Venture Capitalists Aggressively Seek New Capital in October Filings

Trust Ventures is leading the charge with a $400 million target for its fifth fund, continuing its mandate to support startups in highly regulated sectors. The Austin-based firm, founded in 2017 by Salen Churi, remains a key player in this niche. Simultaneously, Interlagos Capital is moving forward with a $400 million goal for its second deep-tech vehicle.

Benchmark and its alumni are making significant waves. Victor Lazarte and Kris Fredrickson have officially secured $1.252 billion for their debut AI fund, Diffusion ONE, far exceeding their original $800 million target. Benchmark itself filed for four partner-only funds totaling roughly $364 million, with recent recruit Jack Altman listed on all filings. Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC is similarly active, expanding its footprint with four new vehicles, including an AI-specific fund that has already begun drawing capital.

Major players are also positioning themselves for exits. Notable Capital and Neil Mehta’s Greenoaks have both filed for new funds, capitalizing on the momentum of portfolio companies like Anthropic. Industry Ventures has reached a $1.7 billion milestone for its secondary fund, signaling a robust appetite for buying into mature private companies as the secondary market solidifies its role in venture liquidity.