· By

How to Pitch Mayfield

How Mayfield invests from inception through Series B with $3B aimed at AI, what its AI Start seed fund publishes about $1M to $4M first checks, and the email address it reads ideas at.

Mayfield at a glance

Checked against Mayfield's own pages and filings, November 2026

Firm
Mayfield, begun in 1969 by Tommy Davis; "For more than 55 years, we've partnered with founders from their first idea."8,2 Menlo Park, California.9 "Today, we're investing $3 billion in founders building the future of AI, starting from inception through Series B and beyond."2
Funds
"$955 million across two new early stage venture capital funds" (May 2023): Mayfield XVII ($580M; inception, seed, Series A) and Mayfield Select III ($375M; primarily Series B).3 SEC Form D: Mayfield XVII, $580M sold (May 2023);4 Select III, $550M sold including the general partner's commitment (amended May 2025).5 "The $250 million Mayfield AI Start, our first seed fund" (July 2023), drawing on those funds.6 No newer flagship fund is on file as of November 2026.
Stages
"We're the first institutional investor for early-stage AI founders. 70% of our investments begin at inception."1 Leads at seed: "we're excited to lead their $32 million seed round" (Hang Ten Systems, June 2026).10 Select III takes "follow-on rounds of breakout portfolio companies" and new Series B companies.3
First check
AI Start: "We like to be the first institutional check in for $1-4 million."7 No firm-wide range or ownership target is published.
Focus
"$3B in AI."1 AI Start invests "across the six layers of the Cognition-as-a-Service stack" and says "Calling all builders, even pre-product."7 Portfolio sectors: AI, Enterprise, Consumer, Semiconductors, Human Health.2
Geography
AI Start: "primarily on the West Coast."7 No firm-wide geography statement is published; the portfolio carries an India filter.
Partners
Navin Chaddha (managing partner; AI, enterprise, semiconductors), Vijay Reddy (AI; the dedicated AI Start partner), Ursheet Parikh (AI, enterprise infrastructure, human and planetary health), Rajeev Batra (cloud and SaaS), Patrick Salyer (AI and enterprise software), Sri Pangulur (AI, enterprise; the Select fund, primarily Series B), Tejas Maniar (enterprise), Aditya Singh (AI, enterprise) and Matt Carbonara (AI, enterprise). The team grid shows sector tags, not titles.2
Recent seed leads
  • Uare.ai, $10.3M seed, co-led with Boldstart Ventures, November 202511
  • Kana, $15M seed, led, February 2026 (lead reported by TechCrunch; Mayfield's own post discusses the raise)15
  • Hang Ten Systems, $32M seed, led, June 202610
Amounts are whole rounds, not Mayfield's share.
Programs
AI Start: "Our $250 million AI Start fund partners with entrepreneurs starting at Day Zero, when often all you just have is an idea."7 AI Garage: "a launchpad for AI founders," run with partners including Berkeley SkyDeck, Microsoft for Startups, NVIDIA, Orrick and SaaStr;12 its HumanX edition offered stage time, up to $350K in Azure credits, NVIDIA Inception access and "potential investment from Mayfield for the winning team."13 A Value Add Program across six stages, backed by a network of 8,000 industry executives.14
How to reach
"If you're a founder with an idea you want us to evaluate, email us at aistart@mayfield.com."7 General inquiries: info@mayfield.com.9 No pitch form or cold-inbound statement is published.
Process
"We invest in very few companies, and once we sign a term sheet, our founders become part of the Mayfield family."14 No decision timeline is published.
  1. Mayfield: Home
  2. Mayfield: Meet our team
  3. Mayfield: Mayfield XVII and Select III (May 2023)
  4. SEC Form D: Mayfield XVII (May 2023)
  5. SEC Form D/A: Mayfield Select III (May 2025)
  6. Mayfield: Announcing AI Start (July 2023)
  7. Mayfield: AI Start Pathfinders
  8. Mayfield: Mayfield turns 50 (September 2019)
  9. Mayfield: Terms of use (Menlo Park address)
  10. Mayfield: Hang Ten Systems (June 2026)
  11. Uare.ai: We just raised $10.3M (November 2025)
  12. Mayfield: AI Garage
  13. Mayfield: Launching the AI Garage at HumanX (January 2026)
  14. Mayfield: Our product
  15. TechCrunch (press): Kana emerges from stealth with $15M (February 2026)

Compare 27 top firms side by side

Mayfield is one of the oldest firms on Sand Hill Road: Tommy Davis started it in 1969, and its portfolio page lists HashiCorp, Lyft, Poshmark, Outreach, Marketo, SolarCity, Couchbase and Mammoth Biosciences. Today it describes itself as investing $3 billion in AI, from inception through Series B, and it is one of the few multi-stage firms that publishes a first-check range for its seed vehicle.

What Mayfield Is

Mayfield's homepage states the stage: "We're the first institutional investor for early-stage AI founders. 70% of our investments begin at inception." The capital sits in three places. Mayfield XVII ($580 million, 2023) covers inception, seed and Series A. Select III ($375 million) takes follow-on rounds of breakout portfolio companies and new companies, primarily at Series B. And the $250 million AI Start fund, announced in July 2023 as the firm's first dedicated seed vehicle, "partners with entrepreneurs starting at Day Zero."

AI Start is where the published numbers live: "We like to be the first institutional check in for $1-4 million," primarily on the West Coast, "even pre-product." In 2026 the firm led Hang Ten Systems' $32 million seed and Kana's $15 million seed, and co-led Uare.ai's $10.3 million seed with Boldstart.

