Sequoia shutters Washington, D.C., office, lets go of policy team

Sequoia will shutter its Washington, D.C., office and part ways with the policy team there at the end of March, TechCrunch has confirmed.

The news comes — and is somewhat in contrast — with the other prominent VC firms in Silicon Valley strengthening their ties with Capitol Hill and the new Trump administration. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, has been leaning into its policy team as several of its partners nab roles in the White House. It recently, for instance, hired former Republican congressman Patrick McHenry as an adviser.

Sequoia opened its Washington office five years ago to support companies with regulatory issues and deepen its relationship with policymakers. In a statement to TechCrunch, a Sequoia spokesperson said that thanks to the “strategic guidance and efforts” of the policy team on the matter of bolstering relationships and knowledge, “Sequoia is now well-positioned to carry these relationships in the U.S. and Europe forward.”

“To that end, we are sunsetting the dedicated policy function and closing our D.C. office at the end of March. We are grateful to the team for their contributions and impact,” the spokesperson said.

The changes impact the policy fellows at the firm, as well as three full-time employees, sources tell Fortune, which was first to report this news.

Though Sequoia is typically politically neutral, its partners have previously expressed political views. Notably, Shaun Maguire, a partner at the firm, is an outspoken supporter of President Trump and is reportedly helping screen candidates for DOGE.