Top Pre-Seed VC Funds in 2026: Ranked by What They Actually Do

Quick Answer: The top pre-seed VC funds, ranked by the percentage of their total investments made at pre-seed or earlier, are Redbud VC (89%), Slauson & Co. (86%), Forum Ventures (84%), Right Side Capital Management (82%), and SmartGateVC (77%). All 40 funds on this list have made at least 15 total investments and at least one pre-seed investment in 2025, based on Crunchbase data as of 2026.

Discover the top 40 pre-seed funds: a definitive, data-backed list of the investors actually writing pre-seed checks. No opinion, just the numbers.

Pre-Seed, as it should be

Are you frustrated by lists of "pre-seed" investors that don't really invest at the pre-seed stage? You're not alone.

Too often, "pre-seed" gets used as a buzzword, and founders waste time chasing firms that rarely write checks that early. So we built a list that works differently: ranked by real investing behavior, not branding.

This list is compiled by Beta Boom and was originally inspired by our founders, who found it difficult to figure out which funds actually invested at the pre-seed stage versus ones who just said they do.

What makes this list different

This list ranks venture firms by the percentage of their total investments made at the pre-seed stage or earlier (including angel, convertible note, or SAFE rounds), based on Crunchbase data.

A few rules we held ourselves to:

• Real VC firms only. We pulled out accelerators and programs whose core model is a cohort or curriculum, not a fund (think Techstars, IndieBio). Firms that run an accelerator alongside real investing, like Forum Ventures or NFX, stayed in.
• A minimum track record. Any firm needed at least 15 total investments to qualify. A fund with 90% pre-seed and only 11 deals ever isn't a reliable signal yet, it's a small sample.
• Recent activity. Every firm on this list made at least one pre-seed investment in 2025.

More Resources: Top Funds Investing in Women | Top Black-Led Funds | Top Latinx-Led Funds | Top Angel Investors | Best Startup Accelerators | Top FinTech Seed Funds | Top Health Tech Seed Funds | Angel Investor Guide | Complete Pre-Seed Guide

Now onto our list of the top pre-seed funds actually investing in pre-seed startups.

The 2026 Pre-Seed Fund Rankings

1. Redbud VC

Partnering with founders at the earliest stages building massive tech companies across the globe. We invest in anyone, regardless of pedigree or intro path.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 89%
Total Investments: 28
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Software, Financial Services, Artificial Intelligence
Website: https://redbud.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/scale-df67

2. Slauson & Co.

Slauson exists to back founders of innovative technology companies who use their lived experience as their competitive advantage from the earliest stage.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 86%
Total Investments: 44
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Software, Financial Services, SaaS
Website: https://www.slauson.co/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/slauson-co

3. Forum Ventures

Forum Ventures is a founder-first AI venture studio, accelerator, and pre-seed fund committed to the entrepreneurial journey from zero to one. With a maniacal focus on the founder experience, we believe that by becoming an extension of our portfolio companies’ teams, we can build the next generation of successful B2B software companies.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 84%
Total Investments: 561
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 60
Top Verticals: Software, Artificial Intelligence, SaaS
Website: https://www.forumvc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/forumventures

4. Right Side Capital Management

RSCM is a quantitative, data-driven, Pre-VC-stage investment firm. We primarily invest in capital-efficient tech companies with revenue-generating products that are raising $500K or less.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 82%
Total Investments: 2,067
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 63
Top Verticals: Software, Artificial Intelligence, SaaS
Website: https://www.rightsidecapital.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/right-side-capital-management

5. SmartGateVC

We identify the next industry-defining ideas on day one and inject the capital, talent, and industry connections necessary for powering their pre-seed to seed transformation

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 77%
Total Investments: 35
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bioinformatics, Cyber Security
Website: https://www.smartgate.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/smartgatevc

6. Sputnik ATX

Sputnik ATX VC backs bold founders outside Silicon Valley and help them go from gritty to great. Startup bootcamp includes sales training, traction building, and a cohort of sharp founders pushing each other to win. We call it an accelerator. You’ll call it the moment things started to click.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 76%
Total Investments: 123
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 6
Top Verticals: Software, Artificial Intelligence, SaaS
Website: https://www.sputnikatx.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sputnik-atx

7. Kaleo Ventures

Kaleo Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that seeks to invest equity in 40+ faith-aligned pre-seed and seed-stage founders across Africa each year. Kaleo currently has a portfolio of over 90 early-stage tech companies across the continent.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 73%
Total Investments: 56
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Financial Services, Information Technology, Finance
Website: https://kaleo.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/kaleo-ventures

8. Beta Boom

Beta Boom is a pre-seed and seed fund that leads investments in tenacious Originals that are solving complex problems in enterprise, healthcare, and beyond.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 71%
Total Investments: 31
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 3
Top Verticals: Healthcare, Wellness, Artificial Intelligence
Website: https://www.betaboom.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/beta-boom

