Backing the best of every YC batch, before Demo Day

Eight Capital invests in the top ~10% of each Y Combinator batch ahead of Demo Day, then keeps backing the strongest companies as they grow. We have invested in 250+ companies, across every YC batch since W22.

Our Story

Ravi Chachra founded Eight Capital in 2005, and the team has since managed over $500 million across different investment strategies and market cycles.

Today that experience goes into one repeatable process: track every Y Combinator batch, invest before Demo Day, and follow on as our best companies raise their Series A and B.

By the Numbers

250+

Portfolio companies

YC batches

Acquisitions

$500M+

Team experience managing

How We Invest, Week by Week

Our process runs on the YC calendar, so we can commit before Demo Day rather than compete at it.

Week 2

Shortlist

We shortlist startups in the new batch and reach out to founders to introduce Eight Capital.

Week 4

Research

We research each company, its landscape and industry, and scout for breakthroughs through weekly live demos at YC.

Week 6

Meet founders

We meet founders and aim to be the first cheque into breakthrough startups.

Week 8

Invest

We invest in the top ~10% of the batch, per our research and thesis, at Demo Day valuation or lower.

Week 10

Demo Day

An Eight Capital investment is a signal to other investors and takes pressure off the Demo Day raise.

What We Look For

Founder-market fit

Deep domain expertise and persistence, and the ability to raise at least $2M for a two-year runway.

Sector focus

Ambitious problems that attract strong founders, in companies positioned to stay valuable as AI capabilities advance.

Market opportunity

Markets with $1B+ potential and a credible path to $10M ARR within 36 months.

Early traction

A working product with customers and evidence of demand.

Where Our Companies Go

Portfolio companies have been acquired by Vercel, Scale AI, Cognition, Cisco, Postman, Workday, Collate, Optro, CoreWeave, Factory and ServiceNow.

Others have gone on to raise follow-on rounds from leading venture firms.

See our top holdings

Our Team

The investors behind our pre-Demo Day YC strategy.

Ravi Chachra

Founder & Managing Partner. Investor and four-time founder with 30+ years across technology, venture and financial markets, including management of $500M+ AUM.

Vijay Lavhale

Investor. CFA with deep experience in financial analysis and portfolio management across technology sectors.

Mohit Sachdeva

Investor. Focused on identifying and supporting exceptional YC founders in AI and infrastructure sectors.

Samantha Chachra

Investor. Specializing in fintech and vertical SaaS investments with a focus on early-stage growth strategies.

For Limited Partners

Interested in pre-Demo Day YC investing? Request our LP materials or join our quarterly updates.

Request LP deck Get LP updates