Encoded VC - Seed Stage Venture Fund by Alex Benik

About Alex

01

I started Encoded in 2024 after two decades of investing in infrastructure and security at Battery Ventures. At Battery, I partnered with numerous founders and developed a deep network of technologists and practitioners, many of whom are now investors in Encoded.

I’m a husband, father of two, cyclist, and a Roma fan. I was raised writing Logo on a Commodore64 and on the warm sound USRobotics modems. If you ask folks in my circle, they’ll tell you I’m notably more technical than business people & more business-minded than most technical people. They’ll confirm that I know how the Internet actually works and can talk shop from hardware up to serving LLMs.

They’ll also probably say I’m not a jerk, that I’m a good listener, and that I’m honest.

Alex Benik

Founder

20+ years

Investing in infrastructure has been my whole career. It’s what I know + love.

Holistic perspective

I’ve worked with numerous teams from pre-seed through to acquisition and IPO.

Deep network

My trusted circle includes 100’s of technologists, practitioners, and leaders.

Started in 2024

Encoded focuses on my passions: early stage, technical, infrastructure.

Founder stories

02

Pavel Gurvich
SVP / GM at Akamai
Former CEO at Guardicore

Alex invested in us when we were just 5 guys in a basement. He has proven to be an amazing partner to the Guardicore journey, helping us evolve, grow and scale. Alex is one of the smartest and most humble VCs I’ve ever worked with.

Josh Leslie
CEO at Gremlin
Previously CEO at Cumulus Networks

Alex was a founding investor in Cumulus and I worked with him in partnership for over 5 years. He had both the vision and market knowledge to see how Cumulus could revolutionize the industry, and also the practical experience to help guide us through some challenging decisions, ultimately leading to a successful acquisition by Nvidia.

I always valued his advice and his connections in the industry helped us immeasurably.

JR Rivers
Co-Founder Cumulus Networks

From our first meeting at Hobee’s, I knew I wanted to work with Alex. He understood our technology and our market deeply. He co-led our seed round when Cumulus was just the two co-founders and he helped us build the team and refine the business strategy. I’m happy to call him a friend and proud to be an investor in Encoded.

Andrew Feldman
CEO, Cerebras

I have known Alex for more than 20 years, across three companies, spanning networking, computing, and now machine learning / AI. I’ve always valued his ability to grasp cutting-edge, deep technology and its potential to transform our industry.

He’s an ally to entrepreneurs and I don’t think twice before sending founders or interesting technologists his way.

Whatever Encoded Ventures needs from me, I will be there.

Common questions

03

Which stages do we fund?

We’re focused on the early stages (inception, pre-seed, seed), leveraging my background in all stages to help you get going and to the next level.

What kind of check size does Encoded write?

There is no pre-determined size, but it’s good to know that a typically first investment is +/- $500k

What is it like to work with Encoded?

As Encoded’s chief cook and bottle washer, you’ll work directly with me. You’ll get prompt responses, thoughtful questions, and an honest series of conversations where we’ll seek to understand your vision and opportunity. If it’s not a good fit, I’ll tell you. If it is, we’ll lace up our shoes and start moving at your pace.

Let’s talk

04

Every relationship at Encoded starts with the same question: what problem are you dying to solve?

Here’s our process:

If you’re super passionate about an idea, drop me an email.
Tell me about yourself, what you’re working on, and what you’re thinking about.
We’ll schedule time to talk.
If where you’re heading is in my wheelhouse, I’ll ask questions and give you honest feedback.
I’ll involve folks from my founder network to help early.
I’ll do my best not to waste your time, and hope the same from you.

If this sounds good, drop me an email and we’ll get started.

Cheers,