Pre-seed and seed investors in the Bay Area: who writes first checks.
Of the Bay Area venture firms in our research, 70 say they invest at pre-seed or seed (35 name pre-seed specifically), from programs such as Y Combinator to specialist pre-seed investors like Hustle Fund and Precursor Ventures and multi-stage firms that also write first checks.
Bay Area pre-seed and seed investors
70 firms in this view
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Accelerators, studios and programs (2)
Accelerators, startup studios and other structured programs that invest at the start, often alongside mentoring or a cohort.
Neo
Beyond seed checks, runs the Neo Residency and Neo Scholars to find technical founders and students early.
- Stated focus
- Technology, with a focus on technical founders
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)Accelerator / program
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Neo
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed, plus a residency and scholars program
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology, with a focus on technical founders
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2017 by Ali Partovi
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Accelerator / program · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- neo.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_(venture_capital_firm)
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Y Combinator
Invests $500,000 on a standard deal in each startup it accepts, in batches four times a year.
- Stated focus
- All sectors
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedAccelerator / program
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Y Combinator
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed, accelerator
- Focus, in the firm's words
- All sectors
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2005 by Paul Graham; Jessica Livingston; Robert Tappan Morris; Trevor Blackwell
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Airbnb
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Accelerator / program · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- ycombinator.comycombinator.com/dealen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Combinator
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Pre-seed and seed (51)
Firms that say they write first checks. Some also lead or join Series A rounds.
500 Global
Its Silicon Valley flagship strategy starts at pre-seed; the firm, founded as 500 Startups, backs founders in the US and in emerging markets abroad.
- Stated focus
- Technology, US and global markets
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: 500 Global
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed onward
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology, US and global markets
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2010 by Dave McClure; Christine Tsai
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- 500.co500.co/strategy/flagshipen.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Global
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Abstract Ventures
Writes seed and early checks in any sector, from AI and biotech to insurance.
- Stated focus
- Sector-agnostic: AI, biotech, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, frontier tech, healthcare, insurance
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Abstract Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Abstract VenturesRead the profile: Abstract Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Sector-agnostic: AI, biotech, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, frontier tech, healthcare, insurance
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Crypto · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- abstract.comabstract.com/companies-list
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Afore Capital
A pre-seed specialist that publishes a range of $500K to $2M-plus for pre-traction companies, and runs a Founders-in-Residence track for people still finding an idea.
- Stated focus
- Product-centric software and technology
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedAccelerator / program
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Afore Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Product-centric software and technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2016 by Gaurav Jain; Anamitra Banerji
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Accelerator / program · Enterprise / B2B software
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Amplify Partners
Often the first money into companies started by engineers and researchers; its portfolio includes Temporal, Modal and dbt Labs.
- Stated focus
- Infrastructure, developer tools, data, AI models and applications
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA and San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Amplify Partners, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Amplify PartnersRead the profile: Amplify Partners
- Stage, in the firm's words
- First investor, seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Infrastructure, developer tools, data, AI models and applications
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (800 Menlo Ave) and San Francisco, CA (457 Bryant St); also New York
- Founded
- Founded in 2012
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Datadog, Fastly, Temporal, Runway, Modal, Hex, dbt Labs
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- amplifypartners.comamplifypartners.com/about-amplifyamplifypartners.com/portfolio/company
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Array Ventures
Positions itself as the first check for technical founders in enterprise software, AI infrastructure and developer tools.
- Stated focus
- Enterprise software, AI infrastructure, developer tools
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Array Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Array VenturesRead the profile: Array Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and early stage, first check
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Enterprise software, AI infrastructure, developer tools
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- array.vc
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Bee Partners
By its own count, has backed nearly 100 technical founders at inception, in areas where machines are reshaping industries.
- Stated focus
- Biological machines, human-machine interaction, machine learning
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Bee Partners
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed, at inception
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Biological machines, human-machine interaction, machine learning
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (50 Osgood Place); satellite office in Denver
- Founded
- Founded in 2011 by Michael Berolzheimer
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- TubeMogul, BuildingConnected
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Healthcare / bio · Deep tech / hardware · Edtech
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Cantos
Invests from pre-seed onward in companies building for the physical world: satellites, defense, energy and mining.
- Stated focus
- The physical world: energy, space, defense, mining, biology
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Cantos
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed through Series B
- Focus, in the firm's words
- The physical world: energy, space, defense, mining, biology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also Los Angeles)
- Founded
- Founded in 2016 by Ian Rountree
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Astranis, Castelion, Earth AI
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Deep tech / hardware · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- cantos.vcvcsheet.com/who/ian-rountree
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Cleo Capital
A generalist that primarily writes pre-seed and seed checks; Ellevest and FalconX are among its investments.
