Adit Singh, the venture investor who helped source and co-lead Foundation Capital’s first investment in Cerebras, has joined Mayfield as an infrastructure partner. Singh announced the move on Thursday, marking a return to a multi-stage firm after leading early-stage investments at Neotribe Ventures and Cota Capital.
At Mayfield, Singh will focus on hardware, infrastructure software, cybersecurity, and physical AI. He said the firm’s semiconductor portfolio was a major draw. “If you look at Mayfield’s semiconductor portfolio, it’s probably the best in the market right now,” Singh told TechCrunch, pointing to investments in Upscale AI, recently valued at $2 billion, and Lumilens, which raised $700 million at a $5.5 billion valuation.
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A chip designer’s path to venture capital
Singh’s background is rooted in electrical engineering. “I’m a chip designer by training,” he said. “My secret sauce is being able to look at any workload and see how it works from the application all the way down to the transistor.” That technical depth helped him recognize the potential in Cerebras a decade ago, when the company was still obscure.
Foundation Capital’s early bet paid off substantially. By the time Cerebras held its blockbuster IPO in May, Foundation held roughly a 7% stake, making it the third-largest shareholder in the company, which now trades at a valuation of nearly $50 billion.
Singh left Foundation in 2017 to co-found Neotribe Ventures, where he spent four years leading the firm. He then joined Cota Capital, an early-stage firm, before making the move to Mayfield.
Why Mayfield, and why now
Singh said the size of seed infrastructure deals has ballooned in recent years, often pricing out smaller funds. Mayfield’s $3 billion in assets under management allows it to write seed checks of up to $20 million, a scale that Singh said aligns with where the market is heading.
Mayfield Managing Partner Navin Chaddha said the courtship took time. “We have been talking for a long time, and this time stars aligned,” Chaddha told TechCrunch. The two have known each other for 15 years and have sat on three startup boards together, including Upscale AI and AI startup Velaura AI.
Singh’s move reflects a broader trend of experienced investors gravitating toward firms with the capital to compete in increasingly expensive seed rounds. For Mayfield, the hire adds a seasoned operator with deep technical expertise in semiconductors, a sector that has become central to the AI boom.
As the infrastructure layer of AI continues to expand, investors with hands-on chip knowledge are in demand. Singh’s track record with Cerebras gives him credibility in a market where hardware and software are increasingly intertwined.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The venture capital and technology markets are volatile and uncertain; past performance does not guarantee future results.