What Mayfield Looks For

1. People first. "Our track record reflects a simple belief: great companies are built by people first."

2. Confidence and big dreams. Navin Chaddha, on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt: "We're looking clearly for people who are confident and who have big dreams."

3. Changing how people work, live and play. Chaddha's profile: "I partner with entrepreneurs who want to change the way people work, live, and play."

4. An X-factor plus execution. Rajeev Batra: "I partner with authentic entrepreneurs possessing an X-factor who value great execution."

5. AI-first, from Day Zero. AI Start describes itself as "serving as seed stage partners to bold AI-first founders," investing "across the six layers of the Cognition-as-a-Service stack," and it is open to a founder with only an idea.

What Mayfield Needs to See

Not traction. "Calling all builders, even pre-product" is AI Start's own line, and the firm says 70% of its investments begin at inception. What it does say it needs is selectivity on its side: "We invest in very few companies," and Chaddha has described investing in about one in a hundred of the companies he meets. The 2026 seed leads were an enterprise software company from a former Infosys chief (Hang Ten), an AI-agents-for-marketers company (Kana) and a personal AI company (Uare.ai): AI-native, founder-led, and early.

How to Get a Mayfield Meeting

  • Email AI Start: "If you're a founder with an idea you want us to evaluate, email us at aistart@mayfield.com." This is the published front door for a seed or pre-product company
  • AI Garage: Mayfield's launchpad for AI founders, run with Berkeley SkyDeck, Microsoft for Startups, NVIDIA, Orrick and SaaStr at events including HumanX, with potential investment for the winning team
  • The right partner: the team grid tags each investor by sector. Vijay Reddy is the dedicated AI Start partner; Navin Chaddha covers AI, enterprise and semiconductors; Ursheet Parikh adds human and planetary health; Rajeev Batra covers cloud and SaaS; Patrick Salyer and Aditya Singh cover AI and enterprise; Sri Pangulur runs the Select fund at Series B
  • Co-investors: Mayfield's 2026 seeds were shared with Boldstart, among others

What Gets You Passed

  • Not AI-first: the firm's own framing is $3 billion in AI and a seed fund built for AI-first founders
  • Outside the West Coast, at seed: AI Start says "primarily on the West Coast"; the firm publishes no wider policy
  • Series B without a breakout: Select III is for breakout portfolio companies and a few new ones

A second track: Pitch Protocol

Warm paths into a fund like Mayfield take time. Pitch Protocol is not a route into Mayfield; it is a second track you can run alongside your outreach. Applying is free, your own AI agent submits one application in about ten minutes with no web form, and the funds in our network whose thesis matches reach out to you directly. Apply to the First 100 Founders Cohort →

Founder FAQ

Which Mayfield partner should I pitch for my sector?

Mayfield's team grid tags each investor by sector. AI at the seed stage: Vijay Reddy, the dedicated AI Start partner. AI, enterprise and semiconductors: Navin Chaddha, managing partner. AI, enterprise infrastructure, human and planetary health: Ursheet Parikh. Cloud and SaaS: Rajeev Batra. AI and enterprise software: Patrick Salyer, Aditya Singh and Matt Carbonara. Series B through the Select fund: Sri Pangulur.

Does Mayfield lead seed rounds?

Yes. Its homepage says "We're the first institutional investor for early-stage AI founders. 70% of our investments begin at inception," and in June 2026 it wrote "we're excited to lead their $32 million seed round" for Hang Ten Systems.

What is Mayfield's typical check size?

For its seed vehicle, AI Start: "We like to be the first institutional check in for $1-4 million," per the AI Start page. No firm-wide range or ownership target is published.

Does Mayfield invest outside the United States?

AI Start says it invests "primarily on the West Coast" (AI Start page). Mayfield publishes no firm-wide geography statement; its portfolio page carries an India filter alongside its sector filters.

How long does Mayfield take to decide?

Mayfield publishes no decision timeline. Its product page says "We invest in very few companies, and once we sign a term sheet, our founders become part of the Mayfield family."

Does Mayfield take cold inbound?

For seed-stage AI ideas, yes: "If you're a founder with an idea you want us to evaluate, email us at aistart@mayfield.com" (AI Start page). The AI Garage programs take applications. No general pitch form or statement on cold inbound versus warm intros is published.

What is Mayfield AI Start?

Mayfield's $250M seed fund, announced in July 2023 as "the first dedicated seed vehicle in our history," which "partners with entrepreneurs starting at Day Zero, when often all you just have is an idea." It writes first institutional checks of $1M to $4M across the "Cognition-as-a-Service stack," primarily on the West Coast, per the announcement and AI Start page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mayfield AI Garage?

"A launchpad for AI founders, meeting them where they are in their journey," run with Berkeley SkyDeck, Microsoft for Startups, NVIDIA, Orrick, SaaStr and TiE at venues including UC Berkeley, HumanX, WashU, SaaStr and TiEcon. The HumanX edition offered four finalists stage time, up to $350K in Azure credits, NVIDIA Inception access, Orrick legal credits and "potential investment from Mayfield for the winning team," per the January 2026 post.

Can I apply through Pitch Protocol instead of waiting for a warm intro?

Pitch Protocol is not a back door into Mayfield, and we do not share which funds review an application before it is in. What it does: applying is free, your own AI agent (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any agent that can read a URL) submits one application in about ten minutes with no web form, and the funds in our network whose thesis matches reach out to you directly. Founders anywhere can apply. Keep working your warm path to Mayfield in parallel. Apply to the First 100 Founders Cohort →