Venture capital, fintech startups, and innovation leadership by Maya Bakhai

Maya Bakhai is an American venture capitalist who founded Spice Capital in 2021, a seed-stage investment fund active across consumer, crypto, and community markets. The fund has backed between 25 and 40 startups, including blockchain-related projects such as Flowcarbon, Immortal Game, and Dirt. Investment check sizes typically range from $100,000 to $5 million, with an average deal size near $1.5 million. Spice Capital has drawn support from more than 130 limited partners, among them Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, and Alexis Ohanian.

Before launching Spice Capital, Bakhai was principal investor at 35 Ventures, Kevin Durant’s firm, where she participated in early investments in OpenSea, Mercury, and Hugging Face. Her fund’s portfolio spans multiple continents, with a strong focus on early Web3 adoption and community-driven marketplaces. In recognition of her impact, Bakhai was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30. As of 2025, Spice Capital’s combined portfolio companies are valued in the billions, and several are preparing for growth rounds exceeding $50 million each.