18 VCs bankrolling 5G, edge computing, and telecom infrastructure

5G infrastructure isn't sexy to most VCs. They want software margins, not capital-intensive hardware deployments. You need investors who understand telecom economics and long sales cycles to carriers. Here are 18 investors who actually closed 5G deals from 2025 to 2026.

Quick list

Finding investors who understand carrier sales cycles

Find investors who've backed infrastructure companies selling to telcos.

Experience counts - they need portfolio companies that survived 18-24 month carrier procurement cycles, not SaaS deals that close in 90 days.

Network matters when you need intros to CTOs at Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile for pilot programs. Check if they can connect you to systems integrators and tower companies. Strong investor outreach also depends on how well you follow up with clinical data.

Alignment breaks when software investors expect 80% gross margins on hardware with installation costs. Early-stage VCs often don't understand the capital requirements for network equipment inventory and deployment teams. Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your carrier partnership slides and unit economics versus just reading the executive summary.

Track record shows whether their portfolio companies actually got carrier contracts or just did pilots that went nowhere. Dead telecom startups are common - check if their portfolio made it past trials.

Value-add means specific intros to carrier innovation groups and spectrum consultants, not vague promises about "our network in telecom."

Getting in front of the right partners

Research investors who've done Open RAN, private 5G, or edge computing deals on Crunchbase. Generic enterprise software VCs won't understand your capital intensity. Share updates the same way you would send a client deck to keep communication consistent.

Show carrier traction in your pitch - telcos testing your gear or signed LOIs. Investors want proof you can navigate carrier procurement, not just technical specs. Upload to Ellty and send trackable links. Monitor which pages investors spend time on - if they skip your go-to-market slides, they probably don't get enterprise sales to carriers.

Talk to portfolio founders from their telecom investments and ask about help during carrier negotiations. Most will be honest about whether the investor actually made intros or just sent LinkedIn messages.

Attend MWC Barcelona and 5G North America conferences where these deals actually happen. Skip general startup conferences. Focus your time on sharing a secure pitch deck.

Connect with partners on LinkedIn after getting introduced by someone in their telecom portfolio or a carrier executive they know. Cold DMs to infrastructure investors rarely work.

Set up an Ellty data room with your carrier pipeline, technical specs, and financial model before they ask for diligence. Infrastructure investors expect organized materials.

Lead with your carrier partnerships and deployment timeline in first meetings. Don't waste time on market size - they know the TAM for 5G infrastructure.

Why this matters in 2026

Carriers spent $275B on 5G infrastructure through 2025 and private 5G networks are actually getting deployed now. Open RAN is past the pilot phase at major carriers. Edge computing workloads need 5G latency. Investors who were waiting for proof points can't ignore the sector anymore. You'll see more growth capital available if you have enterprise or carrier contracts.

18 active 5G investors

1. SoftBank Vision Fund

They understand telecom economics from owning Sprint and invest across the 5G stack from infrastructure to applications.

• Recent Deals: Mapbox $280M Series E (2023), multiple wireless infrastructure investments (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Rajeev Misra
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, wireless networks, telecom, edge computing, IoT
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Growth, Late-stage
• Location: London, UK
• Website: visionfund.com

2. Qualcomm Ventures

Strategic investor with deep 5G expertise who backs companies building on their chipsets and wireless technology.

• Recent Deals: Multiple 5G chipset and infrastructure companies (2024-2025), wireless technology investments
• LinkedIn: Quinn Li
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, wireless technology, semiconductors, IoT, edge computing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: San Diego, USA
• Website: qualcommventures.com

3. Intel Capital

They've backed Mavenir's Open RAN development and understand the shift from proprietary to virtualized network infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Mavenir $100M+ rounds (2023-2024), Open RAN and network infrastructure investments (2025)
• LinkedIn: Wendell Brooks
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, Open RAN, network virtualization, edge computing, semiconductors
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: Santa Clara, USA
• Website: intelcapital.com

4. Samsung Catalyst Fund

Corporate venture arm that invests in edge computing and 5G infrastructure supporting their hardware ecosystem.

• Recent Deals: Edge computing and 5G infrastructure startups (2024-2025), wireless technology investments
• LinkedIn: Samsung Catalyst Fund
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, edge computing, IoT, wireless networks, semiconductors
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Mountain View, USA
• Website: samsungcatalyst.com

5. Norwest Venture Partners

They led Celona's private 5G round and understand enterprise wireless better than most generalist VCs.

• Recent Deals: Celona $60M Series B (2023), follow-on funding (2025), private 5G investments
• LinkedIn: Jeff Crowe
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, private wireless networks, enterprise software, edge computing
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Palo Alto, USA
• Website: nvp.com

6. Bessemer Venture Partners

Infrastructure investors who backed Twilio and understand how 5G enables new communication platforms.

• Recent Deals: 5G-enabled communication platforms (2024-2025), telecommunications infrastructure investments
• LinkedIn: Byron Deeter
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, cloud infrastructure, edge computing, SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: bvp.com

7. Kleiner Perkins

Early infrastructure investors now backing edge computing and 5G applications that need low latency.

• Recent Deals: Edge computing and 5G application companies (2024-2025), infrastructure investments
• LinkedIn: Ilya Fushman
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, edge computing, cloud infrastructure, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: kleinerperkins.com

8. Andreessen Horowitz

Their growth fund backs telecommunications infrastructure and they understand network economics from their Skype investment days.

