Do Great Work. VCs Will Find You.

Yiğit Ihlamur, co-founder and general partner at Vela Partners, shares his unique venture capital approach, which combines data analysis with personal connections to identify exceptional founders. At Vela Partners, an algorithmic scan of companies helps narrow down investment choices, but final decisions hinge on assessing founder resilience and motivation during meetings. Yiğit explains that, typically, he has already decided to invest by the time he meets a founder; the meeting confirms his conviction. He also discusses AI’s role in shaping the future of productivity tools and offers valuable advice to founders on preparation and authenticity when seeking investment. In this episode, you’ll learn: [02:06] Yiğit's journey from Google to venture capital, and his unique approach to combining engineering and venture investing. [06:27] How Vela Partners integrates artificial intelligence and quant-driven algorithms to identify high-potential startups [10:21] The significance of a balanced quantitative and qualitative assessment in VC investing [12:41] How AI is enabling the next generation of productivity tools [19:08] Articulate your personal story, intrinsic motivation, and ability to articulate your commitment to solving a particular problem. [24:07] What should startups do to attract algorithm-driven funds like Vela Partners?  [27:02] Slow decision-making pace in VC is a problem The nonprofit organizations Yiğit is passionate about: American College Institute (ACI) in Turkey About Yiğit Ihlamur Yiğit Ihlamur is a co-founder, general partner, and Chief Technology Officer at Vela Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in AI and product-led solutions. Prior to Vela, Yiğit had an impactful career at Google, where he led initiatives for Gmail, Chrome, and Google Workspace, focusing on product-led growth strategies such as self-service signups, activation, and pricing flows. Starting in Google's European headquarters, he initially worked on technical support for IT admins and created productivity tools for internal teams. Yiğit is passionate about advancing human productivity through technology. Outside his professional pursuits, he enjoys kitesurfing, skiing, running, and spending time with his family. About Vela Partners Vela Partners is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm specializing in product-led, AI-native startups from inception to Series A. Acting as an "AI startup investing in other AI startups," Vela leverages its proprietary AI to guide investment decisions and enhance its own returns. The firm’s investor-focused tools drive its fund’s performance, while self-service tools for entrepreneurs expand Vela’s brand and distribution channels. Its portfolio includes innovative companies like Vieu, Cartken, Goooods, Nominal, LeakSignal, Base Operations, Cerby, Lightup, Vartana, and Axiom Cloud, among others. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.