New York City investors actively deploying capital in 2026

New York City closed $28.4B across 1,200+ deals in 2025. That's second only to San Francisco but spread across more diverse sectors. You'll find serious capital for fintech, enterprise SaaS, consumer, healthtech, and media. The ecosystem is less concentrated than SF - there's no single neighborhood where everyone hangs out. Check sizes run higher than Austin or Miami but competition is brutal. You won't get meetings without warm intros.

Quick list

Why New York City for fundraising

NYC investors write bigger checks than most cities outside SF. Average seed round hit $4.2M in 2025, and Series A averaged $18.5M. That's 40% higher than Austin and double Miami's averages. The city's financial services background means investors scrutinize unit economics harder than SF funds. They want to see a path to profitability within 24 months, not 60.

Fintech gets funded easily here. Half of US fintech venture capital flows through NYC. Enterprise SaaS works well too, especially if you're selling to financial services or retail. Consumer is competitive but possible if you've got traction. Healthtech is growing fast with Mount Sinai and Cornell connections.

The downside is speed. NYC investors take 3-4 months from first meeting to term sheet. That's slower than SF's 6-8 weeks. You'll also compete with 50+ other companies for partner attention. The city's expensive so your burn rate will be higher than Texas or Florida. But you'll have access to more follow-on capital than anywhere except San Francisco.

Picking the right NYC investor

Local presence matters more than you'd think. Manhattan-based funds know the analyst at Goldman who can become your first customer. They can intro you to executives at JPMorgan, Verizon, and Pfizer. Brooklyn funds are better for direct-to-consumer because they understand local retail and distribution.

Portfolio companies tell you everything. Check if they've backed NYC startups before or just have an office here. Some funds fly in from SF quarterly and don't really know the market. Look for funds with 60%+ of portfolio in the tri-state area.

Check sizes in NYC run higher than most markets. Seed rounds are $2M-$5M. Series A is $12M-$25M. Series B hits $25M-$50M. If you're raising $500K, you're too small for most NYC funds. Look at Brooklyn seed funds instead.

Local network strength varies wildly. Union Square Ventures can get you meetings anywhere in consumer tech. FirstMark opens doors in e-commerce and marketplace businesses. Greycroft connects you to media companies and brands. Ask portfolio founders which intros actually happened versus which were promised.

Communication speed matters when you're talking to 8 funds at once. Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see which partners actually read your financials versus which ones just skimmed the summary. NYC investors typically respond within 72 hours if they're interested.

Follow-on capacity is strong in NYC. Unlike Austin where you'll need SF capital for Series B, most NYC funds can lead or participate in multiple rounds. Check if they reserve capital for follow-ons or if they'll bring in outside investors next round.

How to find and approach New York City investors

Research local deals through Pitchbook and Crunchbase but also read TechCrunch's NYC coverage and Term Sheet's newsletters. Check who invested in companies like yours in the past 18 months. Focus on funds that led rounds, not just participated.

Leverage local ecosystem connections at Techstars NYC, ERA, and Columbia's accelerator programs. NYU's Future Labs connects founders to investors monthly. These intros carry more weight than cold emails.

Build relationships first at least 90 days before you need capital. NYC investors won't take first meetings during fundraising. Attend their portfolio company events and ask for advice, not money. Follow up every 6 weeks with progress updates. Showing up prepared with thoughtful DD and clean digital materials signals that you understand disciplined startup fundraising.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. NYC partners typically review decks within 48-72 hours. You'll see exactly who's interested based on time spent on your financial projections and competitive analysis slides.

Attend local events like NY Tech Meetup, AlleyWatch events, and General Assembly speaker series. Real deals happen at Intersection Conference and Stacked Conference for B2B founders. Consumer founders should hit Internet Week and Brand Innovators events in SoHo and Flatiron.

Connect with portfolio founders through LinkedIn and warm intros. NYC founders are surprisingly helpful if you're respectful of their time. Ask which partners actually respond and which ones ghost after first meetings. They'll tell you about term sheet timelines and negotiation styles. These conversations often resurface gaps in your materials, especially your pitch deck clarity.

Organize due diligence materials in an Ellty data room before partner meetings. NYC investors expect incorporation docs, financial models, and customer references ready immediately. Don't scramble to send materials via email. Set up folders for financials, legal, product, and team information.

Understand local pace runs slower than SF but faster than Boston. Expect 8-12 meetings before a term sheet. Partners want to meet your team, talk to customers, and review detailed financial models. Budget 12-16 weeks from first meeting to closed round in NYC versus 8-10 weeks in San Francisco.

