Alana Goyal opened her own VC firm three years ago. Today, she has a total of $99 million under management across three funds, and investments in more than two dozen startups. She has no partners. She works alone. And she’s only 28.
Welcome to the age of the 20-something venture capitalist.
Goyal is one of a growing number of Gen Zers and younger Millennials who are bypassing the traditional route into VC. No long years of analyst work for them. No rising to partner at an established firm, before perhaps striking out on their own at 40. Instead, thanks to shifting dynamics in the tech world, some younger investors are hanging out their shingle from jump.
These fresh-faced VCs each have a different edge. In the case of San Francisco-based Goyal, whose Basecase Capital specializes in working with technical founders to flesh out ideas for enterprise, infrastructure, and AI companies, it’s because she’s built a deep network among young techies whose lives don’t organically intersect with older VCs. “I’m quite good at finding really amazing people and building long-term relationships over time,” she says, “so that when they do [start fundraising], I’ve been there all along, and I’m the obvious first phone call.”
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