- Stated focus
- Generalist: AI, fintech, consumer, enterprise, deep tech
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Cleo Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Generalist: AI, fintech, consumer, enterprise, deep tech
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (per public profiles)
- Founded
- Founded in 2018 by Sarah Kunst
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Ellevest, Hill House Home, FalconX, KoBold Metals
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- cleocap.comcleocap.com/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Conviction
Publishes checks of $1M to $25M for AI-native companies at seed and Series A, and says it is often the first investor.
- Stated focus
- AI-native 'Software 3.0' companies
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Conviction
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and Series A
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI-native 'Software 3.0' companies
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2022 by Sarah Guo
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- conviction.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Guo
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Costanoa Ventures
Prefers to lead at seed or Series A, in applied AI and SaaS, cybersecurity, fintech and national security.
- Stated focus
- Applied AI and SaaS, AI and data infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, national security
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Costanoa Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Costanoa VenturesRead the profile: Costanoa Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and Series A, usually leading
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Applied AI and SaaS, AI and data infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, national security
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco (185 Berry St) and Palo Alto (160 Forest Ave), CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2012
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- costanoa.vccostanoa.vc/our-approachcostanoa.vc/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Draper Associates
Tim Draper's firm invests at seed and early stage in AI, crypto, biotech and space.
- Stated focus
- AI, robotics and automation; crypto and blockchain; healthcare and biotech; aerospace and space; unconventional ideas
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Mateo, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Draper Associates, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Draper AssociatesRead the profile: Draper Associates
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, robotics and automation; crypto and blockchain; healthcare and biotech; aerospace and space; unconventional ideas
- Location, as verified
- San Mateo, CA
- Founded
- by Tim Draper
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Tesla, Skype
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Healthcare / bio · Crypto · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- draper.vcdraper.vc/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Draper
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Electric Capital
Publishes a range of $1M to $15M-plus, from pre-seed to Series A, for founders in AI, distributed systems and crypto.
- Stated focus
- Frontier technology from AI to distributed systems and crypto
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Electric Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Electric CapitalRead the profile: Electric Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed to Series A, $1 million to $15 million-plus checks
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Frontier technology from AI to distributed systems and crypto
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2018 by Curtis Spencer; Avichal Garg
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Aave
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Crypto · Deep tech / hardware
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Felicis
Starts at seed, with focus areas from AI and cybersecurity to energy and health.
- Stated focus
- AI, cybersecurity and defense, global resilience and energy, health and bio
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Felicis
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Starting at seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, cybersecurity and defense, global resilience and energy, health and bio
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (also San Francisco and New York)
- Founded
- Founded in 2006 by Aydin Senkut
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Notion, Canva, Shopify, n8n, Supabase, Mercor
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- felicis.comfelicis.com/aboutfelicis.com/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicis
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Fifty Years
Helps scientists become founders through its 5050 program, and invests at pre-seed and seed in biotech, deep tech and AI.
- Stated focus
- Technology that solves the world's biggest problems: biotech, deep tech, AI
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Fifty Years
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology that solves the world's biggest problems: biotech, deep tech, AI
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (192 Museum Way)
- Founded
- Founded in 2016 by Seth Bannon; Ela Madej
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Healthcare / bio · Deep tech / hardware
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
First Round Capital
Works only at the earliest stages, often before there is much more than an idea, and publishes the First Round Review.
- Stated focus
- AI, consumer, dev tools and infrastructure, enterprise, fintech, hardware, healthcare
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (First Round Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for First Round CapitalRead the profile: First Round Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed only, the earliest stages
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, consumer, dev tools and infrastructure, enterprise, fintech, hardware, healthcare
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also New York)
- Founded
- Founded in 2004 by Josh Kopelman; Howard Morgan
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Notion, Square, Roblox, Verkada, Clay, Planet Labs
- Our research labels
- Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- firstround.comfirstround.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Round_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Floodgate
Mike Maples Jr. and Ann Miura-Ko's firm aims to be the earliest institutional believer in a company.
- Stated focus
- Technology
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Floodgate
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Early stage, often the first check
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2010 (as Floodgate; previously Maples Investments) by Mike Maples Jr.; Ann Miura-Ko
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- floodgate.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodgate_Fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Foundation Capital
Backs founders at day zero and seed; it wrote the first term sheet for Cerebras in 2016.
- Stated focus
- Enterprise, AI, fintech, crypto, consumer
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Foundation Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Foundation CapitalRead the profile: Foundation Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Day zero, seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Enterprise, AI, fintech, crypto, consumer
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 1995 by Bill Elmore; Kathryn Gould; Jim Anderson
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Cerebras, Solana
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Crypto · Consumer
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- foundationcapital.comfoundationcapital.com/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Freestyle Capital
Former founders who back a small number of seed and early-stage technology companies each year.
