Venture capital firm DVC has announced the launch of DVC AI Fund I, a $75 million fund focused on Series A and B investments in core AI infrastructure, vertical model stacks, and application-layer solutions.
The firm has already made five investments from the new vehicle.
Founded by husband-and-wife duo Marina Davidova and Nick Davidov, DVC is reimagining how a venture firm operates — replacing its entire analyst team with proprietary AI agents and leveraging a global network of more than 170 limited partners from leading tech companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, and SpaceX.
These LPs don’t just provide capital; they also help source deals, mentor founders, and support portfolio growth. In exchange, they receive carried interest, effectively turning DVC’s investor base into a distributed, performance-driven collective.
A Venture Firm Run by AI and Operators
“AI is the backbone of how DVC operates — we’ve flipped the traditional due diligence model,” the firm told TFN. “Instead of contacting founders first, our AI agents compile comprehensive deal memos automatically, using available company decks, market data, competitor analyses, and valuation benchmarks. What once took an analyst a full day now costs under 30 cents and takes only minutes.”
This automation enables DVC’s human partners to focus on qualitative factors like founder motivation, team chemistry, and long-term vision — the areas where human intuition still outperforms machines.
The firm’s AI-driven decision engine tracks over 120 real-time signals across traction, team strength, investor activity, and market sentiment. When indicators show a company is approaching a breakout moment — such as rapid growth or interest from top-tier investors — DVC can issue an early $1M+ SAFE before a formal fundraising round.
“If our system detects inflection points — say, accelerating user growth plus LinkedIn connections from Sequoia partners — we step in early,” said Nick Davidov, Co-founder and GP. “Founders get capital fast, stay focused, and retain stronger leverage for their next round, while we secure allocation ahead of the market.”
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Building a Data-Driven Investment Ecosystem
DVC’s new fund follows the success of its seed fund, which backed over 120 startups, including:
- Perplexity AI, the AI search decacorn;
- Etched, a next-generation AI chipmaker;
- Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati;
- Higgsfield, an AI video platform that grew from zero to $50M ARR in under a year.
The new $75M fund brings heavyweight operators into leadership roles.
- Mel Guymon, former Google and Yahoo executive, joins as General Partner, leading enterprise go-to-market strategy.
- Charles Ferguson, creator of Microsoft FrontPage and an Oscar-winning filmmaker, will head deal origination.
- Alexey Rybak, formerly of Meta AI and Perplexity AI, joins as VP of Product and Technical Strategy.
Notable LPs include Mike Arrington (Arrington Capital), Denis Yarats (Perplexity AI), and Andrew Filev (Wrike), whose combined experience signals strong conviction in DVC’s unorthodox model.
Reinventing the Venture Playbook
“We fired our analysts and hired our LPs — then gave them AI to focus on the highest-impact work,” said Marina Davidova, Co-founder and GP. “This lets us operate with the power of a megafund on one-hundredth of the budget. We’ve proven the model works — now we’re scaling it.”
By fusing automation with a distributed expert network, DVC is redefining how modern venture funds operate — one where AI handles the grunt work, and human expertise drives conviction.
About DVC
DVC is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm using AI to transform how venture investing is done. Focused on early growth stages (Series A and B), DVC invests in AI infrastructure, vertical model stacks, and applied AI. Its distributed LP network of 170+ operators and proprietary AI systems enable faster sourcing, smarter due diligence, and scalable portfolio support.