• Recent Deals: Telecommunications infrastructure companies (2024-2025), network technology investments
• LinkedIn: Martin Casado
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, networking, cloud infrastructure, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Growth
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: a16z.com

9. General Catalyst

They invested in enterprise 5G and private wireless networks serving manufacturing and logistics verticals.

• Recent Deals: Enterprise 5G and private wireless companies (2025), industrial IoT investments
• LinkedIn: Deep Nishar
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, private wireless networks, enterprise software, industrial IoT
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Cambridge, USA
• Website: generalcatalyst.com

10. Battery Ventures

Growth investor in network infrastructure and telecom software with multiple 5G portfolio companies added in 2025.

• Recent Deals: Network infrastructure and telecom software (2024-2025), 5G-enabled platforms
• LinkedIn: Neeraj Agrawal
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, network software, telecommunications, SaaS, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: Boston, USA
• Website: battery.com

11. Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners

Strategic investor with carrier relationships across Europe who backs 5G ecosystem companies.

• Recent Deals: Multiple 5G infrastructure and application companies (2024-2025), European wireless investments
• LinkedIn: Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, IoT, edge computing, network software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Bonn, Germany
• Website: dtcp.com

12. Telstra Ventures

Telecom-focused fund with global carrier network backing 5G infrastructure and applications through 2025-2026.

• Recent Deals: 5G infrastructure and wireless technology companies (2024-2025-2026), global investments
• LinkedIn: Mark Sherman
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, IoT, edge computing, network security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: telstraventures.com

13. Orange Ventures

European telecom investor in 5G infrastructure and edge computing with carrier distribution advantages.

• Recent Deals: 5G infrastructure and edge computing companies (2024-2025), European wireless investments
• LinkedIn: Orange Ventures
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, edge computing, telecommunications, IoT, cybersecurity
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Paris, France
• Website: orangeventures.com

14. Telefónica Innovation Ventures

Strategic investor in 5G applications and network optimization with carrier relationships in Latin America and Europe.

• Recent Deals: 5G applications and network optimization companies (2024-2025), telecommunications investments
• LinkedIn: Irene Gómez
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, IoT, digital health, fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Website: wearewayra.com

15. Activate Capital

Enterprise infrastructure investor with 5G and edge computing portfolio companies funded in 2025.

• recent Deals: Enterprise 5G and edge infrastructure companies (2025), industrial wireless investments
• LinkedIn: Michael Bronfein
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, edge computing, enterprise infrastructure, industrial IoT
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: activate.vc

16. Energize Ventures

Infrastructure-focused fund backing industrial 5G and private networks for manufacturing and energy sectors.

• Recent Deals: Industrial 5G and private network companies (2025-2026), energy infrastructure investments
• LinkedIn: John Tough
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, private wireless networks, industrial IoT, energy, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Chicago, USA
• Website: energize.vc

17. SignalFire

Data-driven investor in telecommunications and infrastructure with proprietary network analysis for 5G deals.

• Recent Deals: Telecommunications and 5G infrastructure companies (2024-2025), network technology investments
• LinkedIn: Chris Farmer
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, network software, infrastructure, AI
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: signalfire.com

18. Mubadala Capital

Growth equity investor in late-stage 5G infrastructure and network technology with international deployment focus.

• Recent Deals: Late-stage 5G infrastructure companies (2024-2025), telecommunications growth investments
• LinkedIn: Mubadala Capital
• Sector Focus: 5G infrastructure, telecommunications, network technology, infrastructure, semiconductors
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Growth, Pre-IPO
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Website: mubadalacapital.com

Track which investors actually understand carrier economics

These 18 investors closed 5G deals from 2025 to 2026. Before you start reaching out, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your carrier partnerships and deployment economics. Most founders are surprised that infrastructure investors skip technical architecture slides but spend 15+ minutes reviewing your go-to-market strategy and unit economics with installation costs.

When investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads with your carrier pipeline, technical specifications, and financial projections. Your equipment specs, deployment timelines, and customer contracts in one secure place with view analytics so you know if they're actually reviewing your carrier agreements.

Common questions

How do I know if an investor understands telecom sales cycles?

Check their portfolio for companies that sold to carriers or deployed physical infrastructure. If they only have SaaS investments, they won't understand 18-24 month sales cycles and capital requirements for hardware inventory.

Should I focus on infrastructure or application layer 5G startups?

Both need different investors. Infrastructure investors understand capex and long sales cycles. Application investors want software economics. Don't pitch infrastructure capex to SaaS-focused VCs.

Do corporate VCs from carriers help or slow you down?

They can help with carrier intros but might conflict with other carrier customers. Ask their portfolio companies about restrictions on selling to competing carriers before taking their money.

When should I set up a data room for 5G fundraising?

Before you start conversations. Infrastructure investors expect technical specs, carrier pipeline details, and deployment economics organized from day one. Don't scramble to compile this when they ask for diligence materials.

How many 5G investors should I contact?

Start with 8-12 who've done telecom or infrastructure deals. The investor pool for capital-intensive hardware is smaller than SaaS. Generic enterprise VCs will pass quickly once they see your gross margins.

What slides do 5G investors spend the most time reviewing?

Carrier partnerships, unit economics with installation costs, and go-to-market strategy. Use Ellty analytics to see if they're actually reading your deployment timeline or just skimming technical specs. That tells you if they understand infrastructure businesses.