- Stated focus
- Technology
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Freestyle Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Freestyle CapitalRead the profile: Freestyle Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2009 by Dave Samuel; Josh Felser
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- freestyle.vcen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Haystack
Says it typically invests $1M to $3M in initial rounds for software and technology startups, leading or participating.
- Stated focus
- Software and technology, theme-agnostic
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Haystack
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Initial rounds (pre-seed and seed)
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Software and technology, theme-agnostic
- Location, as verified
- Bay Area (profiles list San Francisco, Menlo Park and Mill Valley)
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Semil Shah
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- haystack.vchaystack.vc/about-ushaystack.vc/portfolioventurecapitaljournal.com/semil-shahs-haystack-seeks-25-mln-for-fourth-fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Homebrew
A seed firm for mission-driven founders whose partners now invest their own capital, so check its site before reaching out.
- Stated focus
- Mission-driven founders, the 'bottom-up economy'
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Homebrew
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Mission-driven founders, the 'bottom-up economy'
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Hunter Walk; Satya Patel
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Chime, Plaid, Gusto
- Our research labels
- Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- homebrew.comercury.com/blog/homebrewtechcrunch.com
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Hustle Fund
Invests $150K in very early pre-seed software startups, by its own description, and teaches new angels through Angel Squad.
- Stated focus
- Software startups
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Hustle Fund
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Software startups
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2017 by Elizabeth Yin; Eric Bahn
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- hustlefund.vcen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustle_Fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Illuminate Ventures
Its thesis: the best enterprise seed founders often already have customers. It leads Series Seed rounds for them.
- Stated focus
- B2B and enterprise software
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- Oakland, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Illuminate Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Illuminate VenturesRead the profile: Illuminate Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed (leads Series Seed)
- Focus, in the firm's words
- B2B and enterprise software
- Location, as verified
- Oakland, CA (per site)
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- illuminate.comilluminate.com/thesis
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Initialized Capital
Co-founded by Alexis Ohanian, Harj Taggar and Garry Tan in 2011 to back seed-stage founders who may lack a typical pedigree.
- Stated focus
- Sector-agnostic technology
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Initialized Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Initialized CapitalRead the profile: Initialized Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Sector-agnostic technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also New York)
- Founded
- Founded in 2011 by Alexis Ohanian; Harj Taggar; Garry Tan
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- initialized.cominitialized.com/approachinitialized.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initialized_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
K9 Ventures
Publishes clear criteria for the technical pre-seed founders it backs.
- Stated focus
- Technology
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: K9 Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2008
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- k9ventures.comk9ventures.com/about
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Kapor Capital
Invests at seed and early stage only in companies that close gaps in access, from education to financial services.
- Stated focus
- Impact startups that close gaps of access: education, health, finance, work, climate, justice
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Oakland, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Kapor Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Impact startups that close gaps of access: education, health, finance, work, climate, justice
- Location, as verified
- Oakland, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2011
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Edtech
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- kaporcapital.comkaporcapital.com/who-we-arekaporcapital.com/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Khosla Ventures
Its seed fund backs founders taking big technical risks, from pre-seed through Series A.
- Stated focus
- Consumer and retail, enterprise, fintech, frontier tech, sustainability, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Khosla Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Khosla VenturesRead the profile: Khosla Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed to Series A (plus Main and Opportunity funds)
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Consumer and retail, enterprise, fintech, frontier tech, sustainability, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- DoorDash
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware · Edtech
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- khoslaventures.comkhoslaventures.com/aboutkhoslaventures.com/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khosla_Ventures
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Liquid 2 Ventures
A seed fund whose partners include former quarterback Joe Montana, built around a large founder-to-founder network.
- Stated focus
- Technology
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Liquid 2 Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Liquid 2 VenturesRead the profile: Liquid 2 Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, from day one
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2015 by Joe Montana; Michael Ma; Michael Miller
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- GitLab
- Our research labels
- Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- liquid2.vcliquid2.vc/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_2_Ventures
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Long Journey Ventures
Calls itself the second believer in unusual ideas, and invests early across sectors for the long term.
- Stated focus
- Sector-agnostic ('the magically weird')
- Stage
- Pre-seedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Long Journey Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Long Journey VenturesRead the profile: Long Journey Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Sector-agnostic ('the magically weird')
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2020 by Lee Jacobs; Cyan Banister
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Early (Series A/B) · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- longjourney.vcdealroom.co/news/51664-behind-long-journey-ventures-cyan-banister-arielle-zuckerberg-and-lee-ja
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Mayfield
A firm formed in 1969 that now makes most of its bets at company inception, especially in AI.
