New York seed investors sponsoring early-stage companies in 2026

New York closed $3.2B in seed rounds across 520+ deals in 2025. Average round size was $2.8M, up from $2.1M in 2022. The city has the second-most active seed ecosystem after SF with 50+ dedicated seed funds. You'll compete with 800+ pre-seed companies for capital, and investors expect some traction - either revenue, users, or strong team backgrounds.

Quick list

Why New York for seed fundraising

NYC seed investors deployed $3.2B across 520+ deals in 2025. Average round size hit $2.8M, with rounds split evenly between B2B SaaS, fintech, consumer, and healthcare. That's 20% smaller than SF's average seed but you're competing against fewer companies - 800 raising in NYC versus 1,200 in SF.

New York has 50+ active seed funds compared to SF's 80+. The difference is NYC seed investors care more about business models than viral growth. If you have $50K MRR and growing 15% monthly, you'll get funded in NYC. In SF they want 50% monthly growth even without revenue. NYC rewards execution over vision at seed stage.

The advantage is investor diversity. You have ex-operators, media executives, and finance people writing seed checks. They understand different business models beyond pure software. The disadvantage is less patience for long R&D cycles. If you're building deep tech that needs 3 years before revenue, raise in SF. If you can show revenue in 12 months, NYC seed investors will back you.

Picking the right New York seed investor

Local presence: NYC seed investors want to meet you regularly, not just at board meetings. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and Work-Bench only fund NYC-based companies. Lerer Hippeau and BoxGroup prefer founders who live here or plan to move. Manhattan-based investors can intro you to customers, talent, and Series A funds faster than remote investors who visit quarterly.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed companies at your stage and traction level. Lerer Hippeau has 100+ seed investments spanning consumer to B2B. Boldstart Ventures focuses on enterprise infrastructure at day zero. Female Founders Fund and BBG Ventures only back women founders. Look for investors who've funded companies with your level of traction, not just your category.

Check sizes: Seed rounds in NYC run $1-4M with lead checks of $500K-2M. Lerer Hippeau writes $500K-1.5M checks, First Round does $1-2M, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures leads with $250K-750K. Expect 3-5 investors in your seed round. If you're raising under $1M, call it pre-seed - most dedicated seed funds won't lead smaller rounds in 2026.

Local network: The best NYC seed investors connect you to customers before you need Series A. Work-Bench introduces you to enterprise buyers at JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. Collaborative Fund connects you to sustainability-focused corporations. BoxGroup opens doors to DTC brands and retailers. That early customer access matters more than brand recognition.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. NYC seed investors want to see traction and team, not just vision. Track which slides they review - if they skip your 10-year vision but read your current metrics three times, they want to see proof not potential.

Follow-on capacity: Lerer Hippeau, First Round, and Primary Venture Partners all reserve capital for Series A. Smaller funds like Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and Notation Capital typically don't lead your Series A but will participate. Ask upfront about their follow-on strategy - most NYC seed investors want to own 5-10% and maintain through Series A if you hit milestones.

How to approach New York seed investors

Research local deals: Check Lerer Hippeau's recent investments and Brooklyn Bridge Ventures' portfolio. Both publish detailed reasoning behind their seed bets. Read Warby Parker's and Allbirds' early fundraising stories to understand what NYC seed investors valued. Use Crunchbase to see which funds are most active in your sector this quarter.

Leverage local ecosystem: Join Techstars NYC or ERA accelerators for direct access to 40+ seed investors during demo days. Attend Grand Central Tech's events or NYC Venture Fellows programs. The Cornell Tech accelerator and Columbia Startup Lab both connect founders to NYC seed funds. These programs matter more at seed stage than Series A.

Build relationships through content: NYC seed investors follow founders on Twitter and Substack. Share your metrics, learnings, and progress publicly. Lerer Hippeau and Notation Capital often reach out to founders who share openly. Don't wait until you need money to get on their radar - start 6 months before you plan to raise. Many New York founders turn to DocSend alternatives so they can monitor investor engagement while keeping sharing costs under control in early stages.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create separate links for each NYC investor. Seed stage VCs share decks widely with angels and co-investors, so you'll see if your deck gets forwarded beyond the initial contact. Monitor engagement - if an investor forwards to their portfolio founders for feedback, that's a strong positive signal.

