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Sam Fort

Sam Fort

Partner·DFJ Growth

United States

Bio

Professional summary

Sam Fort is a Partner at DFJ Growth. He joined the firm in 2010 and has been involved with many of its investments across enterprise software, infrastructure, AI, security, fintech, and blockchain-adjacent technology. Before DFJ Growth, he worked with TPG Capital’s technology team in San Francisco, where he focused on late-stage technology investments. Earlier, he worked in Morgan Stanley’s investment banking team on technology, media, and telecommunications M&A and IPOs. He holds BSE and BA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Investment focus

Stage, sector, and overall fit

Stage

Late-stage technology companiesGrowth-stage technology companies

Sector

Enterprise applicationsEnterprise infrastructureFintechBlockchain technologyAI and data infrastructure

Thesis

Enterprise applications and infrastructureFintechBlockchain technologyLate-stage technology companies

Notable companies

Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed

AmountArmisAvantChefCylanceDatabookDataRobotDataStaxDutchieEndor LabsFormlabsFrontHopinImmutaModularOpenAIOutreachPing IdentityRhoSalt SecurityScale AISimpliVitySisenseStripeSysdigTumblrXBOWYammerYellowbrick Data

How to approach

Framing and angles for outreach

Pitch framing

Lead with a late-stage or growth-stage technology company in enterprise software, infrastructure, fintech, AI, or blockchain with clear product disruption and market scale.

Personalization hooks

  1. 1Reference his stated interest in products disrupting legacy markets or defining major new categories.
  2. 2If relevant, connect to portfolio themes like AI infrastructure, application security, fintech, or developer infrastructure.

Background

Career, education, and skills

Career history

  • DFJ GrowthPartner
  • America SCORES Bay AreaBoard Chair2024 - Present (board member 17+ years)

Education

  • Stanford Graduate School of BusinessMBA

Other partners at DFJ Growth

12 more profiles

Angel Duan

Angel Duan

Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth associate with prior technology investment banking experience at PJT Partners.

Consumer mediaCybersecurityFintechIoTSoftwareSupply chain
Barry Schuler

Barry Schuler

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth, focused on growth-stage companies that have moved beyond seed and early funding and are emerging category leaders.

AIConsumerFrontier softwareLife techMachine assistNew frontiers/space‑defense
Brian Akin

Brian Akin

Senior Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth senior associate with Bain diligence and Dapper Labs strategy experience.

AI infrastructureConsumer blockchainSoftwareTechnology diligenceVenture strategy
Chris Shanahan

Chris Shanahan

Principal

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth principal focused on hard-tech, defense, autonomy, energy, robotics, and lifetech.

AutonomyDefense technologyEnergyLife technologyRoboticsSmart systems
Evan Fu

Evan Fu

Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth associate with Goldman Sachs software, internet, and fintech banking experience.

AerospaceDefense technologyFinancial technologyInternetSoftware
Gil Lubetzky

Gil Lubetzky

Chief Information Officer

DFJ Growth

Venture-platform CIO with IT leadership roles across Threshold, DFJ Growth, and Draper Associates.

information technologysystems managementventure operations
Jocelyn Kinsey

Jocelyn Kinsey

Partner

DFJ Growth

Jocelyn Kinsey is a Partner at DFJ Growth, where she has worked on investments across healthcare, consumer, mapping, robotics, defense, and creator platforms.

Deep techDefense/dual‑use
John H. N. Fisher

John H. N. Fisher

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

John H. N. Fisher is a Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth and a co-founder of DFJ.

Company buildingGrowth‑stage technology
Justin Kao

Justin Kao

Partner

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth partner investing in healthcare, life sciences, AI, hard sciences, and enterprise applications.

AIenterprise softwaregrowth-stage technologyhard scienceshealthcarelife sciences
Kevin Tu

Kevin Tu

Partner

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth partner focused on AI infrastructure, security, developer tools, and frontier technologies.

AI infrastructureDeveloper toolsEnterprise applicationsFrontier technologiesSecurity
Randy Glein

Randy Glein

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

Randy Glein is a Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth, where he backs rapidly scaling technology companies.

Frontier techSpace/aerospace
Rob Ciechowski

Rob Ciechowski

Senior Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth senior associate focused on biotech, pharma services, and life-science technology.

BiosensingBiotechnologyCell therapyLife sciencesPharma services