- Stated focus
- AI and enterprise technology
- Stage
- Pre-seedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Mayfield
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Early stage, most investments at inception
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI and enterprise technology
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (2484 Sand Hill Road)
- Founded
- Founded in 1969 by Thomas J. Davis Jr. and Wally Davis
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
NFX
Looks for companies whose value grows with each new user, at pre-seed and seed.
- Stated focus
- Network-effects businesses across marketplaces, fintech, AI and more
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: NFX
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Network-effects businesses across marketplaces, fintech, AI and more
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2015 by Gigi Levy-Weiss; Pete Flint; James Currier
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Fintech
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- nfx.com/team/james-curriercalcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3919060,00.html
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Paradigm
Invests in crypto, AI and robotics from the earliest stages, alongside research and open-source work.
- Stated focus
- Crypto, AI, robotics and other frontier technology
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Paradigm
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Earliest stages onward
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Crypto, AI, robotics and other frontier technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also New York and Washington, DC)
- Founded
- Founded in 2018 by Matt Huang; Fred Ehrsam
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Kalshi, Zipline, Nous Research
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Crypto · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- paradigm.xyzparadigm.xyz/aboutparadigm.xyz/investmentsen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_(venture_capital_firm)
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Pear VC
Specialists in pre-seed and seed who run the PearX program and communities for student and first-time founders.
- Stated focus
- AI, B2B, biotech, climate tech, consumer, deep tech, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, SaaS
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Pear VC
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, B2B, biotech, climate tech, consumer, deep tech, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, SaaS
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (also San Francisco)
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Pejman Nozad; Mar Hershenson
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- pear.vcpear.vc/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pear_VC
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Pioneer Fund
Pools more than 540 Y Combinator alumni to invest in companies going through Y Combinator.
- Stated focus
- Y Combinator startups in any sector
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Pioneer Fund
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed (Y Combinator companies)
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Y Combinator startups in any sector
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (981 Mission St per business directories; also Toronto)
- Founded
- Founded in 2017
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- pioneerfund.vccrunchbase.com/organization/pioneer-fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Precursor Ventures
Charles Hudson's firm bets on the founder before the product exists, at pre-seed and seed, in any sector.
- Stated focus
- Sector-agnostic
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Precursor Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Precursor VenturesRead the profile: Precursor Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Sector-agnostic
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2015 by Charles Hudson
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Generalist
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Quiet Capital
Its team of builders backs founders from day zero; the portfolio spans AI, crypto, fintech, health and marketplaces.
- Stated focus
- AI, consumer, crypto, deep tech, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, marketplaces
- Stage
- Pre-seedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Quiet Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Day zero, early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, consumer, crypto, deep tech, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, marketplaces
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2017 by Lee Linden; Ben Mahdavi
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Crypto · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- quiet.comquiet.com/portfoliosignal.nfx.com/investors/lee-linden
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Rebel Fund
Picks which Y Combinator companies to back with a data model, and says it targets the top tenth of each batch.
- Stated focus
- Y Combinator startups in any sector
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Rebel Fund
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed (Y Combinator companies)
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Y Combinator startups in any sector
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco Bay Area (site references San Francisco and San Mateo)
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- rebelfund.vc
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Root Ventures
An engineer-run seed fund that leads initial rounds; it says first investments typically range from $3M to $5M.
- Stated focus
- Deep tech and hard engineering
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Root Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, leading initial rounds
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Deep tech and hard engineering
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- root.vc
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Sierra Ventures
Starts at inception with AI and deep tech founders, and introduces them to enterprise buyers through a corporate program.
- Stated focus
- AI and deep tech, enterprise
- Stage
- Pre-seedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Mateo, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Sierra Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Sierra VenturesRead the profile: Sierra Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Early stage, from inception
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI and deep tech, enterprise
- Location, as verified
- San Mateo, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- sierraventures.comsierraventures.com/about
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Slow Ventures
A generalist that says it invests in the earliest rounds.
- Stated focus
- Generalist: security, fintech, buyouts and rollups, SaaS, crypto, consumer, healthcare, creator economy
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Slow Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Earliest rounds
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Generalist: security, fintech, buyouts and rollups, SaaS, crypto, consumer, healthcare, creator economy
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also Boston and New York)
- Founded
- Founded in 2011
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Airtable, Gusto, PillPack, Ro, Solana
- Our research labels
- Seed · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Crypto · Consumer
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- slow.coslow.co/about
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Soma Capital
A seed firm with a fellows program for founders who are just starting.
- Stated focus
- Sector-agnostic technology
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Accelerator / program
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Soma Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Sector-agnostic technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (per public profiles)
- Founded
- Founded in 2015 by Aneel Ranadive
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Ramp, Cognition, Kalshi, Deel, Rippling, Mercor
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Accelerator / program · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- somacap.com/aboutsomacap.com/portfoliocrunchbase.com/organization/soma-capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
South Park Commons
Built for the stage before a founder has an idea, through to seed, with a residency for technologists.
