Brian Zhan, a 29-year-old venture capitalist known for his technical depth and bold investing approach, has joined Striker Venture Partners, where he’s launching a $165 million fund with veteran investor Max Gazor. The duo plans to disrupt traditional venture capital by making unusually large seed-stage bets—up to $30 million per company—on just 10 startups per fund. This strategy reflects a shift in how early-stage AI ventures are being funded, with investors moving earlier and placing greater trust in raw technical potential over conventional metrics. Zhan, who studied computer science at Northwestern University and began his career coding at Facebook, says he saw a pattern while working on the company’s data team: some of the most talented engineers were leaving to start companies but struggled to raise meaningful capital despite their impressive backgrounds. This inspired him to begin angel investing in his free time, focusing on former Facebook engineers and other technical founders. At CRV, where he worked full-time before quietly departing this summer, Zhan made early investments in standout AI startups like Skild AI, Dyna Robotics, and Periodic Labs. At the time, these companies had little traction, but their founders had deep technical expertise. Zhan’s biggest success so far is Reflection AI, a model startup he co-led in its seed round at a $200 million valuation—a price many VCs dismissed. Last month, Reflection AI raised $2 billion at an $8 billion valuation, validating Zhan’s conviction. “Founders want someone who speaks their language,” said Misha Laskin, CEO of Reflection AI. “Brian is rare because he’s done the work, is well-connected, and deeply understands the frontier of AI.” Zhan’s sister, Stephanie Zhan, is a general partner at Sequoia Capital and also backed Reflection AI and Skild AI. While they share similar tastes in startups, Brian insists they keep work separate, even during family gatherings. Unlike many VCs who prioritize networking and constant founder meetings, Zhan dedicates hours daily to reading cutting-edge AI research through a custom AI assistant. He and Gazor focus on identifying emerging trends and top talent before reaching out—often with a clear decision to invest. Gazor, an MIT dropout and four-time Forbes Midas list veteran, was impressed by Zhan’s ability to build trust with high-profile founders and brought him back to Striker. Zhan is particularly excited about AI’s role in scientific discovery. He’s drawn to founders like William Fedus, a former OpenAI researcher who co-founded Periodic Labs to use AI in accelerating scientific research. “Imagine shortening drug discovery timelines with AI,” Zhan said. “I believe AI for science will become as significant a category as AI for robotics is today.”