Phillip Sarofim
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
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- Full Name
- Phillip J. Sarofim
- Title
- Founding Partner and CEO
- Firm
- Trousdale Ventures
- Firm Type
- Venture capital investment firm
- Investment Stage
- Stage-agnostic; recorded activity spans seed through Series C/growth rounds
- Check Size
- $100K–$5.0M investment range; $1.5M sweet spot
- Target Company Profile
- Mission-driven companies solving large technical, environmental, health, mobility, and societal problems; founders with grit, clarity of vision, resilience, and a plan to build enduring companies
- Sector Focus
- Space and mobility, climate tech, deep tech, consumer, health and wellness, aerospace, defense, advanced technology
- Geographic Focus
- Global, with U.S. emphasis
- Location
- Los Angeles / West Hollywood, California
Background
Phillip J. Sarofim is the founder and CEO of Trousdale Ventures, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm founded in 2019. Trousdale describes itself as a global venture capital firm backing founders building exceptional, mission-driven companies, with a stated focus on space and mobility, climate tech, deep tech, and consumer.
Sarofim’s investing background includes business development, management, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and branding. He is known for taking an active role with portfolio companies rather than acting only as a capital provider, including board or advisory roles across several investments.
A major operating example is Meyers Manx: in 2020, Trousdale Ventures acquired the iconic dune buggy company from Bruce and Winnie Meyers, and Sarofim became chairman. Under the new ownership, the company pursued an electric Manx 2.0 and later added new co-CEOs in 2024.
Sarofim is an alumnus of Rice University. Outside Trousdale, he has served on boards including the National Air and Space Museum, ArtCenter College of Design, Coreshell, Lemon Perfect, Super Coffee, Yellowbird Foods, Venus Aerospace, and CesiumAstro.
Investment Thesis & Focus
- Trousdale’s stated thesis is to find “the next forever company”: enduring businesses with resilient leadership, scalable technology, and lasting societal impact.
- Sarofim says Trousdale invests in companies taking on “seemingly impossible challenges” and does not fund incremental improvements.
- The firm favors companies where innovation can create meaningful impact in large markets, including space communications, hypersonic flight, advanced batteries, autonomous systems, clean energy, sustainable materials, and wellness.
- Sarofim looks for founders with clarity of vision, company-first decision-making, determination, and perseverance.
- He emphasizes long-term patience and hands-on support: Trousdale’s approach includes operational guidance, strategic advice, founder mentorship, and network access.
- In aerospace and deep tech, Sarofim has highlighted dual-use technology, fiscal responsibility, scalable manufacturing, and leadership quality as key investment factors.
- Check-size data from NFX Signal lists Sarofim’s range at $100K–$5.0M, with a $1.5M sweet spot.
Notable Investments
- CesiumAstro - Space and defense communications company building software-defined phased-array systems; Trousdale led its Series B+ in July 2024 and led the $270M equity portion of a $470M Series C/growth financing in February 2026.
- Venus Aerospace - Hypersonic aviation company developing high-speed flight systems; Sarofim serves on the board and interviewed CEO Sassie Duggleby at the 2024 Upfront Summit.
- Impulse Space - In-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller; Trousdale is listed among portfolio backers, and the company raised a $300M Series C in 2025.
- Pacific Fusion - Fusion energy company pursuing pulsed magnetic inertial fusion; Trousdale participated in its $900M+ Series A in November 2024.
- Coreshell - Advanced battery materials company; Sarofim holds a board role and cites the company as an example of hands-on strategic involvement.
- Meyers Manx - Iconic dune buggy brand acquired by Trousdale Ventures in 2020; Sarofim became chairman and helped steer the brand toward electric vehicles.
- Lemon Perfect - Better-for-you lemon water brand; Trousdale backed the company, and Sarofim is listed as a board member in investor-profile sources.
- Super Coffee - Better-for-you coffee brand; Trousdale invested in the company and cites its sugar-reduction impact in the firm’s portfolio materials.
- Ecovative - Mycelium-based materials company focused on alternatives to plastics and leather.
- Solugen - Sustainable chemicals company building carbon-negative molecule production.
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