- Stated focus
- Technology, sector-agnostic
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (South Park Commons, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for South Park CommonsRead the profile: South Park Commons
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-idea to seed ('-1 to 0')
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology, sector-agnostic
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also New York; India program)
- Founded
- Founded in 2016 by Ruchi Sanghvi; Aditya Agarwal
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- southparkcommons.comsouthparkcommons.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park_Commons
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Susa Ventures
A data-minded seed and early-stage firm.
- Stated focus
- Data-focused startups
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Susa Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Data-focused startups
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Leo Polovets; Chad Byers; Eva Ho
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Robinhood, Flexport
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Generalist
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
The House Fund
Berkeley's own pre-seed fund, for founders from the university's alumni, faculty and student body.
- Stated focus
- UC Berkeley founders in any sector
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Berkeley, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (The House Fund, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for The House FundRead the profile: The House Fund
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and early stage
- Focus, in the firm's words
- UC Berkeley founders in any sector
- Location, as verified
- Berkeley, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- thehouse.fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
True Ventures
A first-check firm since 2005 that plans to stay involved long after the seed round, across consumer, enterprise and infrastructure.
- Stated focus
- Technology, consumer hardware, enterprise security, infrastructure
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: True Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early stage, the first check
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology, consumer hardware, enterprise security, infrastructure
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA (also San Francisco)
- Founded
- Founded in 2005 by Jon Callaghan; Phil Black
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Enterprise / B2B software · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- trueventures.comtrueventures.com/team/jon-callaghantrueventures.com/team/phil-blackpitchbook.com/profiles/investor/11321-29
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Uncork Capital
A long-running seed firm that wants to be first in, now mostly in AI-native software and infrastructure.
- Stated focus
- AI-native software, infrastructure, fintech, space
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Uncork Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Uncork CapitalRead the profile: Uncork Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, the first check
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI-native software, infrastructure, fintech, space
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2004 by Jeff Clavier
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- GPTZero, Tailscale, Human Interest, LaunchDarkly, Loft Orbital, Gamma
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- uncorkcapital.comuncorkcapital.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncork_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Unshackled Ventures
Backs pre-product, pre-revenue technical founders, and helps immigrant founders with visas.
- Stated focus
- Technical founders, including immigrant founders
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Unshackled Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Unshackled VenturesRead the profile: Unshackled Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Inception, the first check
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technical founders, including immigrant founders
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2015 by Manan Mehta; Nitin Pachisia
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- unshackledvc.compulse2.com/unshackled-ventures-immigrant-entrepreneurs
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Unusual Ventures
Helps seed-stage enterprise and AI founders toward product-market fit with a playbook it publishes.
- Stated focus
- Enterprise software: AI, applied AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure
- Stage
- Seed
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Unusual Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Unusual VenturesRead the profile: Unusual Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Enterprise software: AI, applied AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (also San Francisco and Boston)
- Founded
- Founded in 2018 by John Vrionis; Jyoti Bansal
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- unusual.vcunusual.vc/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unusual_Ventures
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Vertex Ventures US
Leads or co-leads seed and Series A rounds in B2B software, with checks it publishes as $500K to $10M.
- Stated focus
- B2B software: infrastructure and SaaS
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Vertex Ventures US, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Vertex Ventures USRead the profile: Vertex Ventures US
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and Series A, lead or co-lead
- Focus, in the firm's words
- B2B software: infrastructure and SaaS
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA (also San Francisco and New York)
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- vvus.comvvus.com/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Village Global
Backs pre-seed and seed founders across sectors, with a network of prominent entrepreneurs behind it.
- Stated focus
- Aerospace and defense, AI and ML, consumer, enterprise, fintech, health, logistics
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Village Global, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Village GlobalRead the profile: Village Global
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed and seed
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Aerospace and defense, AI and ML, consumer, enterprise, fintech, health, logistics
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- villageglobal.comvillageglobal.com/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
WestWave Capital
Invests at inception in what it calls the autonomous enterprise: AI-native software, security and cloud.
- Stated focus
- AI-native enterprise software, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeed
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (WestWave Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for WestWave CapitalRead the profile: WestWave Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, at inception
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI-native enterprise software, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (per public profiles)
- Founded
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · AI · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- westwavecapital.com
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Wing Venture Capital
An AI-first firm investing from seed to Series A.
- Stated focus
- AI applications and agents, AI infrastructure, enterprise AI enablement, data, healthcare
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)
- Headquarters or office
- Palo Alto, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Wing Venture Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Wing Venture CapitalRead the profile: Wing Venture Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed to Series A
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI applications and agents, AI infrastructure, enterprise AI enablement, data, healthcare
- Location, as verified
- Palo Alto, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Peter Wagner; Gaurav Garg
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Healthcare / bio
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- wing.vcwing.vc/aboutwing.vc/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Venture_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
//Free investor research file
Keep stage and source beside the firm.
