The New York and San Francisco-based firm founded by brothers Raj and Sunny Singh Sandhu says its network-driven model, rather than larger check sizes, is its main edge with founders.
Vicus Ventures, a New York and San Francisco-based venture capital firm launched in 2024 by brothers Raj and Sunny Singh Sandhu, has closed its first fund at $55 million. The brothers told Fortune they declined “way more” capital, arguing that a smaller vehicle better fits their strategy of offering founders “minimum dilution, maximum impact” at a time when startup financing is crowded with term sheets and large investors. The firm’s pitch centers on “network-as-a-service,” a model designed to connect portfolio companies with a curated base of limited partners, or LPs (investors in a fund), and other contacts that can help generate revenue and strengthen companies. Its backers include General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins, Jeff Wilke, Mike Novogratz, David Blitzer, Tom Hale, and Zak Brown. Vicus has already invested in companies including Avoca, Specter, Pallet, and Yuzu Health. The $55 million figure also carries symbolic weight for the founders: Punjab is known as “the land of five rivers,” and the fund has 55 LPs. Raj previously worked on wearables and AI at Alphabet’s Verily for three years, while Sunny had worked as a consultant at Bain before the pair began building the firm.