Vela Partners is a San Francisco-based, product-led and AI-native venture capital firm, established in 2017. The firm specializes in investing in early-stage AI startups, aiming to revolutionize the traditional venture capital model by leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance investment decisions and portfolio performance. Vela Partners has developed a proprietary AI platform called 'Ventech,' which utilizes machine learning algorithms to source, evaluate, and analyze potential investments, providing a data-driven approach to venture capital.

The firm collaborates with the University of Oxford to conduct and publish research in artificial general intelligence, further solidifying its commitment to innovation in the field. Vela Partners' leadership team comprises over 20 global entrepreneurs, engineers, and researchers, led by General Partner Yigit Ihlamur, who holds a master's degree in computer science specializing in machine learning from the University of Oxford. The firm's portfolio includes notable companies such as Grabango, which has raised $93 million and is developing autonomous checkout solutions for grocers, and Bear Robotics, which has raised $115 million and is creating self-driving robots to address labor shortages in the hospitality industry.