Zal Bilimoria is a solo GP at Refactor Capital who combines deep technical experience from building products at Microsoft and Google with a specific focus on non-human genomics, synthetic biology, and hard science investments that most software-focused seed investors avoid. He approaches investing through an engineering lens, using concepts like "refactoring" and "debugging" to help founders redesign foundational systems in health, food, and climate, while treating the venture capital process itself as a product experience by measuring founder satisfaction through systematic Net Promoter Score tracking.

• Focuses heavily on deep technology and engineering startups that bridge the gap between software and the physical world, often referred to as hard tech. He highlights companies tackling complex industrial challenges, such as a team attempting to generate rocket fuel from water or startups addressing critical supply chain shortages in explosives manufacturing.
• Enthusiasm for biohacking, longevity, and quantified health metrics serves as a frequent topic of conversation. He shares his own experimental routines often, such as using specific supplements like magnesium glycinate to improve sleep quality or rigorously tracking his resting heart rate to reach targets in the low forties.
• Strong conviction in the growing space economy and national defense capabilities. He actively discusses technical innovations in orbit, such as satellites capable of maneuvering to service other spacecraft, and emphasizes the strategic importance for organizations to control their own data streams via dedicated communication satellites.
• Values honest narrative building over manipulated metrics when founders pitch. He specifically warns against using cumulative charts that mask true period-over-period performance, citing his past experiences seeing founders attempt to disguise flat growth by stacking data over time.
• Openness to innovation hubs outside of Silicon Valley, particularly for industrial sectors. While he appreciates San Francisco, he mentions spending time in cities like Austin and Los Angeles to meet with hard tech founders, noting that these regions are becoming strongholds for companies building physical products.
• Draws upon significant operational experience in product management to inform his investing. He references his past role leading mobile products at Netflix during major launch windows to illustrate how he understands the pressure of scaling high-usage applications.