How emerging Mubadala-backed AAF is winning VC deals in today’s hottest startups through a hybrid fund strategy.
Matilda
Mubadala-Backed AAF’s Winning VC Formula How Emerging Mubadala-Backed AAF Is Winning VC Deals In Some Of The Hottest Startups It’s been nearly a decade since Omar Darwazah and Kyle Hendrick launched AAF Management in 2017 — a venture capital firm now making headlines for its unconventional approach. Today, how emerging Mubadala-backed AAF is winning VC deals in some of the hottest startups is a case study in patience, strategy, and focus. Image Credits:AAF Management A Lean Strategy That Defies the Big-Fund Trend While many VC firms race to grow massive portfolios, AAF has intentionally kept its fund sizes small — prioritizing performance and alignment over scale. The latest fund, the $55 million Axis Fund , recently closed, bringing AAF’s total assets to roughly $250 million across four funds . Instead of chasing bigger AUM figures, the partners focus on strategic growth. “Running a $50 million fund is very different from running a $500 million fund,” said Darwazah. “We’ve seen large fund sizes disrupt GP-LP alignment — and that’s…
