Sequoia Capital ends scouts and closes London office, narrowing focus
Sequoia Capital is shutting down its long-running Scouts program and closing its London office, marking a big change in how the firm invests.
Instead of spreading bets widely, Sequoia (and much of the VC world) is moving toward fewer, more focused investments and deeper partnerships.
While some worry about London's startup scene, some observers say this reflects a broader trend and won't shake things up too much.
Roxanne Varza laments Scouts shutdown
Sequoia's Scouts program let founders invest on the firm's behalf for 17 years, an idea that caught on across Silicon Valley.
But now, Roxanne Varza says she was sad about the shutdown, and the industry is leaning into quality over quantity: "I cannot name all of the incredible scouts that have gone on to join or build funds, but there are quite a few. And the scout programs may have helped them get there, allowed them to build an investment track record, allowed them to build relationships with various funds directly, and more," she says.
Rival firms like Andreessen Horowitz are making similar moves. This signals a new era where VCs want to build closer ties with startups instead of casting a wide net.