Attend local events: NY Tech Meetup puts early-stage companies in front of 100+ investors monthly. Brooklyn Beta and AlleyNYC events attract seed investors. FinDEVr and Enterprise Connect conferences bring sector-specific seed funds. At seed stage, go to everything - one conversation can lead to your lead investor.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders at Warby Parker, Allbirds, Casper, or Substack on LinkedIn. Ask which seed investors actually helped versus who just wrote checks. NYC seed investors are judged on value-add, not portfolio size. Founders will tell you who makes intros, helps recruit, and supports through tough times.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room even at seed stage. Investors want to see your cap table, any customer contracts, and your financial model assumptions. They won't do heavy diligence like Series A, but having everything organized shows you're a serious operator. Track who views what to understand their concerns.

Understand local pace: Seed rounds take 6-10 weeks from first meeting to wired funds. That includes 2-3 weeks of initial conversations, 2-3 weeks of diligence (mostly reference checks), and 1-2 weeks for legal docs. NYC moves slightly faster than SF at seed stage because rounds are smaller and diligence is lighter. If a fund takes 12+ weeks, they're not serious.

New York seed considerations

NYC seed investors expect some form of traction before investing. That means revenue for B2B companies ($10K+ MRR), users for consumer ($50K+ MAU), or exceptional team backgrounds if pre-launch. The days of funding pure ideas ended in 2023. If you're pre-revenue and pre-product, raise from angels first or get into an accelerator.

Expect 2-4 partner meetings before term sheets. NYC seed investors want to understand your background, market knowledge, and why now. They'll ask about competition and your unfair advantage. Plan for 2 months from first meeting to closed round. That's faster than Series A but requires you to have traction and a clear plan.

NYC's business-model focus means different metrics matter. Seed investors here care about customer acquisition cost, even at $20K MRR. They want to see you understand your economics, not just your growth rate. Don't pitch them pure virality or network effects without explaining how you'll monetize. Show them a path to $100K MRR within 12-18 months.

25 top seed investors in New York

1. Lerer Hippeau

NYC's most active seed investor with 100+ portfolio companies. They backed Warby Parker, Casper, and Glossier at seed stage.

• Recent Deals: Warby Parker seed (2010), Casper seed (2013), Glossier seed (2015), Allbirds seed (2015), Axios seed (2016)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, DTC, marketplaces, B2B SaaS, media tech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: lererhippeau.com

2. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

NYC-only seed fund backing local founders exclusively. Charlie O'Donnell is one of the most accessible investors in the city.

• Recent Deals: Orchard Platform seed (2013), Canary seed (2013), Reonomy seed (2013),Ustulation seed (2018), Quay seed (2019)
• LinkedIn: Charlie O'Donnell
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer tech, fintech, healthcare, NYC-based only
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 55 Washington Street, Brooklyn
• Website: brooklynbridge.vc

3. Primary Venture Partners

Brooklyn-based fund that backed Allbirds and Harry's at seed before both IPO'd. Mission-driven consumer and B2B focus.

• Recent Deals: Allbirds seed (2015, IPO 2021), Harry's seed (2013), Bonobos seed (2009, acquired 2017), Prose seed (2017)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, B2B SaaS, sustainable products, healthcare tech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 45 Main Street, Brooklyn
• Website: primary.vc

4. First Round Capital

Iconic seed fund that backed Uber and Square. Strong NYC presence with 300+ portfolio companies.

• Recent Deals: Uber seed (2010), Square seed (2009), Warby Parker seed (2010), Notion seed (2013), Roblox seed (2005)
• LinkedIn: Josh Kopelman
• Sector Focus: consumer platforms, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, fintech, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 1 World Trade Center, Manhattan
• Website: firstround.com

5. Notation Capital

Brooklyn-based creator economy specialist. Led Substack's seed round and focuses on creator tools and platforms.