9. Massive Tech Ventures

Massive Tech Ventures is an investment firm.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 71%
Total Investments: 17
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, SaaS
Website: https://www.mtv.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/massive-tech-ventures

10. Big Idea Ventures

We're a venture capital fund with startup accelerators in key locations, investing in and accelerating top performers in the new food space.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 69%
Total Investments: 155
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 6
Top Verticals: Biotechnology, Food and Beverage, Food Processing
Website: https://bigideaventures.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/big-idea-ventures

11. Launch NY

Launch NY is a 501(c)3 venture development organization and U.S. Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) supporting high-growth potential startup businesses across 36 counties of Upstate NY.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 69%
Total Investments: 182
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 15
Top Verticals: Software, Healthcare, SaaS
Website: https://launchny.org/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/launch-ny

12. focal

We back technical, AI native builders at inception with speed and conviction. We invest up to $1M into your first round, often before you even incorporate.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 68%
Total Investments: 47
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 3
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, SaaS
Website: https://www.focal.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/focal-4f67

13. FullCircle

FullCircle is a perpetual pre-seed fund investing in a more dynamic workforce by making work more accessible, rewarding and adaptable

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 68%
Total Investments: 25
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Recruiting
Website: https://www.fullcirclefund.io/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fullcircle-c7b1

14. SBXi

SBXi is jointly backed by Accel, Polaris Partners, GETTYLAB, General Catalyst, Pillar, Danaher, Underscore VC and Glasswing Ventures — we write $10K-$100K checks on SAFEs and $100K-$1M checks when there’s a qualifying term-sheet we can match.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 67%
Total Investments: 199
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 13
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Healthcare
Website: https://www.sbxi.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sbxi

15. Fusion

Fusion is Israel's leading pre-seed platform - Backed by top-tier global VC firms and 70+ serial founders.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 65%
Total Investments: 83
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, SaaS
Website: https://www.fusion-vc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fusion-la

16. a16z Scout Fund

We are stage agnostic: We invest in seed to late-stage technology companies, across the consumer, enterprise, bio/healthcare, crypto, fintech and games spaces.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 63%
Total Investments: 48
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 13
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: https://a16z.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/a16z-scout-fund

17. Geek Ventures

Geek Ventures is committed to investing in bold, innovative, and brilliant immigrant entrepreneurs, coming to the US from all over the world.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 61%
Total Investments: 51
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: https://geek.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/geek-ventures

18. Sunset Ventures

We invest in early-stage companies redefining how consumers work, live and play.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 60%
Total Investments: 20
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Internet
Website: https://sunsetventures.xyz/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sunset-ventures-c665

19. Lombardstreet Ventures

We invest in pre-seed and seed stage companies based in the US, with a preference for those located in Silicon Valley.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 59%
Total Investments: 96
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 5
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: http://lombardstreet.vc
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lombardstreet-io

20. Recursive Ventures

Recursive Ventures is a San Francisco based VC fund investing in US Pre-seed and Seed Tech Startups disrupting industries through use of Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 58%
Total Investments: 53
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 4
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: http://www.recursiveventures.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/recursive-ventures

21. Plassa Capital

Plassa is an early-stage venture firm investing in the crypto universe.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 57%
Total Investments: 23
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin
Website: https://plassa.capital/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/plassa-capital

22. Unshackled Ventures

Immigrants start here. An early-stage VC fund unlocking opportunities for over 200 immigrant founders.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 54%
Total Investments: 80
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Internet
Website: http://www.unshackledvc.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/unshackled-ventures

23. LvlUp Ventures

LvlUp Ventures is a global venture capital firm investing in and accelerating early-stage & late-stage startups.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 54%
Total Investments: 680
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 92
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Healthcare
Website: https://www.lvlup.vc
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lvlup-ventures-db25

24. 2048 Ventures

We lead Vertical AI, Deep Tech, Health and Bio pre-seed with $500K - $3M checks.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 53%
Total Investments: 143
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 7
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Healthcare
Website: http://2048.vc
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/2048-ventures

25. Orange DAO

Orange DAO stands as the largest community of crypto founders, committed to fostering the growth and innovation of blockchain technologies.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 53%
Total Investments: 226
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Web3
Website: https://www.orangedao.xyz/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/orange-fund

26. Red Cedar Ventures

Red Cedar Ventures is a wholly-owned venture investment subsidiary of the Michigan State University Research Foundation.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 53%
Total Investments: 268
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Software, Healthcare, Medical
Website: https://www.msufoundation.org
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/red-cedar-ventures

27. Sunstone Management

Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 52%
Total Investments: 105
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Healthcare
Website: https://www.sunstoneinvestment.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sunstone-management-inc-067f

28. Underdog Labs

We invest in passionate, early stage founders to help them navigate the first success milestones.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 52%
Total Investments: 25
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: https://www.underdoglabs.io/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/underdog-labs

29. Surface Ventures

Surface Ventures is a seed and pre-seed venture capital firm that partners with B2B software companies.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 50%
Total Investments: 52
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 3
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Analytics
Website: https://surface.vc
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/rtp-seed