Record the firm’s stated focus and the evidence you still need to check before contacting it.
Multi-stage and growth (17)
Firms that invest across stages or in later rounds, from early checks through growth.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Invests from seed to growth across AI, crypto, fintech, consumer and more; its site also lists its Speedrun program.
- Stated focus
- AI, American Dynamism, bio and health, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, infrastructure, growth
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)Read the profile: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed through growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, American Dynamism, bio and health, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, infrastructure, growth
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen; Ben Horowitz
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Cognition
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Crypto · Consumer · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- a16z.coma16z.com/abouten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreessen_Horowitz
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Bessemer Venture Partners
Runs a seed and early practice alongside its growth practice, and says it will back founders in any sector.
- Stated focus
- Any sector; known for cloud software research
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Bessemer Venture Partners, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Bessemer Venture PartnersRead the profile: Bessemer Venture Partners
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and early, plus a dedicated growth practice
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Any sector; known for cloud software research
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also Palo Alto, Redwood City, New York, Boston, London, Tel Aviv and more)
- Founded
- Founded in 1911
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · Enterprise / B2B software
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- bvp.combvp.com/abouten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessemer_Venture_Partners
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Blumberg Capital
Specializes in leading seed and Series A rounds, then stays on as an early and growth-stage partner.
- Stated focus
- AI and transformative technology, fintech
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Blumberg Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Blumberg CapitalRead the profile: Blumberg Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed and Series A leads, plus growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI and transformative technology, fintech
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (also New York, Miami and Tel Aviv)
- Founded
- Founded in 1991 by David J. Blumberg
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Addepar
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · AI · Fintech
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- blumbergcapital.comblumbergcapital.com/our-approachen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumberg_Capital
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Contrary
Backs exceptional young founders, including students and engineers, from seed onward.
- Stated focus
- Technology, talent-driven
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Contrary
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed to scale
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology, talent-driven
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (per Wikipedia); also New York
- Founded
- Founded in 2016 by Eric Tarczynski
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Anduril, Alloy Automation, Armada
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- contrary.comcontrary.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrary_(venture_capital_firm)
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
GV
Alphabet's venture arm writes seed checks as well as venture and growth rounds, in AI, enterprise, consumer, frontier tech and life sciences.
- Stated focus
- AI, consumer, enterprise, frontier tech, life sciences
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- Mountain View, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: GV
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, venture and growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, consumer, enterprise, frontier tech, life sciences
- Location, as verified
- Mountain View, CA (also San Francisco, New York, Cambridge, MA and London)
- Founded
- Founded in 2009 by Bill Maris (founding CEO)
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Healthcare / bio · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- gv.comgv.com/aboutgv.com/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/GV_(company)
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Haun Ventures
Backs founders rebuilding money and markets, from stablecoins to payments, starting at seed.
- Stated focus
- The future of finance: stablecoins, payments, DeFi, crypto infrastructure
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Haun Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed to scale
- Focus, in the firm's words
- The future of finance: stablecoins, payments, DeFi, crypto infrastructure
- Location, as verified
- Silicon Valley (San Francisco Bay Area)
- Founded
- Founded in 2022 by Katie Haun
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Airwallex, Chainalysis, Fireblocks, Bitwise
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Crypto
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Index Ventures
Invests from seed to IPO in the US and Europe, from a major San Francisco office.
- Stated focus
- Technology
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco office (headquartered in London)
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Index Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Index VenturesRead the profile: Index Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed to IPO
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology
- Location, as verified
- London (major office in San Francisco; also New York)
- Founded
- Founded in 1996 by Neil Rimer; David Rimer; Giuseppe Zocco
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Wiz, Figma, Revolut, Notion, Roblox
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- indexventures.comindexventures.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_Ventures
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Industry Ventures
Invests from seed through growth, and also buys shares from founders and early employees and backs other funds.
- Stated focus
- Private technology companies and venture funds
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Industry Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Industry VenturesRead the profile: Industry Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed through growth, plus secondaries and fund investing
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Private technology companies and venture funds
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA (50 Osgood Place); also Washington DC area, Boston, London
- Founded
- Founded in 2000
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · Generalist
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- industryventures.comindustryventures.com/approachindustryventures.com/investments
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Invests from seed through late stage, and says it has been an early call for AI founders for more than a decade.
