

- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 26 Aug 2025 · 57 min Walk & Talk Episode: Semil Shah on AI Superteams, Meta’s Bold Moves, and Apple’s Missed Shots With [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) Mentions [Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack) About this episode In this special episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano talks with Semil Shah, founder and partner of Haystack VC and partner at Lightspeed. Together, they have a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation on the state of AI, venture capital, and the future of media. They get into… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [TBPN](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/tbpn) · 25 Apr 2025 · 2h 46m Karri Saarinen, Sean Frank, Semil Shah, Dan Lorenc, Google's Earnings Power Holding Up Well, Intel Says Layoffs are in Store, The Relationship Between Netflix and The NFL, Elon's Friends Sell Access to Stakes in Private Companies With [Karri Saarinen](https://millionrounds.com/person/karri-saarinen-2)[Sean Frank](https://millionrounds.com/person/sean-frank)[Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) Mentions [Google](https://millionrounds.com/fund/google-assistant-investments)[Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack) About this episode Karri Saarinen is the co-founder and CEO of Linear, a popular issue tracking and project management tool. Previously, he was a design lead at Airbnb, focusing on design systems and product development. @karrisaarinen Sean Frank is the CEO of Ridge, best known for the Ridge Wallet and expanding the… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 10 Apr 2025 · 1h 0m Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah: Seed Markets, Vibe Coding, and the Flappy Bird Effect With [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) Mentions [Y Combinator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator) About this episode History may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes. Vibe coded games, like a flight simulator from @levelsio, are reminiscent of early iPhone app store games like Flappy Bird and Paper Toss. How else are consumer tech cycles evolving? Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano welcomes back investor… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 26 Dec 2024 · 1h 3m Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah: AI Expectations vs Reality, Tech Trends, and 2025 Predictions With [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) About this episode Did 2024 live up to the AI hype? Investor Semil Shah joins Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano for another installment of Generative Quarterly. They cover key tech trends from 2024, including Jensen Huang’s Rockstar CEO status and AI consumer devices. Looking ahead to 2025, the duo delves into… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 10 Oct 2024 · 21 min PART 2: Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah | ASI, AI Agents and The Future of Work With [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) Mentions [Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack) About this episode This week, we are back with part two of Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah and Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike pick up their conversation on consumer AI technology, starting with… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 3 Oct 2024 · 35 min PART 1: Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah | Consumer AI Tech, Seed Investing, and Apple With [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) Mentions [Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack) About this episode Semil Shah is back for another episode of Generative Quarterly with Michael Mignano, Lightspeed Partner and host of Generative Now. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike discuss the seed investing landscape, challenges and opportunities… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page

### Mentioned in

Episodes that name Semil Shah in their description, which is not the same as being on them.

- [Generative Now](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/generative-now) · 12 Jun 2025 · 28 min How Jobs Will Change as AI Gets Better Mentions [Haystack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/haystack)[Lightspeed Venture Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/lightspeed-venture-partners)[Marissa Mayer](https://millionrounds.com/fund/marissa-mayer)[Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) About this episode What is the future of AI in the workplace? What kinds of jobs would you trust an AI to do? In this episode of Generative Now, host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano explores how AI is transforming the workforce, with insights from four sharp thinkers: Semil Shah, founding general partner at… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [The Peel](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/the-peel) · 5 Jun 2025 · 1h 46m Benchmark’s Eric Vishria on Going Zero to $100M ARR in 12 Months, Archetypes of Top AI Founders, Why Storytelling is a Superpower, How Benchmark Makes New Investments With [Eric Vishria](https://millionrounds.com/person/eric-vishria) Mentions [Sajith Wickramasekara](https://millionrounds.com/person/sajith-wickramasekara)[Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah)[Spenser Skates](https://millionrounds.com/person/spenser-skates) About this episode Eric Vishria is a General Partner at Benchmark Capital. Our conversation goes inside the new class of startups going zero to $100 million ARR in 12 months, the ways AI is changing company building, and how Eric and Benchmark make new investments. We get into the risk rewards of Series As today,… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [The Peel](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/the-peel) · 22 May 2025 · 1h 55m Michael Kim @ Cendana | Lessons from the Top VCs, How Cendana Does Diligence, Portfolio Construction Best Practices, the 60x Rule, How Seed Funds Compete vs Multi-stage, Inside Cendana's Early Days With [Michael Kim](https://millionrounds.com/person/michael-kim-2) Mentions [Cendana Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cendana-capital)[Jack Altman](https://millionrounds.com/fund/jack-altman)[Kevin Hartz](https://millionrounds.com/fund/a-star-co)[Roger Ehrenberg](https://millionrounds.com/fund/roger-ehrenberg)[Jeff Morris](https://millionrounds.com/person/jeff-morris)[Rick Zullo](https://millionrounds.com/person/rick-zullo) About this episode Michael Kim is the Founder of Cendana Capital, a fund of funds that makes anchor investments in very early stage VC funds. We talk characteristics of the best investors, how Cendana does diligence on fund managers, portfolio construction best practices, Michael’s “60x rule”, and why high ownership… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [The Twenty Minute VC](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/20vc) · 14 Jan 2022 · 36 min 20VC: Opensea Founder, Devin Finzer on Scaling GMV from $150M to $3BN in 18 Months, How Brands and Celebrities Will Harness NFTs To Change Their Business, The Impact of NFTs on Gaming & What is in Devin's Metamask Wallet?! Mentions [Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) About this episode Devin Finzer is the Founder & CEO @ Opensea, the world's first and largest NFT marketplace allowing you to discover, collect, and sell extraordinary NFTs. To date, Devin has raised over $423M for the company with their last $300M round valuing Opensea at $13.3BN. Before changing the world of NFTs,… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [The Twenty Minute VC](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/20vc) · 10 Dec 2020 · 30 min 20VC: Hopin, The Breakout Startup of 2020 on Scaling from 10 to 230 People and $174M in Funding in just 13 Months, The 3 Phases of Startup Scaling, How To Lead Remote Teams Effectively, The Future of Events Post-COVID and more Mentions [Accel](https://millionrounds.com/fund/accel)[Coatue](https://millionrounds.com/fund/coatue-management)[Northzone](https://millionrounds.com/fund/northzone)[Semil Shah](https://millionrounds.com/person/semil-shah) About this episode Johnny Boufarhat is the Founder & CEO @ Hopin, one of the fastest-growing companies on the planet, providing an online events platform where you can create engaging virtual events that connect people around the globe. In the last 13 months, Johnny has raised over $174M for Hopin from the likes of… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page

Episodes of [the shows we follow](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts), matched by name. Not them? [Tell us](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?person=semil-shah).

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