Who Index actually is
Founded in 1996 by Neil Rimer, David Rimer and Giuseppe Zocco, Index began as the investment arm of a Swiss bond-trading firm and became one of the most influential venture firms in the world. It runs permanent hubs in London, San Francisco, Geneva, New York and Tel Aviv, spanning 24 of the world's 30 most active startup ecosystems, and has backed category creators including Figma and Wiz.
The one-team model, and why your first meeting is the deal
Index runs one fund, one team. The partner who leads your seed stays with the company through IPO. Partner Mike Volpi's explanation is that 90% of their time goes to helping entrepreneurs grow, and a company inherited from a colleague cannot be served as well as one you chose. For founders this cuts both ways. A champion at Index commits for a decade, which is rare and valuable. It also means the first meeting is effectively the whole decision, so the narrative has to create conviction in that room, not across six polite follow-ups.
The money, and the cheques
In July 2024 Index announced $2.3 billion in new funds, raised in a few weeks from existing LPs: an $800M venture fund for seed and Series A, a $1.5B growth fund, and Index Origin, a $300M dedicated seed vehicle. Average cheques run roughly $5.9M at seed, $15.8M at Series A and $40.4M at Series B. Their pace is deliberate, 30 to 55 new deals a year, which is roughly a third of a16z's volume. Every deal carries more internal weight.
What they are funding right now
Partner Nina Achadjian describes the current market bluntly: venture rounds divide into AI and other, and AI rounds at seed and Series A run much bigger than average. Index's portfolio splits roughly 423 enterprise to 255 consumer, with genuine sector diversity around a B2B core. The pattern across their winners is category creation rather than fast-following.
How to approach them
Index explicitly advises founders to build a relationship before formal fundraise conversations. Referred deals from their network of portfolio founders, other VCs and operators get priority, and with 55 investments a year from a huge inbound volume, the referral is what gets you read. Start months before the round: share progress, take partner feedback, and let them watch the line go up before you ask for a term sheet.
And because the first meeting carries so much weight at Index, it pays to know what happens after it: the partner writes you up internally. Here is the investment committee paper investors write about you.
The full Index Ventures playbook covers the partner map, the Figma and Wiz deal case studies, the anti-patterns that get founders passed on, and the step-by-step approach plan. Get the complete Index Ventures founder's playbook here. It is free behind an email.
Common questions
Does Index Ventures invest at seed?
Yes. Index Origin is a $300M fund dedicated to seed, alongside the $800M venture fund covering seed and Series A. The same partner who leads your seed stays with the company through growth.
How much does Index invest per round?
Roughly $5.9M average at seed, $15.8M at Series A and $40.4M at Series B.
Is Index Ventures European or American?
Both. It was founded in Geneva, is heavily present in London and San Francisco, and runs hubs in New York and Tel Aviv. It is one of the few Tier 1 firms with equal weight on both sides of the Atlantic.
Do you need a warm introduction for Index?
Index's own advice is to build a relationship before formally raising. Referred deals get priority, and at 55 investments a year the practical answer is yes.
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