Defy.vc Welcomes Medha Agarwal as General Partner and Amy Yin as Venture Partner

Six Years After Inception, Defy.vc Expands Team to Propel Fund III And Beyond

WOODSIDE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Defy.vc, a leading early-stage venture capital firm, is thrilled to announce two significant additions to its team. Medha Agarwal has joined as a General Partner, and Amy Yin has assumed the role of Venture Partner. This strategic expansion comes as Defy.vc remains steadfastly committed to backing extraordinary early-stage founders from its recently established $300M Fund III, unveiled earlier this year.

Medha Agarwal brings a wealth of experience to her role as a former operator turned investor. Medha will lead investments into companies from inception through Series A. With over seven years of venture expertise, she has led investments across vertical SaaS, fintech, marketplaces, and healthcare. Prior to joining Defy.vc, Medha was a Partner at Redpoint Ventures where she led investments in companies including Whatnot, Tend, Proper Finance and more. She started her venture career at Bessemer Venture Partners, having previously co-founded and built Roomidex and skedge.me after beginning her career at Bain & Company.

Amy Yin, Defy.vc's newest Venture Partner, significantly bolsters the investment team. As founder & CEO of OfficeTogether, a former Defy portfolio company acquired by Envoy, Amy has firsthand experience as a founder. Her technical journey spans a decade, with engineering roles at Facebook and at Coinbase, where she was an Engineering Manager for Coinbase.com during the company's hypergrowth. Amy has also been an active angel investor since 2017, with investments in Pave, Lumos, Gem, On Deck, and more. A Harvard graduate with a BA in Computer Science, Amy's roots are in Onalaska, WI, and she carries the diligent spirit of her immigrant parents from China.

"The additions of Medha and Amy to our team mark a crucial step in continuing Defy.vc's momentum as we actively invest from Fund III," said Neil Sequeira, Founder & General Partner at Defy.vc. "Their expertise, networks, and experience will help drive our continued success as we work closely with great founders to build startups into category-defining industry leaders."

Unique Approach

Defy.vc initially partners with founders from inception through Series A but is able to be supportive throughout the lifetime of a business with capital and offers deep hands-on collaboration throughout the entrepreneurial journey. The firm's investments often originate from long-term relationships, forged over decades of operational and venture capital experience. Defy.vc invests across diverse categories, including enterprise SaaS, fintech, AI, healthcare, marketplaces, and consumer-oriented businesses.

Defy.vc's commitment to startups extends beyond mere selection; the firm actively creates companies through its platform and hatch playbooks. The firm has created multiple platforms', which are entities that create spin-out companies in a specific vertical area. Through its hatch endeavors, Defy.vc identifies new startup opportunities, develops initial business plans & prototypes, and collaborates with potential founders from their earliest stages, guiding them through the entire process of company creation.

Portfolio Momentum

In recent years, the Defy.vc portfolio has had numerous successful liquidity events and acquisitions by a number of companies including Patreon, Circle and HackerOne. The firm retains substantial stakes in prominent private companies, including Airspace, Apploi, Aalto, Bazaar and many other industry-defining market leaders.

Defy.vc is excited to welcome Medha and Amy to its team and anticipates that their unique experiences and expertise will further contribute to the firm's growth and success.

About Defy.vc
Defy.vc is a leading early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to nurturing startups as they transition into category-defining industry leaders. Defy.vc takes pride in its longstanding relationships with entrepreneurs and its commitment to enhancing the venture ecosystem through creation and platform initiatives. The firm's team has more than 50 years of venture experience, successful operating backgrounds, and actively assists successful entrepreneurs as they grow companies from inception through exit. Connect with Defy.vc at https://defy.vc/ and @defyvc.

Media Contact
Kelsey Cullen, KCPR
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SOURCE Defy Partners