# Stephen Ciesinski

> Stephen Ciesinski is a seed investor at SRI International backing FinTech and Software. See 5 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: Angel Investor
- Fund: [SRI International](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/sri-international)
- Location: San Francisco, United States
- Total investments: 5
- Last investment: Dec 2021
- Lead investor: 0%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveciesinski
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/steveciesinski
- Website: https://x.com/steveciesinski

Stephen Ciesinski is a seed investor at SRI International in San Francisco focused on FinTech and Software. Stephen Ciesinski - President @ SRI International

## Round sizes

| Stage | Round size |
| --- | --- |
| Seed | $1.5M–$2M |

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FinTech | 2 | 40% |
| Software | 2 | 40% |
| Alumni | 1 | 20% |
| Credit | 1 | 20% |
| Mobile | 1 | 20% |

18 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seed | 4 | 80% |
| Pre-Seed | 1 | 20% |

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | 4 | 80% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 20% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Synnada | At Synnada, we are not just part of the AI revolution; we are leading it. Founded by trailblazers Dr. Mehmet Ozan Kabak and Sami Can Tandogdu, Synnada is disrupting the AI landscape with our groundbreaking AI-native, unified data processing, and high-efficiency compute layer.Our cutting-edge frameworks for model development and training enableorganizations to seamlessly embed AI into their DNA, unlocking unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency across diverse industries.As a powerhouse in the open-source community, Synnada stands out as a top contributor to Apache DataFusion and Mithril. Our pioneering solutions are a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence and our unwavering commitment to propelling the data science community forward.Join us and be a part of this transformative journey. With Synnada’s unparalleled expertise and innovative approach, we are not just imagining the future of AI—we are building it. Dare to innovate, and revolutionize your operations with Synnada’s visionary technology today. | $2.6M | Pre-Seed | Dec 28, 2021 |  |
| Picus | Picus developed a novel and holistic approach to IT security: Continuous Security Validation. The Picus Security Validation Platform simulates real-world cyber threats to evaluate and optimize cybersecurity measures, ensuring organizations are prepared for potential security breaches. Picus enables businesses to test their security controlscontinuously, identifying gaps and weaknesses in their defenses. The company's technology integrates with existing security tools, providing actionable insights to enhance an organization’s ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber-attacks. | $1.7M | Seed | Jun 11, 2018 |  |
| Luther Systems | Luther Systems provides a blockchain technology that specializes in offering systems for financial institutions' transaction management and also offers advisory services to financial and technology start-ups on technical and strategic issues, enabling to transact with digital ledgers. Luther Systems works with multiple corporations tostreamline and improve the efficiency, reliability, and integrity of enterprise processes. The products deliver superior performance while reducing costs to clients.The company was established in 2016 and is based in London. | $1.5M | Seed | Mar 08, 2018 |  |
| BrightCrowd | BrightCrowd improves engagement among students and alumni through simple, digital community books. By focusing on more intimate networks, these books allow members of a specific class or group to share a bit about themselves and get a more personal view of their classmates. |  | Seed | Oct 11, 2016 |  |
| PayJoy | PayJoy has brought credit to millions of under-served consumers in emerging markets worldwide by collateralizing their smartphone to jumpstart them into the modern credit system. The company, based in San Francisco, California, was founded in 2015, funded by top fintech investors including Greylock and USV, and is now profitable and growingquickly. | $2M | Seed | Aug 31, 2015 |  |

5 of 5 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [500 Emerging Europe](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/500-emerging-europe) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [500 Istanbul](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/500-istanbul) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [ACT Venture Partners](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/act-venture-partners) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Collective Spark](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/collective-spark) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Core Innovation Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/core-innovation-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Day One Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/day-one-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## About SRI International

VC Fund · Menlo Park, United States

Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Its mission: World-changing solutions to make people safer, healthier, and more productive. Founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI became independent in 1970. Perhaps bestknown for its invention of the computer mouse, interactive computing, and Siri, SRI is responsible for major advances in computing, chemistry and materials, education, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, national defense, robotics, sensing, and more. The nonprofit institute performs sponsored research and development for government agencies, businesses, and foundations. SRI brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, new products, and spin-off ventures. In 2014, SRI's consolidated revenues were approximately $540 million.

5 contacts available at SRI International.

| Name | Title | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Giedrius Burachas | Principal Investigator of DARPA AI projects | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/giedrius-burachas |
| Luther Lau | Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/luther-lau |
| Michael Page | Vice President, Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/michael-page-4 |
| Peter Marcotullio | Vice President, Commercial Development | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/peter-marcotullio |
| Stephen Ciesinski | President | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/stephen-ciesinski |

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## FAQ

### What does Stephen Ciesinski invest in?

Stephen Ciesinski invests primarily in FinTech, Software and Alumni startups, most often at Seed and Pre-Seed stage. Most of the 5 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### What is Stephen Ciesinski's check size?

Stephen Ciesinski typically joins rounds of $1.5M–$2M at Seed. These ranges are 10th–90th percentile round sizes calculated from confirmed public funding rounds, so they are a realistic guide to the rounds Stephen Ciesinski participates in.

### When did Stephen Ciesinski last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for Stephen Ciesinski closed in Dec 2021. Shizune tracks 5 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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