A firm built for the second round of conviction.
Seed investors bet on a team and an idea. At Series A and B, the question changes: is this product becoming part of how its customers operate? That is the moment we’re built for.
Operators and investors, by design.
Manor X was founded in San Francisco by investors and operators who had spent their careers building and buying enterprise software. We started the firm when it became clear that AI was changing more than the features of software. It was changing what software is for.
We saw a gap. Early-stage funds were well positioned to back the first wave of AI companies, and growth funds were ready to scale proven winners. Between them sat a hard stretch: the Series A and B companies that had real customers and early revenue, and now had to turn a promising product into a system enterprises would trust with critical work.
That is where we lead. We stay concentrated, make about ten new investments a year, and give each company the board attention, enterprise relationships and hiring support it needs to cross that stretch.
Why “Manor X”
A manor is built to last: a house that anchors an estate for generations. X is the variable, the unknown that changes everything around it. Together they describe what we look for: enduring companies built on a shift most people haven’t fully priced in yet.
How we behave.
Founders talk to each other. Our reputation rests on how we act when things are hard, not just when they’re going well.
- 01
Fast, clear answers
A decision in about three weeks. If it’s a no, we’ll tell you why, plainly and quickly.
- 02
Concentration over coverage
Few companies, deep work. Each partner sits on a small number of boards so each one gets real attention.
- 03
Diligence that helps
Our diligence should leave you with sharper metrics and a clearer story, whether or not we invest.
- 04
Founders run companies
We give strong opinions when asked and stay out of the way when not. The company is yours.
- 05
Steady through the cycle
We reserve for follow-ons and show up in the hard rounds, not just the easy ones.
The partnership.
Every partner has built, sold or secured enterprise software. Each covers one focus area and works across all of them.
Katherine Hayes
Former COO of a vertical SaaS company that reached a public exit. Leads our work in financial services and insurance.
Michael Bennett
Led machine learning platform engineering at a hyperscaler. Spends his time on evals, orchestration and inference.
Sarah Whitman
Former security founder and red-team lead. Focuses on agent identity, model security and autonomous defense.
Andrew Mitchell
Spent a decade in defense technology and public-sector procurement. Leads our dual-use and industrial work.
Emily Carter
Sources and diligences Series A companies across all four areas. Previously an engineer at an applied AI startup.
Ryan Parker
Built enterprise sales teams from $5M to $100M ARR. Runs our buyer network and go-to-market programs.
Rachel Brooks
Leads executive search for portfolio companies, focusing on first VPs of sales, engineering and security.
Daniel Foster
Runs fund operations, finance and LP relations. Formerly at a multi-stage venture firm.
Jackson Square, San Francisco.
We’re based in San Francisco, close to the frontier labs, the AI talent pool and most of the companies we back. We invest across the United States and spend a lot of time in New York, Washington, D.C. and Austin with customers and portfolio teams.
470 Jackson Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94111