Eli Kia

Eli is a General Partner at Fortify Ventures and the technical engine behind the fund. He runs sourcing, diligence, portfolio construction, fund ops, and co-investor relationships, with deep expertise in how venture funds are built, managed, and scaled. His focus is consumer health and human performance, where years of pattern recognition and a strong founder network allow him to spot breakout companies early and support them through the messy middle of building something real. He plays a key role in Distilled Intelligence, Fortify's annual summit for the startup ecosystem, helping curate the startup lineup and build the investor community - one of the parts of the job he enjoys most. He writes Two and Twenty, a technical newsletter on the legal, regulatory, and operational mechanics of running a venture fund. Born and raised in LA, Eli is an endurance athlete who spends his weekends cycling and surfing, and a tinkerer happiest with a soldering iron in hand.