New York City-specific considerations

NYC investors care about revenue more than growth rate. Show them $100K MRR growing 10% monthly and they'll pay attention. Show them $20K MRR growing 30% monthly and they'll pass. The city's finance culture means every partner can build financial models in their sleep. Your unit economics need to be airtight.

Competition is intense. You're competing with 200+ other startups at any given time. Median time from first meeting to term sheet stretched to 14 weeks in 2025. NYC funds also tend to co-invest more than SF funds. You'll rarely see a single fund write the entire check. Expect 2-3 investors in your seed round and 3-5 in Series A. That means more diligence, more negotiations, and more coordination.

18 top investors in New York City

1. Union Square Ventures

One of NYC's most respected funds with a track record that includes Twitter, Tumblr, and Coinbase.

• Recent Deals: Vise ($45M Series B, 2024), Nestcoin ($6.4M Series A, 2024), Figure ($103M Series D, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Fred Wilson LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: fintech, consumer internet, blockchain, decentralized systems
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 915 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: usv.com

2. Lerer Hippeau

NYC-focused fund that backs consumer and media companies early.

• Recent Deals: The Farmer's Dog ($110M Series D, 2024), Hims & Hers ($75M Series D, 2023), Away ($100M Series C, 2022)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, media, wellness, e-commerce
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 568 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: lererhippeau.com

3. FirstMark Capital

Enterprise and consumer fund that led Shopify and Pinterest's early rounds.

• Recent Deals: Attentive ($230M Series E, 2024), Discord ($150M Series H, 2024), Airbnb ($200M Series F, 2020)
• LinkedIn: Rick Heitzmann LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise SaaS, consumer, marketplaces, fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: 100 5th Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: firstmarkcap.com

4. Greycroft

Bi-coastal fund with strong NYC presence in consumer and fintech.

• Recent Deals: Acorns ($105M Series E, 2024), Hinge Health ($400M Series E, 2024), Venmo ($26.5M Series B, 2012)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: fintech, consumer, digital media, e-commerce
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 415 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: greycroft.com

5. RRE Ventures

NYC-based fund focusing on enterprise software and fintech since 1994.

• Recent Deals: M1 Finance ($75M Series C, 2024), Namely ($30M Series C, 2018), Socure ($450M Series E, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Stuart Ellman LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, fintech, cybersecurity, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 8 West 40th Street, Manhattan
• Website: rre.com

6. Thrive Capital

Growth-stage fund founded by Josh Kushner, backs category leaders.

• Recent Deals: Oscar Health ($165M Series D, 2023), Stripe ($600M Series H, 2023), Instagram ($50M Series B, 2012)
• LinkedIn: Josh Kushner LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, consumer, fintech, healthtech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Office Location: 44 West 28th Street, Manhattan
• Website: thrivecap.com

7. Spark Capital

Boston-based with strong NYC presence, backed Slack and Twitter early.

• Recent Deals: Cruise ($90M Series C, 2024), Coinbase ($75M Series C, 2025), Wayfair ($165M Series E, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Nabeel Hyatt LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, enterprise SaaS, fintech, mobility
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: 555 5th Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: sparkcapital.com

8. Primary Venture Partners

NYC fund focused on B2B software and marketplace businesses.

• Recent Deals: Human Interest ($105M Series D, 2024), Vestwell ($70M Series C, 2024), Mailchimp ($150M growth equity, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Brad Svrluga LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplaces, fintech infrastructure
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: primaryventurepartners.com

9. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

Seed-only fund focused on NYC startups, backed Reonomy and Tinybeans.

• Recent Deals: Reonomy ($16M Series B, 2023), Tinybeans ($4.5M Series A, 2024), LISNR ($10M Series B, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Charlie O'Donnell LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, consumer, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn
• Website: brooklynbridge.vc

10. boldstart ventures

Enterprise infrastructure fund that only backs technical founders.

• Recent Deals: BigID ($70M Series D, 2024), Snyk ($300M Series E, 2023), Kustomer ($60M Series D, 2022)
• LinkedIn: Ed Sim LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, dev tools, data
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 463 7th Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: boldstart.vc

11. BoxGroup

Prolific seed fund with Warby Parker, Airtable, and Glossier in portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Ro Health ($88M Series B, 2024), Airtable ($185M Series D, 2023), Glossier ($80M Series D, 2021)
• LinkedIn: David Tisch LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, enterprise SaaS, marketplaces, fintech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 5th Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: boxgroup.com

12. Notation Capital

Brooklyn-based pre-seed and seed fund backing diverse founders.

• Recent Deals: Ro Health ($88M Series B, 2024), Canary ($10M Series B, 2023), Underdog Fantasy ($35M Series B, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Nicholas Chirls LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, healthcare, fintech, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
• Website: notation.vc

13. Work-Bench

Enterprise B2B fund focused on selling to IT departments.

