Alex Kayyal

When Alex was growing up in Geneva, Switzerland as the child of immigrant parents, one thing he learned was to never underestimate the overlooked.
“All startups begin as underdogs initially,” he says.
“My father was a small business owner, so I witnessed firsthand the immense passion and pride of entrepreneurship, and the sheer level of tenacity and perseverance required to succeed.” At Lightspeed he will focus on leading SaaS investments.
“Building successful companies in this space is insanely difficult.
Being mission driven and having clear values are two pillars that make these kinds of journeys possible.
I love backing founders who take a values-first approach to leadership, while bringing to bear all the experiences and resources I can to support them along the way.” Before Salesforce, Alex helped found HGP, a venture growth fund where he led the firm’s investment in The Trade Desk.
He started his career at Merrill Lynch helping growth companies through M&A and IPOs, and holds a BA from Boston University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.