Monta Vista Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, has successfully secured $48 million in commitments for its third fund, marking its largest fund to date. Founded by Venktesh Shukla, an experienced investor who began his journey in the angel stage with TiE Silicon Valley, the firm focuses on supporting business-to-business (B2B) startups.
Shukla, alongside partners such as Roger Krakoff, brings expertise in AI, cloud, security, and data to the investment table. Unlike many seed funds operating with a single decision-maker, Monta Vista employs a collaborative team approach, emphasizing the importance of a collective decision-making process. The firm prefers investing at the pre-revenue stage and targets startups in infrastructure, vertical SaaS, and industries undergoing digital transformation, such as mining and textiles.
What sets Monta Vista apart is its unique funding model. Rather than relying on institutional investors, the firm leverages a substantial network of 65 individual investors, which Shukla refers to as the firm’s “secret superpower.” This network not only provides capital but also serves as a source for deal flow, due diligence, and portfolio company support. With the successful closing of its third fund, Monta Vista has now raised a total of $72.8 million across its three funds.
Despite the fund’s size, Monta Vista maintains exclusivity in its investments. The firm, having made only 12 investments from its second fund, plans to invest in 15 companies with the third fund, contributing approximately $1 million to $2 million to each. This year, Monta Vista aims to invest in about five companies.
Previous notable investments by Monta Vista include Captiv8, a marketing tech company, KlearNow, a customs clearance company, and Eridan, a mobile infrastructure company. The firm has also celebrated successes from earlier funds, with companies like Cequence Security and Tekion raising substantial Series C and Series D rounds, respectively. Shukla remains optimistic about the future, emphasizing the continuous flow of innovative ideas from resilient entrepreneurs, regardless of market conditions.
