Cyan Banister
VCCo-Founder and General Partner, Long Journey Ventures
Early-stage GP backing magically weird founders
Background
Cyan Banister overcame a childhood marked by homelessness to become one of Silicon Valley's most respected early-stage investors. She built her track record as an angel, making early bets on Uber, SpaceX, Postmates, DeepMind, Affirm, Carta, Flexport, Niantic, and Thumbtack, before joining Founders Fund as a partner. In 2020 she left Founders Fund to co-found Long Journey Ventures alongside Lee Jacobs and Arielle Zuckerberg. In March 2025, Long Journey closed its fourth fund at $181.8 million, targeting what the firm describes as 'magically weird' founders with bold ideas that conventional investors overlook. Long Journey focuses squarely on pre-seed and seed stage, backing companies across consumer, frontier tech, defense, and emerging categories.
Investment Thesis
Back 'magically weird' founders with bold ideas before they become consensus; seeks companies that enable people to shape their own futures through technology, creativity, or courage.
Investment Focus
Stages
Typical check: $250K–$1M (pre-seed/seed via Long Journey)
Sectors
Based in: United States (North America)