• Recent Deals: Datto ($1.5B acquisition by Vista Equity, 2022), Vanta ($150M Series B, 2024), Teleport ($110M Series C, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Jonathan Lehr LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, dev tools
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 437 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: work-bench.com

14. Two Sigma Ventures

Data-focused VC arm of quantitative hedge fund Two Sigma.

• Recent Deals: Dataiku ($400M Series E, 2024), Dataminr ($475M Series F, 2023), Sift ($50M Series D, 2021)
• LinkedIn: John Overdeck LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: data infrastructure, machine learning, fintech, enterprise AI
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: 100 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan
• Website: twosigmaventures.com

15. Ludlow Ventures

Seed-stage fund that backed Jet.com pre-Walmart acquisition.

• Recent Deals: Jet.com ($3.3B Walmart acquisition, 2016), Betterment ($100M Series E, 2021), ClassPass ($70M Series D, 2020)
• LinkedIn: Jonathon Triest LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, e-commerce, fintech, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: ludlowventures.com

16. Operator Partners

Ex-operators fund that backs founders building for enterprise buyers.

• Recent Deals: SeatGeek ($115M Series E, 2024), Mixpanel ($200M Series B, 2024), Namely ($30M Series C, 2018)
• LinkedIn: Emily Man LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: enterprise SaaS, marketplaces, fintech, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1460 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: operator.partners

17. Founder Collective

Early-stage fund with Uber and Coupang in portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Uber ($1.2M seed, 2010), Coupang ($100M Series D, 2014), PillPack ($50M Series B, 2015)
• LinkedIn: David Frankel LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: consumer, enterprise SaaS, marketplaces, fintech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: foundercollective.com

18. 645 Ventures

NYC-focused fund backing early-stage companies across sectors.

• Recent Deals: Zipari ($42M Series C, 2024), Cedar ($200M Series D, 2024), Ro Health ($88M Series B, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Nnamdi Okike LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: healthtech, fintech, enterprise SaaS, consumer
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 315 West 36th Street, Manhattan
• Website: 645ventures.com

Start tracking your NYC investor outreach

These 18 investors closed 200+ deals in New York City during 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Manhattan and Brooklyn funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each NYC investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials versus your team page. NYC-based founders often find local investors skip market size sections but spend 5+ minutes on unit economics and competitive moats.

When NYC investors ask for customer references or financial models, share an Ellty data room instead of sending 15 attachments via email. Your cap table, three-statement model, and customer contracts in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know which partners actually reviewed your materials before partner meetings.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in NYC to raise from NYC investors?

No, but it helps significantly. NYC funds invest nationwide but prioritize local companies for seed and Series A. If you're remote, expect to fly in for every partner meeting. Some funds like Union Square Ventures and Thrive Capital regularly back companies outside NYC, while others like Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and 645 Ventures invest almost exclusively in tri-state area startups.

How does NYC compare to San Francisco for fundraising?

NYC has more capital than anywhere except SF but moves slower. Expect 12-16 weeks versus SF's 8-10 weeks. Check sizes run similar at later stages but NYC seed rounds are smaller ($2M-$4M versus SF's $3M-$6M). NYC investors care more about unit economics and less about growth-at-all-costs. You'll also face less competition than SF - 1,200 deals versus 2,000+ in Bay Area.

What's the average seed round size in NYC?

$4.2M in 2025, up from $3.6M in 2023. That includes pre-seed rounds around $1M-$2M and traditional seed rounds at $3M-$5M. Series A averaged $18.5M. If you're raising under $1M, look at Brooklyn seed funds and angels rather than institutional VCs.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF?

Raise locally for seed and Series A if you're in fintech, enterprise SaaS, or healthtech. NYC has deep expertise and better networks in financial services. Go to SF if you're in deep tech, hardware, or consumer social where West Coast funds dominate. Many NYC companies do Series B in SF after establishing product-market fit locally.

Do NYC investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for first meetings and partner presentations. Budget for 3-5 trips to NYC during your fundraise. Virtual first calls work for initial screening but you won't get term sheets without meeting the full partnership in person. Some funds like boldstart ventures and Work-Bench host regular office hours where you can meet multiple partners efficiently.

What industries get funded most in NYC?

Fintech leads with 35% of all deal volume, followed by enterprise SaaS at 25%, healthtech at 15%, and consumer at 12%. Media and advertising tech also get funded but that sector shrank significantly after 2022. If you're building consumer hardware or biotech, look at Boston or SF instead.