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” is just a buzzword, and founders waste time chasing firms that rarely or never actually write pre-seed checks.
That’s why we’ve put together a list that’s different. These are the firms that actually invest early—based on data, not opinion or outdated information.
Understanding what makes this pre-seed VC list different
This list of top pre-seed venture capital firms is ranked by the percentage of the funds’ investments made at the pre-seed or earlier stage—including angel, convertible note, or SAFE rounds.
Unlike other lists based on loose definitions or opinions, this one uses actual funding data.
For example, one popular “pre-seed” fund in our study had only made 5% of its investments at the pre-seed stage. So while this fund is often described as a pre-seed investor, the numbers tell a different story; they’re primarily investing at later stages like Seed or Series A. It’s a good reminder that there’s often a gap between what a fund is called and what it actually does.
This list of top pre-seed venture capital firms is ranked by the percentage of the funds’ investments made at the pre-seed or earlier stage—including angel, convertible note, or SAFE rounds.
Unlike other lists based on loose definitions or opinions, this one uses actual funding data.
For example, one popular “pre-seed” fund in our study had only made 5% of its investments at the pre-seed stage. So while this fund is often described as a pre-seed investor, the numbers tell a different story; they’re primarily investing at later stages like Seed or Series A. It’s a good reminder that there’s often a gap between what a fund is called and what it actually does.
Which pre-seed funds made it on our list
All the firms in this list are based in the U.S. and have made at least 10% of their investments in pre-seed or earlier rounds, according to Crunchbase. While this is a relatively low bar, only eight funds in our research have made more than 50% of their investments at the pre-seed stage, so we broadened our criteria.
We also only included firms that made at least one pre-seed investment in the past year (2024 to 2025). Because let’s be honest—no founder wants to pitch a fund that hasn’t invested at this stage in years.
Now onto our list of the top pre-seed funds actually investing in pre-seed startups.
| Investors | Pre-seed or Earlier | Top Verticals | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
|
74% |
Digital Health, Fintech, EdTech |
||
|
73% |
Health Care, FoW, Supply Chain, FinTech, AI, Ecomm |
||
|
69% |
SaaS, HR, Healthcare |
||
|
58% |
SaaS, Analytics, FinTech |
||
|
56% |
Healthcare, AI/ML, E-Commerce |
||
|
53% |
Fintech, E-Commerce, Food Tech |
||
|
52% |
Fintech, AI, B2B, SaaS |
||
|
50% |
Biotech, Digital Health, AI/ML |
||
|
46% |
Health Care, E-Commerce, FinTech |
||
|
43% |
SaaS, CRM, Analytics |
||
|
42% |
B2B software, IoT and scalable hardware, capital-efficient hard-science, Medical Device, Health Care, Biotechnology |
||
|
41% |
FinTech, Healthcare, AI/ML |
||
|
38% |
Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Health Care, Financial Services |
||
|
35% |
FinTech, Consumer, FoW |
||
|
35% |
Health Care, SaaS, Mobile Apps |
||
|
34% |
FinTech, Education, SaaS |
||
|
31% |
SaaS, E-Commerce, AI/ML, B2B |
||
|
31% |
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, FinTech |
||
|
31% |
SaaS, AI/ML, Health Care, E-Commerce |
||
|
30% |
Virtual Reality, Bitcoin, Blockchain |
||
|
27% |
Health Care, Education, Wellness, EdTech |
||
|
26% |
FinTech, Health, EdTech |
||
|
26% |
FinTech, Blockchain, E-Commerce, Biotechnology |
||
|
25% |
SaaS, Analytics, Education, FinTech |
||
|
25% |
Wellness, Health Care, E-Commerce |
||
|
25% |
Aerospace, Space Travel, Robotics |
||
|
24% |
FinTech, Consumer, EdTech, Digital Health |
||
|
24% |
Health Care, Hardware, Manufacturing |
||
|
23% |
GreenTech, BioMed Tech |
||
|
22% |
FinTech, Consumer, Health |
||
|
20% |
ML/AI, Health Care, Blockchain |
||
|
18% |
Foodtech, Agtech |
||
|
17% |
E-Commerce, SaaS, AI/ML |
||
|
17% |
FinTech, AI/ML, EdTech |
||
|
17% |
Aging, Women, Future of Work |
||
Beta Boom
Beta Boom invests in pre-seed software startups building the future for women and multiracial consumers with a particular emphasis on FinTech, Digital Health, EdTech and Consumer Internet. Beta Boom focuses on exceptional founders from diverse life, educational, and professional backgrounds and based in rising tech hubs across the U.S.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 74%
Total Investments: 27
Top Verticals: Digital Health, Fintech, EdTech
Website: https://betaboom.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/beta-boom
Forum Ventures
Forum Ventures is the leading early-stage fund, program and community for B2B SaaS startups. Founded in 2014 as Acceleprise, we’re on a mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible and successful for early-stage founders, through pre-seed and seed-stage funding, high touch programming, corporate perks and introductions, and an active SaaS community.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 73%
