Noa Khamallah was a street kid and convict. Now his $10 million fund is taking on mega-VCs

Noa Khamallah, once a street kid and convict, has transformed his humble beginnings into a $10 million venture capital fund dubbed Don't Quit Ventures. In a remarkable career trajectory, Khamallah bypassed traditional routes, cold-emailing tech luminaries like Yann LeCun and Fetty Wap, eventually securing support from high-profile investors.

Fund I of DQV has already reached a remarkable 2.5 times its initial investment, boasting three investments valued over $1 billion and nearly one-fifth of its portfolio becoming unicorns. The fund's success has already led to cash returns for limited partners just 14 months after its first close, beating industry averages. In an industry dominated by larger funds, Khamallah's smaller fund proves that size doesn't always equate to success, with funds under $10 million outperforming their larger counterparts.

Michael Ströck, who led DQV's initial fundraising, commends Khamallah's singular focus and commercial acumen, arguing that solo managers' risk profile is often overstated. However, Ströck warns that the durability of smaller funds, especially if they raise additional capital, may be put to the test.