Banyan Ventures is a solo-GP fund led by Sam Awrabi and describes itself as the only AI-native venture firm headquartered in New York, focusing heavily on AI infrastructure and technical frontier areas like distributed compute, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing rather than application-layer AI. The firm takes a hands-on approach—writing first checks and taking board or advisory roles, as it did with ArgentumAI and FlexAI—and builds its brand through direct engagement with AI-native founders, including hosting the podcast Under The Banyan Tree.