Total Investments: 362
Top Verticals: Health Care, FoW, Supply Chain, FinTech, AI, Ecommerce
Website: http://forumvc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/forumventureshttps://www.crunchbase.com/organization/beta-boom
FullCircle
FullCircle is a permanent pre-seed fund investing in a better workforce with much greater economic potential where fulfilled individuals regain pride and agency over their work.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 69%
Total Investments: 23
Top Verticals: SaaS, HR, Healthcare
Website: https://www.fullcirclefund.io/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fullcircle-c7b1
Lombardstreet Ventures
At Lombardstreet Ventures, we are dedicated to investing in pre-seed and seed-stage companies based in the US, with a preference for founding teams in Silicon Valley. We seek out companies with some level of traction in the US market and are excited about the potential for growth and innovation in B2B SaaS, dev tools, infrastructure software, opensource, low code tools, and security. We are sector agnostic and open to opportunities outside these areas if the team is exceptional and their vision aligns with ours. We support the next wave of tech leaders to help shape the future.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 58%
Total Investments: 88
Top Verticals: SaaS, Analytics, FinTech
Website: https://lombardstreet.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lombardstreet-io
Unshackled Ventures
Unshackled Ventures is the only early-stage venture capital fund that enables unrecognized and excluded immigrant founders to start companies in the U.S. Since its founding in 2014, Unshackled has proven its thesis that investing and supporting this population drives strong investment returns across key industries, including American infrastructure, generative AI, healthcare, space, and enterprise SaaS. To date, the firm has invested in 80 companies and over 200 entrepreneurs.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 56%
Total Investments: 78
Top Verticals: Healthcare, AI/ML, E-Commerce
Website: https://www.unshackledvc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/unshackled-ventures
First Check Ventures
First Check Ventures is focused on investing in early stage startups across the globe
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 53%
Total Investments: 47
Top Verticals: Fintech, E-Commerce, Food Tech
Website: https://www.firstcheckventures.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/first-check-ventures
Devlabs
We target the global pipeline of outlier entrepreneurs building B2B digital companies that are currently undervalued and looking to grow by partnering with founder friendly investors that can help them reach more customers, build a better product and raise capital in a relatively short period of time. With Oakland, California as a base in Silicon Valley.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 52%
Total Investments: 34
Top Verticals: Fintech, AI, B2B, SaaS
Website: https://devlabs.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/devlabs
2048 Ventures
We back visionary founders who are building technologies of the future. 2048 Ventures is a thesis-driven earliest stage venture capital firm. We are founders, experienced operators, nerds and dreamers obsessed with the future. We’ve backed over 200 startups and have the experience and conviction to lead your pre-seed or seed round. We get you and your vision before others.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 50%
Total Investments: 136
Top Verticals: Biotech, Digital Health, AI/ML
Website: https://www.2048.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/2048-ventures
The Fund
Everywhere Ventures (fka “The Fund”) is a first-of-its-kind early-stage venture fund created by founders for founders to support the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Everywhere Ventures is a community-powered venture investing platform that integrates the capital, expertise, and mentoring of experienced founders and operators acrossten micro funds. The Fund’s $70M+ under management comes almost exclusively from the over 500 founders and operators who are its limited partners. Everywhere Ventures operates from the belief that those who have actually built successful companies are best suited to advise and support early-stage startups. Everywhere Ventures invests in pre-seed deals globally usually in the first financing round the company raises. Emphasis is placed on purpose-driven teams across money, health and work verticals.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 46%
Total Investments: 417
Top Verticals: Health Care, E-Commerce, FinTech
Website: https://www.thefund.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/everywhere-ventures
Surface Ventures
