Tikhon Bernstam

Tikhon Bernstam is a highly successful and prolific angel investor based in San Francisco, known for his keen eye for disruptive technology startups, primarily at the Seed stage. His investment acumen is deeply rooted in his entrepreneurial journey as the co-founder of two notable companies: Scribd, a digital library and document-sharing platform, and Parse, a backend-as-a-service platform that was acquired by Facebook for an estimated $85 million in 2013. This significant exit provided him with the capital and credibility to transition into active angel investing, where he has since built an impressive portfolio.

Bernstam's investment strategy heavily favors software companies with strong technical founders and clear product-market fit potential. His portfolio reads like a who's who of modern tech giants, including early investments in companies that have achieved multi-billion dollar valuations. Notable examples include Figma, a design collaboration tool valued at $20 billion prior to its proposed acquisition by Adobe, as well as Notion, Plaid, Brex, Deel, Rippling, Cruise, Airtable, and Superhuman. He is known for identifying and backing companies that go on to define new categories or significantly disrupt existing ones, often investing alongside top-tier venture capital firms.

As an angel, Bernstam brings more than just capital to the table; his extensive experience as a founder and operator provides invaluable mentorship and strategic guidance to early-stage teams. He understands the challenges of scaling a startup, having navigated them successfully himself. His network within Silicon Valley is also a significant asset for his portfolio companies. With over 100 investments listed on platforms like Crunchbase, his activity underscores his commitment to supporting the next generation of tech innovators.

Based on his track record and the competitive nature of the seed rounds he participates in, Tikhon Bernstam typically writes first checks ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. This range positions him as a significant early supporter for high-potential startups, reflecting his belief in the long-term vision and execution capabilities of the founding teams he chooses to back.