- Stated focus
- Enterprise, fintech, consumer, healthcare, AI
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Lightspeed Venture Partners, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Lightspeed Venture PartnersRead the profile: Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Multi-stage, seed to Series F
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Enterprise, fintech, consumer, healthcare, AI
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2000 by Barry Eggers; Christopher Schaepe; Ravi Mhatre; Peter Nieh
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Anthropic
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- lsvp.comlsvp.com/aboutlsvp.com/companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightspeed_Venture_Partners
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Menlo Ventures
Invests from inception onward, and with Anthropic runs the Anthology Fund for AI startups.
- Stated focus
- AI, bio and healthcare, consumer, cybersecurity, defense, fintech, infrastructure, robotics and hardware, SaaS, supply chain and automation
- Stage
- Pre-seedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park and San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Menlo Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Menlo VenturesRead the profile: Menlo Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Early stage, inception through IPO
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, bio and healthcare, consumer, cybersecurity, defense, fintech, infrastructure, robotics and hardware, SaaS, supply chain and automation
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park and San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 1976
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Anthropic
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- menlovc.commenlovc.com/aboutmenlovc.com/anthology-fund
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
Invests at every stage, and says that includes the idea and seed stages, in technology and healthcare.
- Stated focus
- Technology and healthcare (enterprise, digital health, fintech, life sciences, consumer)
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (New Enterprise Associates (NEA), opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for New Enterprise Associates (NEA)Read the profile: New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Every stage, from idea and seed to IPO
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology and healthcare (enterprise, digital health, fintech, life sciences, consumer)
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA (2855 Sand Hill Road); also San Francisco, New York, London and Timonium, MD
- Founded
- Founded in 1977 by Dick Kramlich; Chuck Newhall; Frank Bonsal
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Growth · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- nea.comnea.com/aboutnea.com/contacten.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Enterprise_Associates
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Owl Ventures
An education and workforce technology investor that says it leads rounds from pre-seed to pre-IPO.
- Stated focus
- Education and workforce technology
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: Owl Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Pre-seed to pre-IPO
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Education and workforce technology
- Location, as verified
- Silicon Valley (San Francisco Bay Area)
- Founded
- Founded in 2014
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Growth · AI · Edtech
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- owlvc.comowlvc.com/about-usowlvc.com/portfoliotechcrunch.com
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Redpoint Ventures
Invests at seed as well as early and growth stages, with a strong interest in infrastructure software.
- Stated focus
- Infrastructure, AI, fintech, consumer
- Stage
- SeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Redpoint Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Redpoint VenturesRead the profile: Redpoint Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, early and growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Infrastructure, AI, fintech, consumer
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 1999
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Consumer
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- redpoint.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redpoint_Ventures
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce's investment arm, which says it invests from seed through growth in enterprise software and AI.
- Stated focus
- Enterprise: generative AI, SaaS, data stack, security, fintech, commerce, health tech, future of work, defense
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Salesforce Ventures, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Salesforce VenturesRead the profile: Salesforce Ventures
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed through growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Enterprise: generative AI, SaaS, data stack, security, fintech, commerce, health tech, future of work, defense
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2009
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Consumer · Defense / public sector
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- salesforceventures.comsalesforceventures.com/aboutsalesforceventures.com/portfolio
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
Sequoia Capital
Its Arc program opens twice a year to pre-seed and seed founders; the firm also invests at early and growth stages.
- Stated focus
- Technology across sectors
- Stage
- Pre-seedSeedEarly (Series A/B)Growth
- Headquarters or office
- Menlo Park, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Visit the firm's website (Sequoia Capital, opens in a new tab)Suggest a correction for Sequoia CapitalRead the profile: Sequoia Capital
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, early and growth
- Focus, in the firm's words
- Technology across sectors
- Location, as verified
- Menlo Park, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 1972 by Don Valentine
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Apple, Nvidia, Wiz, SpaceX, Airbnb
- Our research labels
- Pre-seed · Seed · Early (Series A/B) · Growth · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- sequoiacap.comsequoiacap.com/our-companiesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia_Capitalsequoiacap.com/arc
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
SignalFire
Gives seed-stage founders access to its own data and recruiting platform as they grow.
- Stated focus
- AI and technology
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: SignalFire
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed to scale
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI and technology
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2013 by Chris Farmer; Ilya Kirnos
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- signalfire.comsignalfire.com/portfoliosignalfire.com/team/chris-farmer
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
SV Angel
Ron Conway and David Lee's seed investing, with continued support into later rounds.