Surface Ventures is a seed and pre-seed venture capital firm focused on partnering with B2B software companies.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 43%
Total Investments: 46
Top Verticals: SaaS, CRM, Analytics
Website: https://surface.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/rtp-seed
SWAN Venture Fund
SWAN Venture Fund is a group of operators and industry experts. Our expertise ranges from tech development work, to connections into large acquisitive companies, to connections in the supply chain, to business development, and to almost every aspect of a business as it grows. This fund invests in pre-seed rounds (rounds of $500k-$1.5MM). Characteristics of companies that we are interested in: Since we are in the Seattle area, we tend to be interested in exciting value-driven and B2B tech companies with great teams, early revenues, and a competitive advantage. We invest if we like a company, they like us, and one of our members will put time/work into the company, if necessary. Otherwise, we don’t invest.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 42%
Total Investments: 26
Top Verticals: B2B software, IoT and scalable hardware, capital-efficient hard-science, Medical Device, Health Care, Biotechnology
Website: https://swanventurefund.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/swan-venture-group
Hustle Fund
Hustle Fund is a seed fund that invests in early-stage startups operating in software, business-to-business, fintech, and digital health sectors.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 41%
Total Investments: 283
Top Verticals: FinTech, Healthcare, AI/ML
Website: https://www.hustlefund.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hustle-fund
Notation Capital
Notation Capital is a pre-seed venture capital firm that work with technical founding teams. Notation Capital focus on early-stage technical teams, often pre-market or even pre-product, primarily in New York, and provide capital and support to help go-to-market and scale the company.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 38%
Total Investments: 118
Top Verticals: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Health Care, Financial Services
Website: https://notation.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/notation-capital-2
Collab Capital
Collab Capital is an investment fund that provides social and financial resources to Black-owned companies. The firm is creating a growth solution for Black founders seeking capital, who value profitability, ownership, and optionality. They leveraging financial, human, and social capital to help founders build sustainable, technology-enabledbusinesses.
Collab Capital’s mission is to establish an institution that provides a viable pathway to sustained wealth for the Black community. Through their investment programs, they guide portfolio companies to increased revenue and profitability instead of continuously raising valuations through modern venture capital funding.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 35%
Total Investments: 42
Top Verticals: FinTech, Consumer, FoW
Website: https://collab.capital/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/collab-capital
1517 Fund
1517 supports teams with pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups. Their focus is on makers, hackers, and scientists interested in working outside tracked institutions because we believe that the path geared towards higher education is not for all. They motivate people to work on what they’re passionate about, to learn by doing, and to create new technologies. Collab Capital’s mission is to establish an institution that provides a viable pathway to sustained wealth for the Black community. Through their investment programs, they guide portfolio companies to increased revenue and profitability instead of continuously raising valuations through modern venture capital funding.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 35%
Total Investments: 115
Top Verticals: Health Care, SaaS, Mobile Apps
Website: https://www.1517fund.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/1517-fund
Motivate Venture Capital
Motivate Venture Capital is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, IL. MVC invests in incredible founders with strong domain knowledge building new companies with very high growth potential in large and growing markets. Primary verticals of focus include Fintech, Insurtech, Payments, B2B software, B2B marketplaces, Crypto, DeFi, Blockchain, andweb3.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 34%
Total Investments: 70
Top Verticals: FinTech, Education, SaaS
Website: https://motivate.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/motivate-venture-capital
Ascend
Ascend is a pre-seed venture capital firm investing in SaaS 3.0: (vertical AI agents and applications), Gen AI 2.0 (“fast followers” in horizontal AI/infrastructure), and Frontier AI (AI applied to the physical world’s hardest problems).
