Investor Profile: Cota Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Cota Capital is a San Francisco-based technology investment firm that describes its edge as “knowledge capital” — a combination of financial investment, deep operational expertise, competitive intelligence and a vast industry network, all aimed at founders building net-new enterprise technology. Founded by Bobby Yazdani — the Saba Software founder turned investor with early bets on companies like Google, Dropbox, Salesforce and Uber — Cota has spent more than a decade backing technical founders at the earliest stages.

Investment thesis

Cota's thesis is that paradigm shifts in the enterprise create entirely new problems that need entirely new companies. The firm partners with visionary technical founders who recognise those inflection points early, backing them from inception through scale with unusually hands-on support. Its current focus areas are enterprise and AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, developer tools, vertical AI and physical AI — the picks-and-shovels layer of the AI economy. The Cota Connect Summit in San Francisco convenes its founder and executive network annually.

Sectors and stage

Cota Capital invests in early-stage technology companies, typically at seed and Series A, across North America and Europe. The firm has not publicly stated a fund size or a standard cheque range — both are not publicly disclosed — so founders should lead with the technology and the inflection point, not the round mechanics.

Notable portfolio

The firm's site lists a deep enterprise bench. Standouts include Cast AI (AI infrastructure orchestration), Rhombus Systems (cloud-managed physical security), Farther (AI-native wealth management), Mobot (robotic app testing), FlowForge (open-source IoT platform, whose $7.2 million seed round Cota led alongside Open Core Ventures) and Ramen (network-as-a-service). Exits on the roster include Tubi, Capella Space, OpenGov and NextInput (all acquired), plus the Berkeley Lights IPO.

Partners

Bobby Yazdani (Founder & Partner) and Babak Poushanchi (Founder & Managing Partner) lead the firm, alongside partners Rich Ellinger (CTO & Partner), Ben Malka, Janis Naeve, Sri Rajan, Adit Singh and Daniel Karp, who joined as Partner in 2026 from Cervin Ventures to focus on AI-native infrastructure.

How to apply for funding from Cota Capital

Cota does not advertise an open application portal. Founders reach the firm through its website, cotacapital.com, or — far more effective — through a warm introduction from a portfolio founder or someone in Cota's enterprise network. The firm's Cota Connect Summit is also a genuine relationship-building venue for technical founders in the Bay Area orbit.