Defy founders Trae Vassallo and Neil Sequeira have upped the ante. : Defy Partners, a Silicon Valley investment firm launched in 2017 by a pair of seasoned venture capitalists, has secured $262 million for its sophomore fund. The firm leads investments in Series A startups, providing between $3 million and $10 million depending on the status of the business. To provide its portfolio companies additional follow-on capital, Defy has raised a significantly larger fund than its debut effort, which brought in $151 million two years ago.