Defy Partners Closes Second Fund at $262 Million

Palo Alto – May 23, 2019 – Cooley advised Defy Partners on the oversubscribed closing of its second fund at $262 million. Partner John Clendenin led the Cooley team advising Defy.

“The high demand and rapid close of Defy II is a reflection of our premier limited partners’ understanding that entrepreneurs want more than just capital to build their businesses and that outsized venture returns have and will always come from having high ownership early in the life cycle of entrepreneurial companies,” Neil Sequeira, Defy co-founder and managing director, said in a news release. “We are lucky to have a history of investing in experienced and first-time founders, where we can act as a partner and member of the team and put in real effort into helping them build their businesses at scale.”

Founded in 2016, Defy is focused exclusively on early Series A rounds, an underserved part of the venture landscape. Defy's aim is to help companies, after seed funding, mature and scale into companies ready for growth capital. The firm's founding team has more than 40 years’ experience in helping successful entrepreneurs grow companies like The Honest Company, Nest, Elemental, Dropcam and more.

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.

Cooley has 1,000+ lawyers across 15 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you or your organization and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, or any other affiliated practice or entity (collectively referred to as “Cooley”). By accessing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice. It is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep any information you provide to us confidential. This content may be considered Attorney Advertising and is subject to our legal notices.