Remembering S. "Soma" Somasegar

1966 – 2026. A tech titan, a wise mentor, a partner, and our friend.

This isn’t the post we planned to write this week.

We are heartbroken that our dear friend and colleague Soma Somasegar passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. For those who didn't know Soma, he was a tech titan, an extraordinary investor and board member — but above all of that, a wise, kind, humble, and upstanding husband, father, and friend. Someone who touched countless lives, who made everyone around him better, and who was with us for far too short a time.

It is hard to capture in words how much Soma meant to all of us — the role he played in the broader technology ecosystem, the lives he shaped, and the standard he set for all of us. We wanted to deviate from our usual musings about AI to share some stories and reflections about the man who inspired so much of what we do.

A Visionary Who Saw What Others Couldn’t

Soma had a gift. He saw things many of us didn’t see, and he saw them early. Not because he was “lucky” but because he did the work to understand how technology was shaping industries and changing the world at a level that most people didn’t.

He was technically brilliant. He had a rare, deep fluency in how software was actually built — developer platforms, infrastructure, data stacks, and all the applications that sat on top. But what set him apart wasn’t just that he understood the technology — it was that he could translate technical risk into business risk, and business risk into conviction. He knew which problems were hard because they hadn’t been solved yet, and which were hard because they couldn’t be.

Soma understood platform shifts at a deeper level than almost anyone. He was comfortable being non-consensus. Being early, sitting with the unknown, leaning into what others were afraid to do. He taught us that real opportunity often lives in the places that feel uncertain, and that doing the deep work to develop the conviction is what separates good investors from great ones.

He also had an extraordinary eye for talent. He could spot a remarkable founder early. It wasn’t just their vision, but their character, their resilience, the way they thought under pressure and embraced feedback. He asked the hard questions that separated good from great, and he did it not to challenge but to understand. His curiosity was genuine. He wanted to know how things were built, why certain investments would change the world, and whether the people making them were truly the ones to do it.

He advocated for investments in companies like Snowflake and UiPath when few could imagine the scale they would reach. He championed plenty of early stage companies like Statsig, Temporal, Observe, Pulumi, Seekout, and so many more when they were still ideas in search of their moment.

Showing Up, Always

Soma was one of those people you simply knew you could count on at all times.

It didn’t matter what time of the day it was. Soma would take a call at 6am (though those who know him know that was never his favorite hour of the day) and he was just as reachable at midnight, which, truthfully, was always more of his speed. Founders knew that if they needed him, he would be there. Not because it was part of the job description, but because he genuinely believed in what they were building and wanted to help them see their full potential.

Soma understood that when an entrepreneur chooses to give their life to building a company, the very least an investor can do is show up for them fully. He unlocked opportunities in ways that were creative, unexpected, and deeply personal — pushing founders to think beyond what felt possible, remembering not just the details of their companies but their families, their challenges, and their wins. Because to Soma, it was always about the people, not just the business. And even when he didn’t invest, he made sure founders felt seen and heard, giving generously of his time to make the ecosystem a better place for everyone in it.

Internally at Madrona, Soma’s impact was equally profound. He showed up for everyone. Didn’t matter who you were, Soma was always there. He also made a special point of showing up for the next generation of investors. He helped us find our own voice, advocate for our own deals, and pushed us to be excellent in everything we did. He was a mentor, a sounding board, a thought partner, and for many of us, the first call we made when something was hard. He made Madrona better in every way — not just through the deals he championed and the way he thought about investing, but through the way he carried himself every single day.

The Most Kind and Humble Person in the Room

For someone with Soma’s track record — over two decades at Microsoft, a pivotal role in the rise of the developer tools ecosystem, and a decade of exceptional investing at Madrona — his humility was almost disarming. He never led with what he had accomplished. He led with his curiosity, with questions, and with a genuine desire to keep giving to those around him. He celebrated his colleagues and founders sincerely, never needing the spotlight for himself.

Soma’s voice always carried weight in our discussions, but never in the way you might expect. He asked questions thoughtfully and respectfully, and was earnest when he didn’t understand something — never too proud to ask the “dumb” questions, and always eager to learn. He made space for everyone.

Don’t get us wrong — Soma challenged you. He asked the hard questions and pushed everyone around him to think deeply and become the best version of themselves. He expected excellence, but he did it with a kindness that made you want to be better, not feel small.

Soma was a great reminder that we can all be kinder, more present, and more generous with our time and attention. That the best among us make space for everyone else to shine. He embodied that every single day and we are all better for it.

A Note on What He Leaves Behind

Through all of it — the late night calls, the board meetings, the company off sites — Soma’s deepest commitment was to his family. He spoke about them with a warmth that was unmistakable. They were his anchor, his joy, and the reason all the rest of it mattered. To Akila, Sahana, and Archana, our hearts go out to you, and you will always be part of the Madrona family.

Soma’s legacy will be felt by so many — in the founders who felt genuinely supported through the hardest years of their companies, in the young investors who learned to think bigger, and in the colleagues who became better people for having worked alongside him. By the outpouring we’ve seen over the last few days, it will also be felt across the Microsoft community he served for decades, in the broader tech and operator communities he shaped and inspired, and in the countless family members, friends, and mentees whose lives he touched in ways both big and small.

We will miss him deeply and carry his spirit forward in everything we do.

Soma’s family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of donations to the YWCA (King County, Snohomish) and UN Foundation. This reflects his passion supporting women’s empowerment and also Akila’s philanthropic work.

You can read and share other memories of Soma here.