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 31%
Total Investments: 84
Top Verticals: SaaS, E-Commerce, AI/ML, B2B
Website: https://www.ascend.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ascend-vc
Fulgur Ventures
We believe in Bitcoin as a next generation politically neutral monetary system, the foundation for decentralized finance of the future. While Bitcoin is an efficient settlement layer, it needs a Layer-2 solution for everyday transactions. That is why we support development of the Lightning Network – an essential step towards decentralized finance. As technology entrepreneurs we combine decades of experience creating business from zero and scaling it in emerging and fast-growing industries.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 31%
Total Investments: 52
Top Verticals: Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, FinTech
Website: https://fulgur.ventures/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fulgur-venture
TheVentureCity
TheVentureCity is a global early-stage venture fund, investing in product-centric startups across the US, Europe, and Latam.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 31%
Total Investments: 143
Top Verticals: SaaS, AI/ML, Health Care, E-Commerce
Website: https://www.theventure.city/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/the-venture-city
Boost VC
Boost VC is the most active Deep Tech investor on the planet. We average one deal per week.
We invest into emerging and frontier categories on the edges of the map. Boost VC is an early stage venture capital firm with $200m AUM+, investing in deep tech: aerospace, VR/AR, energy, climate, robotics, crypto, bio/health, AI/ML & more. Boost VC leads the first round of $2M or less.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 30%
Total Investments: 325
Top Verticals: Virtual Reality, Bitcoin, Blockchain
Website: https://www.boost.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/boostfunder
Hannah Grey
Hannah Grey they make investment’s for business development.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 27%
Total Investments: 30
Top Verticals: Health Care, Education, Wellness, EdTech
Website: https://www.hannahgrey.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hannah-grey
Backstage Capital
Backstage Capital is a venture capital fund investing in the best startups led by underrepresented founders in the U.S. The firm was founded in 2015 by Arlan Hamilton and is headquartered in West Hollywood, California, United States.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 26%
Total Investments: 156
Top Verticals: FinTech, Health, EdTech
Website: https://backstagecapital.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/backstage-capital
Side Door Ventures
Side Door Ventures is a global venture capital firm investing in audacious founders building the future at the fringe. We’re generalist investors and back teams across software, life sciences, space, frontier tech, blockchain, gaming, and financial services that aim to transform industries and improve lives. The Future Starts at the Fringe.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 26%
Total Investments: 58
Top Verticals: FinTech, Blockchain, E-Commerce, Biotechnology
Website: https://www.sdv.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/side-door-ventures
VitalizeVC
VITALIZE invests in WorkTech: people-first, data-driven, really big ideas that transform work today. We invest in B2B and B2B2C software companies incorporated in the US. We do not invest in hardware or DTC businesses. We focus on the Future of Work and invest in people-first, data-driven, BIG ideas that transform how we work today.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 25%
Total Investments: 63
Top Verticals: SaaS, Analytics, Education, FinTech
Website: https://www.vitalize.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/vitalize-vc
XFactor Ventures
XFactor Ventures is focused on making pre-seed and seed stage investments in companies with billion dollar market opportunities that have at least one female founder.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 25%
Total Investments: 83
Top Verticals: Wellness, Health Care, E-Commerce
Website: https://www.xfactor.ventures/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/xfactor-ventures
Space.VC
“We believe startups play a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of technologies that shape our future. Whether in energy, manufacturing, AI, space, defense, semiconductors, autonomy or robotics — these technologies will all define their respective industries for the next several generations to come. Space VC is building a concentrated portfolio of the world’s most promising frontier tech startups. We seek to partner on Day Zero with founders — as they’re incorporating the company or going through the early idea maze. Space VC partners and invests in a limited number of exceptional entrepreneurs per fund at the Pre-Seed stage, ensuring our incentives are aligned and enabling us to exclusively focus on accelerating their success.”
