Early Cerebras Investor Adit Singh Joins Mayfield as Infrastructure Partner
Adit Singh joins Mayfield to back chips, infrastructure, cybersecurity and physical AI, tapping $3 billion in assets and seed checks up to $20 million.
Summary
Adit Singh joined 57-year-old Mayfield as an infrastructure partner on August 20, 2026, investing in hardware, infrastructure software, cybersecurity and physical AI. The electrical engineer and trained chip designer said Mayfield’s semiconductor record attracted him, citing Upscale AI, recently valued at $2 billion, and Lumilens, which raised $700 million at a $5.5 billion valuation. Mayfield’s $3 billion under management also supports seed checks up to $20 million as expanding infrastructure rounds price out smaller funds.
At Foundation Capital, Singh sourced and co-led the first round for then little-known Cerebras about 10 years ago. Foundation held roughly 7% at Cerebras’ May IPO, making it the third-largest shareholder in a company now trading near a $50 billion valuation. Singh co-founded Neotribe Ventures in 2017, led it for four years, then joined early-stage firm Cota Capital. Mayfield managing partner Navin Chaddha, who has known Singh for 15 years and shares three startup boards with him, including Upscale AI and unicorn Velaura AI, said prolonged recruitment talks finally succeeded.
Positives
- Mayfield’s $3 billion under management enables seed investments of up to $20 million in increasingly capital-intensive infrastructure startups.
- Foundation Capital’s roughly 7% Cerebras holding made it the chipmaker’s third-largest shareholder at its May IPO.
- Cerebras now trades near a $50 billion valuation, validating Singh’s role in sourcing and co-leading its first funding round.
- Lumilens raised $700 million at a $5.5 billion valuation, strengthening the semiconductor portfolio that attracted Singh to Mayfield.
- Upscale AI’s recent $2 billion valuation adds another substantial semiconductor holding to Mayfield’s portfolio.
- Singh adds chip design and electrical engineering expertise spanning workloads from applications to transistors.
Risks & concerns
- Infrastructure seed rounds have ballooned, increasingly pricing smaller venture funds out of competitive deals.
- Seed checks reaching $20 million underscore the rising capital required to compete for early-stage infrastructure companies.
- Mayfield required extended discussions to recruit Singh despite his 15-year relationship with Navin Chaddha and their three shared board roles.