Faraz Fatemi

Faraz joined Lightspeed as a Partner in 2022 and is focused on investments in consumer platforms.
Previously, he was an early team member and operator at Clubhouse and Wave, leading monetization and growth initiatives, and spent time on the investing team at Bain Capital Ventures, focused largely on consumer internet and marketplaces.
It was during his time at BCV that he first got to know the Lightspeed team, having co-invested in several companies including Cameo and Rubrik.
Faraz grew up in the Bay Area with heavy Persian influence – his primary source of motivation stems from the sacrifices his parents made in immigrating from post-Revolution Iran to the United States to provide future generations the best opportunity for personal and professional success.
“My parents sacrificed everything back home to come pursue the American entrepreneurial dream,” said Faraz.
His path to venture was also heavily influenced by his parents’ professional experiences – his father works in finance, which helped instill Faraz’s love for the quantitative side of company building, and his mother is a psychologist, which spurred Faraz’s interest in the human and community side of startups and understanding what truly brings people together.
Faraz graduated from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and currently lives in Los Angeles with his fiancée and goldendoodle.
When he’s not investing, advising or building communities, he loves exploring all LA has to offer – “beautiful beaches, amazing hikes, and delicious food.” And despite moving to Southern California, he remains a devoted Bay Area sports fan.