Samantha Borja Is Backing Breakout Startups With Early Conviction and Empathy

Samantha Borja is part of a new wave of venture capital investors who combine analytical depth with a more human approach to investing. Currently at Menlo Ventures, she focuses on software-as-a-service, AI and cloud infrastructure, building on her earlier experience at Boston Consulting Group.

Since joining the firm in 2023, Borja has been closely involved in identifying and backing high-potential startups early in their journey. One of her most notable investments came with Lovable, a fast-growing European “vibe coding” startup. Menlo Ventures co-led its Series B round at a $6.6 billion valuation, marking it as one of the standout deals in the space.

What makes this investment particularly interesting is how early the relationship began. Borja first connected with founder Anton Osika six months before the company even launched, when he was still working on a different project, GPT Engineer. Instead of waiting for clear metrics, she and her team chose to stay close and track the evolution of the idea over time.

As Lovable scaled rapidly, Borja took a hands-on approach to understanding the business. She built detailed models and Python scripts to analyse usage patterns, revenue and growth trajectory—especially important for a company achieving significant scale in under a year.

Her style reflects a balance of early conviction and rigorous analysis, allowing her to back companies before they become obvious to the wider market.

But beyond the numbers, Borja places strong emphasis on something often overlooked in venture capital—kindness. She believes that being a good person and building genuine relationships is just as important as making the right investment calls.

Her journey highlights a shift in investing, where success is driven not just by insight, but also by how you engage with founders and ideas over time.

Because sometimes, the strongest investments begin with simply paying attention—and showing up early.