- Stated focus
- AI, software, consumer, crypto, energy, enterprise, fintech, hardware, healthcare and bio, infrastructure, marketplaces, robotics
- Stage
- SeedGrowth
- Headquarters or office
- San Francisco, CA
- Last verified
- September 2026
Read the profile: SV Angel
- Stage, in the firm's words
- Seed, plus a growth portfolio
- Focus, in the firm's words
- AI, software, consumer, crypto, energy, enterprise, fintech, hardware, healthcare and bio, infrastructure, marketplaces, robotics
- Location, as verified
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- Founded in 2009 by Ron Conway; David Lee
- Companies named by the firm or in press
- Not stated in the checked sources
- Our research labels
- Seed · Growth · AI · Enterprise / B2B software · Fintech · Healthcare / bio · Climate / energy · Crypto · Consumer · Deep tech / hardware
- Sources checked (September 2026)
- svangel.comsvangel.com/aboutsvangel.com/portfolioen.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV_Angel
Check size, fund size and how to reach the firm are not listed here. The firm's own website is the source for current terms and contact instructions.
How to use this list
Two cautions before you start. A stage label means a firm says it invests at that stage, not that it is taking pitches this month. And “seed” covers very different rounds: the published checks below run from $150,000 to $25 million. Knowing which kind of first check you need is most of the work.
- Match the stage and the size. A firm whose first checks start at $3 million is not the right first call for a $500,000 round.
- Know who leads. Some firms lead rounds; others join once someone else has. If you have no lead yet, start with firms that say they lead.
- Read what the firm backs, in its own words, before relying on our sector labels.
- Check how it wants to hear from you. Some run applications or programs; many prefer an introduction. The firm's own site is the source.
Pre-seed vs seed: what the labels usually mean
There are no official definitions, and firms use the words differently. In general, pre-seed funding is the first outside money in a company, often before there is a product or revenue. Seed funding usually follows, to take a product toward the market and find the customers who will pay for it. Many early rounds are raised on SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity), the instrument Y Combinator uses in its standard deal.
The practical difference is what investors expect to see. A pre-seed investor is often backing the founders and the problem; a seed investor usually wants early evidence that the product works for someone.
Published check sizes
Most firms do not publish a check size. These do, on their own sites, as of September 13, 2026. A published range is the firm's description of a typical check, not an offer.
| Firm | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| Hustle Fund | $150K in very early pre-seed software startups |
| Y Combinator | $500,000 standard deal: $125,000 for 7% on a post-money SAFE, plus $375,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE |
| Afore Capital | $500K to $2M-plus in pre-traction companies |
| Vertex Ventures US | $500K to $10M, leading or co-leading seed and Series A rounds |
| Haystack | Typically $1M to $3M in initial rounds, leading or participating |
| Electric Capital | $1M to $15M-plus, from pre-seed to Series A |
| Conviction | $1M to $25M, at seed and Series A |
| Root Ventures | Initial investments typically $3M to $5M, usually leading |
How we built this list
We group firms by their stated investment focus and the research classifications in this directory. A category match is a reason to investigate, not evidence that a firm will invest. Current terms and contact instructions belong on the firm's own website.
This list is every Bay Area firm in our research with a pre-seed or seed label, taken from its own description. Each record lists the pages we checked for it and when.
Before you reach out
Investors at this stage are mostly judging the founders and the problem, so the preparation that matters is a clear account of what you are building, for whom, and what you have learned so far. If something here is out of date, use Suggest a correction on the firm's row.
Fundraising and marketing are separate jobs. If the marketing side is on your list too, our page on marketing for technology companies explains how we work.
Frequently asked questions
What is seed funding?
Seed funding is an early round of investment that usually takes a product toward the market and helps a company find the customers who will pay for it. It typically follows pre-seed funding and comes before a Series A. There is no official definition, and firms use the term differently.
What is pre-seed funding?
Pre-seed funding is the first outside money in a company, often before there is a product or revenue. Investors at this stage are usually backing the founders and the problem. Many pre-seed rounds are raised on SAFEs, simple agreements for future equity.
What is the difference between pre-seed and seed?
Pre-seed usually funds the earliest work, often before a product exists; seed usually funds taking a working product to market. Round sizes vary widely: among the Bay Area firms that publish check sizes, first checks run from $150,000 to $25 million.
How do you get pre-seed funding?
Start with investors who say they invest at pre-seed in your area, and read how each wants to hear from founders: some run applications or programs, such as Y Combinator, and many prefer an introduction. Bring a clear account of what you are building, for whom, and what you have learned so far.
Are these pre-seed investors taking pitches now?
Not necessarily. A pre-seed or seed label means the firm says it invests at that stage. Whether it is investing now, and how it wants to be contacted, is on the firm's own website.
Sources
Checked September 13, 2026. Check sizes are each firm's own published description, not an offer. Each firm's profile lists the pages we checked for it. This is information, not investment or fundraising advice.
- Y Combinator: The YC standard deal: YC's $500,000 deal and SAFEs
- Hustle Fund (homepage): published check size
- Afore Capital (homepage): published check size
- Vertex Ventures US (homepage): published check size
- Haystack (homepage): published check size
- Electric Capital (homepage): published check size
- Conviction (homepage): published check size
- Root Ventures (homepage): published check size
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