Since beginning her venture capital journey in 2018, Maya Bakhai has become a prominent figure in the early-stage startup ecosystem, backing over 100 founders and contributing to the success of 6 unicorns.

In 2021, Maya launched Spice Capital, a seed-stage firm that quickly gained the backing of industry luminaries including Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, and Alexis Ohanian (Reddit Founder). The fund, with over 40 portfolio companies, is known for its strategic investments across Fintech, Web3, Creator Economy, and Vertical SaaS.

Prior to founding Spice Capital, Maya managed venture investments for NBA player Kevin Durant, expertly bridging the worlds of technology and culture. Her most prominent deals include early investments in Hugging Face, Mercury, Whoop, Dapper Labs, and OpenSea, each reaching or exceeding $1 billion valuations.

Dedicated to promoting diversity in venture capital, Maya has made significant investments in female-led teams. Her most notable investment is in Kindbody, a Female Fertility Startup, last valued at $1.4 billion. Maya's mission is not only to support groundbreaking startups but also to encourage diversity and inclusivity within the venture capital ecosystem.

She has a B.S. in finance and data science from NYU. In 2023, she was recognized for her investing in Forbes 30 under 30’s Venture Capital list.