30. First Check Ventures

Investing in early stage startups across the globe.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 49%
Total Investments: 53
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: FinTech, Financial Services, Software
Website: https://www.firstcheckventures.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/first-check-ventures

31. Longevitytech.fund

Investing globally in technologies extending healthy lifespans. Pre-seed, seed and Series A startups. Hands-on approach.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 46%
Total Investments: 48
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Biotechnology, Health Care, Life Sciences
Website: https://www.longevitytech.fund/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/longevitytech-fund

32. Looking Glass Capital

Looking Glass invests in and supports mission-driven founders building companies solving today's biggest challenges across the themes of health, climate, and empowerment.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 46%
Total Investments: 48
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Health Care
Website: http://lookingglass.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/looking-glass-capital

33. New Stack Ventures

The firm continues to innovate, building software including VC Rank and the Seeker – all with the goal of identifying and partnering with the most transformational tech leaders of our generation.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 46%
Total Investments: 79
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 3
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: http://www.newstack.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/new-stack-ventures

34. Berkeley SkyDeck Fund

We help support the next generation of global entrepreneurs from Berkeley SkyDeck.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 45%
Total Investments: 139
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 5
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Information Technology
Website: https://skydeck.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/berkeley-skydeck-fund

35. MatterScale Ventures

MatterScale invests in early-stage startups applying technology and data to provide high quality and affordable services for the majority (S4M).

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 44%
Total Investments: 43
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Software, Artificial Intelligence, EdTech
Website: http://matterscale.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/matterscale-ventures

36. NOMO Ventures

NOMO is a Venture Capital firm that makes investments in transformative technology companies at the earliest of stages.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 44%
Total Investments: 41
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: FinTech, Financial Services, Software
Website: http://NOMOvc.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nomo-ventures

37. Pack Ventures

Pack VC is a pre-seed and seed venture fund supporting and investing in founders associated with the University of Washington (UW) network.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 44%
Total Investments: 16
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Health Care
Website: http://www.packvc.com
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pack-ventures

38. The Graduate Syndicate

We invest in pre-seed and seed stage startups led by recent graduates of Harvard, primarily HBS.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 43%
Total Investments: 47
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 2
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Internet
Website: https://www.thegraduatesyndicate.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sueco-and-the-graduate-syndicate

39. Future Africa

We are the first investor in bold and visionary leaders building global businesses that solve Africa's biggest challenges

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 42%
Total Investments: 78
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 1
Top Verticals: Finance, Financial Services, Information Technology
Website: https://www.future.africa
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/future-africa

40. Everywhere Ventures

Global pre-seed fund backed by 500 founders and operators.

Pre-Seed or Earlier: 42%
Total Investments: 446
Pre-Seed Investments in 2025: 10
Top Verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Software, Health Care
Website: https://everywhere.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/everywhere-ventures

FAQ

What VC funds actually invest at the pre-seed stage?

The funds that actually invest at pre-seed are the ones where pre-seed or earlier deals make up a large share of their total investment history, not just the ones that market themselves as "pre-seed investors." On this list, that includes firms like Redbud VC, Slauson & Co., Forum Ventures, and Right Side Capital Management, all of which put more than 80% of their historical deals into pre-seed or earlier rounds.

How is "pre-seed percentage" calculated?

We divide a fund's total number of pre-seed (or earlier, including angel, convertible note, and SAFE) investments by its total number of investments across all stages, using Crunchbase data. A fund with a high percentage has built its whole model around investing early, while a fund with a low percentage may only occasionally write a pre-seed check even if it's known for early-stage investing.

Why do some well-known "pre-seed" funds have low pre-seed percentages?

A fund can be widely described as a pre-seed investor while actually deploying most of its capital into seed or Series A rounds. This gap between reputation and actual behavior is exactly why we rank firms by real investment data instead of how they describe themselves.

Does this list include accelerators?

No. We excluded firms whose core model is a cohort-based program or curriculum rather than an actual venture fund (for example, Techstars and IndieBio). Firms that run an accelerator program alongside real fund investing, like Forum Ventures and NFX, are included, since their primary activity is still venture investing.

What's the minimum track record a fund needs to make this list?

A fund needs at least 15 total investments to qualify. This keeps the ranking from being skewed by funds with a handful of deals that happen to all be pre-seed, since a small sample size can produce a misleadingly high percentage.

Is this list only firms currently active in pre-seed investing?

Yes. Every fund on this list made at least one pre-seed investment in 2025, so this isn't a list of funds that used to invest early and have since moved upmarket or gone quiet.

Start here. Find investors who actually invest early

In a landscape where "pre-seed" can mean almost anything, this list brings clarity. It's built for founders who are still shaping their product, finding their market, and looking for investors who truly get what it means to come in early. Use it to focus your outreach on partners who are ready to believe before the traction comes.

Think we missed a fund? Email at sergio [at] betaboom.com. We update this list periodically and we'd rather get it right than be first.