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 25%
Total Investments: 28
Top Verticals: Aerospace, Space Travel, Robotics
Website: https://www.spacevc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/space-vc
Precursor Ventures
Precursor Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on pre-seed and seed investments in North America. The firm focuses on investments in B2B and B2C software applications and hardware. Precursor Ventures has adopted the Diversity Term Sheet Rider.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 24%
Total Investments: 443
Top Verticals: FinTech, Consumer, EdTech, Digital Health
Website: https://precursorvc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/precursor-ventures
NFX
NFX operates as a pre-seed & seed stage investor that is transforming how true innovators are funded for entrepreneurs. They believe that creating something of true significance starts with seeing things others do not. As Founders, they reinvented industries with this mindset. As investors, their approach is no different. They do this by asking ourselves one question – ideally, how should the startup experience work for Founders, both NFX and the whole ecosystem. NFX lens is always through the eyes of the Founder. The firm approach is to first build an early-stage experience for all Founders that is powered by more software. Second, to bring the founders they back exponential yet little-known techniques for network effects and growth. Third, to make visible the typically seen methods of technology’s most impactful companies.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 24%
Total Investments: 420
Top Verticals: Health Care, Hardware, Manufacturing
Website: https://www.nfx.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nfxcapital
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 24%
Total Investments: 420
Top Verticals: Health Care, Hardware, Manufacturing
Website: https://www.nfx.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nfxcapital
Good Growth Capital
Good Growth Capital provides investors with exceptional returns through our ability to source, assess and invest in early-stage transformative science- and technology-based companies in life sciences, data sciences, and Greentech/hard sciences.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 23%
Total Investments: 98
Top Verticals: GreenTech, BioMed Tech
Website: https://www.goodgrowthvc.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/good-growth-capital
Chingona Ventures
Industries that are massively changing and founders whose backgrounds uniquely position them to create businesses in growth markets that are often overlooked. Focus areas are in financial technology, future of work, future of learning, and health technology.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 22%
Total Investments: 50
Top Verticals: FinTech, Consumer, Health
Website: https://www.chingona.ventures/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/chingona-ventures
The House Fund
The House Fund is a pre-seed and early stage venture capital fund focused on the boldest Berkeley startups.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 20%
Total Investments: 96
Top Verticals: ML/AI, Health Care, Blockchain
Website: https://www.thehouse.fund/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/the-house-fund
E²JDJ
E²JDJ is an early-stage venture firm investing globally in food and agriculture technology and science.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 18%
Total Investments: 17
Top Verticals: Foodtech, Agtech
Website: https://www.e2jdj.com/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/e%C2%B2jdj
Yes VC
We invest in great companies in the pre-seed and seed stages.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 17%
Total Investments: 64
Top Verticals: E-Commerce, SaaS, AI/ML
Website: https://yes.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/yes-vc
Launchpad Capital
“The world of financial services is transforming and more ready than ever for thoughtful disruption. The combination of permanent structural changes to the global financial services industry and readily accessible infrastructure will unlock empowering financial and technology innovation at across the FIRE sector – from finance, to insurance andreal estate – through products and services that are fair, transparent and give consumers and businesses full control of their hard earned money and the data tied to it. LaunchPad Capital builds and invests in pre-seed and seed stage Fintech companies.”
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 17%
Total Investments: 35
Top Verticals: FinTech, AI/ML, EdTech
Website: https://www.launchpad.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/launchpad-capita
Cake Ventures
Cake Ventures is an investment firm that invests in companies that address the needs of a world undergoing massive demographic changes. Cake Ventures was founded by Monique Woodard. We invest at seed and pre-seed into companies that reflect changing demographics, including: aging and longevity, the increased spending power of women, the shift to majority-minority, and the rise of deskless work.
Pre-Seed or Earlier: 17%
Total Investments: 12
Top Verticals: Aging, Women, Future of Work
Website: https://www.cake.vc/
Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cake-ventures
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. By focusing on real data and recent activity, we’ve curated a list of VCs who don’t just say they invest at pre-seed—they actually do. Use it to focus your outreach, save time, and connect with the kind of partners who are ready to believe before the traction comes.
Think We Missed a Fund? Let Us Know!
If you spot a mistake or want to suggest a fund we missed, feel free to email the author directly at sergio [at] betaboom.com. And apologies in advance if your fund didn’t make this first list—we’re sure this is just the beginning.
Prefer to download and explore the list offline?
How We Invest: We believe the hardest thing about building a startup isn’t raising money, it’s figuring out how to grow your business and make money. At Beta Boom we do more than invest in very early startups. We work extremely hands-on with our founders, as an extension of their team, to figure out how to take their startup to the next level.
No cookie-cutter programs, no useless courses, no mentors that tell you that you should do this, that, and the other.
We invest in your startup and become your partners, coaches, and advocates.
Get on our radar for an investment.
Beta Boom invests in founders who don’t fit the traditional Silicon Valley mold.