Our team

We invest
before the
obvious.

Day Zero Fund backs exceptional founders building frontier AI companies. We invest early—before consensus—and partner closely from the first conviction check to global impact.

  • Founded 2023
  • San Francisco
  • AI-first
Mateen Raza, Founder and Managing Partner
01

Mateen
Raza

Founder & Managing Partner

Leads fund strategy, early-stage selection, and hands-on support for founders building at day zero.

02

Hamza

Head of Strategy & Investments

Owns deal evaluation, market research, and portfolio support across AI, HealthTech, BioTech, and Automation.

Hamza, Head of Strategy and Investments
03

Znoush
K.

Program Manager

Runs founder programs, partner coordination, and execution across community and portfolio initiatives.

Znoush K., Program Manager
04

Seema
Karim

Venture Partner

Supports sourcing, founder coaching, and diligence across early-stage AI and HealthTech investments.

Seema Karim, Venture Partner
05

Atif
Awan

Platform & Growth

Helps portfolio teams with distribution, partnerships, and growth strategy from early traction to scale.

Atif Awan, Platform and Growth
How we partner
01

Conviction early.

We make bold bets ahead of consensus—when the signal is clear and the risk is real.

02

Founder proximity.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with founders from day zero through inflection and beyond.

03

Long-term ambition.

We back teams building enduring companies for a meaningful future.