Felicis Founder Pledge We invest in making founders unbreakable

The Felicis Founder Pledge is our commitment to invest in the founder building the company, not only the company itself. Every first-check investment from Felicis includes two forms of founder support, built to create trust and alignment: (1) dedicated, non-dilutive funding for a founder’s development and (2) a commitment to vote our shares alongside founders.

Executive coaching, therapy, leadership training, peer CEO groups, and more. We are flexible to support anything that might help a founder perform and lead with greater resilience, clarity, and capacity. One founder used it for a night nurse after she had her baby!

Founders decide how and when to use it. No strings attached.

We made the voting commitment in 2014 and launched the 1% pledge in September 2018. Felicis was the first venture firm to commit an additional 1% on top of every first check to founder development.

With every first check we write, Felicis commits an additional 1% in non-dilutive capital for founder development, on top of our investment. It comes directly from our operating budget, so it costs founders no equity.

No. It comes from our operating budget, so founders give up zero equity.

No. It is non-dilutive support for the founder, funded by Felicis. It does not require founders to give up additional ownership in their company.

Building a consequential company asks an extraordinary amount of its leaders. Like world-class athletes, founders benefit from dedicated coaching, support, and space to build the skills required for the long haul. We believe this is among the highest-leverage investments we can make in the companies we back.

Our term sheets include a commitment that Felicis will vote its shares alongside the founder, so they keep the control to pursue their vision. We formalize that alignment because founders need the control and trust to execute their long-term vision, especially through difficult moments and critical pivots. We’ve cast zero board votes against founders.

Not at all. In fact, we think it makes the hard discussions much more productive, with a mutual foundation of trust. We bring conviction, candor, and rigorous counsel to help founders make their best decisions. We are built to be a true long-term partner.

The pledge is part of every new, first-check Felicis investment. Your Felicis partner will walk you through the details as part of the investment process.

Hundreds of founders have used the Founder Pledge.