Sarah Guo is a force to be reckoned with in the world of venture capital, and her latest endeavor – Conviction – is no exception. With the AI boom, it’s no surprise why Sarah’s career has been focused on the same.
Indisputably talented and passionate about her work, Sarah got her start in tech working for her parents’ startup in Wisconsin. From there, she moved on to working as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in software and internet startups. It was at this point that her now-mentor and Greylock partner Aneel Bhusri noticed Sarah and eventually brought her over to Greylock.
At Greylock, Sarah Guo quickly rose to become the youngest, and one of the only female, general partners. During her time at the VC firm, Sarah was known for her creative approach to understanding the companies she invested in and her honesty, business savvy, and grit earned her a distinct reputation in the tech industry. Some of her investments at Greylock include Common Room, Demisto and Cleo.
Inspired by the deep learning revolution she had become a firm believer in, she decided the time was right to start her own AI-focused fund – Conviction – a $100 million fund investing up to Series A.
Sarah’s fund, Conviction, not only offers the benefit of investors’ unique access to researchers in residence pushing the state-of-the-art in AI, but also grants the investor flexibility to provide investors with tech-specific help in AI related problems. Her areas of focus are data analytics, business solutions, and artificial intelligence.
Unlike a lot of VCs, Sarah prefers to be a ‘strategic partner’ to founders, getting involved in the startups she invests in beyond just finality of the check – she often dives into their product and offers advice from her experience. Sarah is actively involved with the community, hosting dinners and events for the AI community in San Francisco, hoping to connect entrepreneurs, engineers, marketers, and product managers in the space. Finally, Sarah recently launched a podcast – ‘No Priors’ – with entrepreneur and investor Elad Gil, where they interview prominent figures in the AI and ML industry.
Sarah Guo’s endeavor is impressive, betting her career on the AI boom as she launches her new AI-focused fund, Conviction. With her dedication, curiosity and innovative ideas, Sarah is sure to build a prominent name for herself and Conviction in the venture capital world.
