Cyrus Bakhshi

What I’m Up To:

Applying to jobs (see Current Asks below) - please help me so my wife doesn’t kick me out 😬
Co-founder and co-host @ *La Frontera,* a podcast, newsletter, and community exploring the startup and VC ecosystem in LatAm and the US
Writing about startups, fundraising, health, and life at *Hey Cyrus 👋*
Investing in startups and SMBs via my holding co

Quick Links

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Current Asks

I’m applying to Associate / Sr. Associate roles in VC. I have a preference for:

funds investing at the pre-seed and seed stage
funds investing in FinTech, B2B SaaS, and Infrastructure
funds looking to make one of their first few hires outside of the GP (I want to roll-up my sleeves and help out across the fund)

I’m flexible on location and able to move where the team needs me most, but would prefer NYC or DC if those are options.

Know someone I should connect with? Please let me know! I might even buy you lunch the next time I’m in your city 🤝.

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Career Highlights

💸 Venture Capital: As an investor at Outside VC, I deployed $100K-$250K checks into pre-seed and seed-stage FinTech and ClimateTech startups. Over two months, I evaluated 45+ companies and made five investments, 3x typical throughput. I also worked with Dux Capital on structuring a new Latinx-focused fund of funds.
⚡ Startup Building: At Blaze (YC S24), I did Growth & Operations, setting up financial operations, fundraising prep, and compliance. Previously, at Sunny Day Fund (Techstars ’21), I led the Product, Engineering (👨‍💻 8-person team), and Customer Success (🤝 3-person team) functions, building our product, implementation, and support functions.
🚀 Founder & Investor: I founded Blackheath Capital, where I acquired and turned around a small business, growing revenue to seven figures within two years. I’ve also sourced and invested in early-stage startups, including one that joined YC’s W24 batch and raised $2.8M at a 2.5x multiple.
📊 Financial & Operational Expertise: I have deep experience in financial modeling, process automation, and compliance from my roles at KPMG, Fannie Mae, and EY. At Fannie Mae, I launched a product that secured CFO sign-off and launched company-wide, built predictive financial models, and implemented automation that saved $1.2M annually.
🎙️ Podcast & Community Building: I’ve hosted monthly meetups for product leaders and founders across multiple cities (like DC, NY, and Mexico City). I also co-found and co-host La Frontera, a podcast exploring the LatAm startup ecosystem, featuring guests from 500 Global, Wollef VC, and Runa. My goal is to bring founders, investors, and operators of all backgrounds together to foster a more vibrant startup ecosystem across the US and LatAm.