Farzad Nazem
About Farzad Nazem
Farzad Nazem, known as Zod, is an angel investor based in Menlo Park, California. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University in 1981 with a B.S. in Computer Science with highest honors, at age 19. He started as a software engineer in the VLCBX division of Rolm Corporation.
From 1985 to 1996 he held software development and management roles at Oracle. He rose to Vice President of the Media and Web Server Division and sat on the Product Division Management Committee, which set strategy for Oracle products. From 1996 to mid-2007 he was Executive Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer of Yahoo!. In that role he managed more than 6,000 engineers, about half of the company's staff, and helped acquire and integrate over 50 companies. He also holds several patents.
He retired from Yahoo! in 2007 and has since invested in and advised startups. In 2003 he and his wife, Noosheen Hashemi, co-founded the HAND Foundation, an advisory and grant-making organization in Menlo Park. Crunchbase lists him as its co-founder. He sits on the boards of the HAND Foundation and Nautilus Biotechnology, and PitchBook lists him as an advisor to SignalFire.
Crunchbase records 63 investments in 54 portfolio companies, with 33 exits, 5 of them by IPO. It records no lead investments. His own bio says he has invested in more than 130 early-stage companies. A Cal Poly alumni profile says more than 100, and PitchBook lists 78 investments. The totals differ because angel deals are often not disclosed.
Cal Poly names Zoom Video Communications, Guardant Health and Adaptive Biotechnologies as investments that went public. It says other investments were acquired by Google, Yahoo!, Apigee, Twitter, Boston Scientific, Roche and Cisco.
On LinkedIn he wrote that he and Noosheen Hashemi led the 2017 seed round of Nautilus Biotechnology, a proteomics company. Crunchbase shows Ceevra as his most recent investment, a seed round. PitchBook lists a January 2023 investment in Arrcus.
His bio puts about half of his investing in AI, big data and cloud platforms. No public list separates his AI deals from the rest of the portfolio, so this page names only the ones below.
He is a strategic advisor to January AI, according to PitchBook. January AI was founded by his wife, Noosheen Hashemi. In a LinkedIn post he described January as predicting blood sugar after four days of training. Earlier data-infrastructure investments listed in public databases include DataTorrent (seed, 2012) and TigerGraph, a graph database.
On LinkedIn he has also asked for engineering candidates for an unnamed portfolio company in healthcare and AI.
His Crunchbase bio splits his investing about half into AI, big data and cloud platforms and half into health and biotech. Older versions of the bio gave two thirds big data and cloud and one third health and medical. Founders in either area fit his stated interests.
NFX Signal lists his deals from seed through Series B, mostly in the United States. Tracxn lists investments in the United States and India. Crunchbase shows no lead investments, so founders should expect him to join rounds rather than set terms. He has often invested alongside Noosheen Hashemi.
Wikipedia says he coaches entrepreneurs on technical architecture, market strategy, fundraising, talent development and mergers and acquisitions. He has not published a check size or a list of what he looks for in a pitch, so none is given here.
- Nautilus Biotechnology: proteomics company. He and Noosheen Hashemi led the 2017 seed round, and he is now a director.
- Zoom Video Communications: video communications company that went public. Cal Poly lists it among his IPO investments.
- Guardant Health: cancer diagnostics company that went public. Tracxn lists a Series B in April 2014.
- Adaptive Biotechnologies: immune-system biotech that went public. Cal Poly lists it among his IPO investments.
- Ginkgo Bioworks: synthetic biology company. Tracxn lists a seed round in July 2014.
- Convoy: freight marketplace. NFX Signal lists a seed round in October 2015.
- TigerGraph: graph database company. NFX Signal lists rounds in November 2013 and September 2017.
- DataTorrent: big data processing company. Tracxn lists a seed round in May 2012.
- Virool: video advertising company. Tracxn lists a seed round in February 2013.
- Ceevra: surgical planning software company. NFX Signal lists a seed round in March 2018.
- Arrcus: networking software company. PitchBook lists an investment in January 2023.
- January AI: AI health company founded by Noosheen Hashemi. He is a strategic advisor.
- crunchbase.com/person/farzad-nazem
- alumni.calpoly.edu/honored-alumni/farzad-zod-nazem
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farzad_Nazem
- linkedin.com/in/farzad-zod-nazem-62834816
- linkedin.com/posts/farzad-zod-nazem-62834816_couldnt-be-more-proud-of-
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/106316-65
- signal.nfx.com/investors/farzad-nazem
- tracxn.com/d/people/farzad-nazem/__hQ8diHxbS0-wT0rfFN3lnsxziLZZ0xkml2I
Investing activity
Farzad Nazem has made 63 investments according to Crunchbase across 54 portfolio companies, and has seen 33 exits, 5 of them by IPO and founded 2 companies.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Farzad Nazem
Who is Farzad Nazem?
Farzad (Zod) Nazem is a Menlo Park angel investor and co-founder of the HAND Foundation. He was Yahoo!'s Chief Technology Officer from 1996 to 2007 and earlier held management roles at Oracle.
What does Farzad Nazem invest in?
His bio says about half of his investing is in AI, big data and cloud platforms and half is in health and biotech. His portfolio includes Zoom, Guardant Health, Nautilus Biotechnology and TigerGraph.
What is Farzad Nazem's typical check size?
He has not published a check size, so none is given here. Some aggregator sites show ranges, but they do not come from him.
What stage does Farzad Nazem invest at?
Public deal records show seed rounds through Series B. Crunchbase lists no lead investments, which suggests he typically joins rounds led by others.
How many companies has Farzad Nazem invested in?
His bio says more than 130 early-stage companies. Crunchbase lists 63 investments and 33 exits, and PitchBook lists 78 investments, because angel deals are not always disclosed.
How can founders contact Farzad Nazem?
He is on LinkedIn and posts there about his portfolio. An X account, @fnazem, is listed in an investor directory. No personal website or published pitch process was found.
Is Farzad Nazem an angel investor?
Yes. Farzad Nazem invests personally as an angel and is Co-Founder at The HAND Foundation. Crunchbase counts 63 investments and 33 exits.
Where is Farzad Nazem based?
Farzad Nazem is based in Menlo Park, California, United States.
How can founders reach Farzad Nazem?
Founders on Lounge can see Farzad Nazem's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Farzad Nazem to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.