• Recent Deals: Substack seed (2018), Memberful seed (2016, acquired 2018), Ghost seed (2015), Stripe Newsletter seed investments
• LinkedIn: Nicholas Chirls
• Sector Focus: creator economy, newsletter platforms, membership software, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 20 Jay Street, Brooklyn
• Website: notationcapital.com

6. Founder Collective

Founder-friendly seed fund that backed Uber and Coupang early. They have the lowest friction investment process.

• Recent Deals: Uber seed (2010), Coupang seed (2010, IPO 2021), BuzzFeed seed (2008), Makerbot seed (2009), SeatGeek seed (2009)
• LinkedIn: Eric Paley
• Sector Focus: consumer platforms, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, fintech, hardware
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 125 Summer Street, Boston (active NYC presence)
• Website: foundercollective.com

7. Fuel Capital

Early Coinbase and Dataminr investor focused on data infrastructure and fintech. They back technical founders pre-launch.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase seed (2012), Dataminr seed (2009), Thinknum seed (2013), Enigma seed (2014)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Ransdell
• Sector Focus: data infrastructure, fintech, machine learning, developer tools, security
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: fuelcapital.com

8. Homebrew

SF-based but very active in NYC fintech. Backed Plaid and Chime at seed stage.

• Recent Deals: Plaid seed (2013), Chime seed (2014), Cruise seed (2014), Gusto seed (2012), Managed by Q seed (2014)
• LinkedIn: Hunter Walk
• Sector Focus: fintech, B2B SaaS, consumer platforms, infrastructure, future of work
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 575 Market Street, San Francisco (active NYC)
• Website: homebrew.co

9. BoxGroup

Seed-stage specialists who backed Warby Parker and Harry's early. Consumer and B2B focus with strong DTC network.

• Recent Deals: Warby Parker seed (2010), Harry's seed (2013), Ro seed (2017), Ramp seed (2019), Airtable seed (2013)
• LinkedIn: David Tisch
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, DTC, B2B SaaS, fintech, healthcare
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: boxgroup.com

10. Female Founders Fund

Women-founded companies only with 100+ portfolio investments. Very active at seed stage in NYC.

• Recent Deals: The Wing seed (2016), Winky Lux seed (2015), Supergoop early rounds, Zola seed (2013), Eloquii seed (2014)
• LinkedIn: Anu Duggal
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, beauty, wellness, B2B SaaS, women-founded only
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 16 West 23rd Street, Manhattan
• Website: femalefoundersfund.com

11. BBG Ventures

Female-founded tech companies at seed stage. They back 10-12 companies per year.

• Recent Deals: Faire seed (2017), The Muse seed (2011), Rockets of Awesome seed (2016), Glossier seed (2015)
• LinkedIn: Susan Lyne
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplaces, consumer tech, female-founded tech only
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 902 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: bbgventures.com

12. Boldstart Ventures

Day-zero enterprise infrastructure investor. They back technical founders before product launch.

• Recent Deals: Snyk seed (2015), BigID seed (2016), Kustomer seed (2015, acquired 2020), Security Scorecard seed (2014), Packet seed (2014)
• LinkedIn: Ed Sim
• Sector Focus: cybersecurity, developer tools, infrastructure, data platforms, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: boldstart.vc

13. Work-Bench

Enterprise software specialist investing only in NYC-based companies. Strong Fortune 500 customer network.

• Recent Deals: Datadog seed (2010, IPO 2019), Kustomer seed (2015), Socure seed (2016), Instabase seed (2015), Currencycloud seed (2012)
• LinkedIn: Jonathan Lehr
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, cybersecurity, data infrastructure, NYC companies only
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 437 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: work-bench.com

14. Collaborative Fund

Impact-focused investor backing consumer and B2B companies. They backed Lyft at seed stage.

• Recent Deals: Lyft seed (2012, IPO 2019), Kickstarter seed (2009), Warby Parker seed (2010), The Farmer's Dog seed (2016)
• LinkedIn: Craig Shapiro
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, sustainable products, B2B SaaS, climate tech, wellness
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 280 Broadway, Brooklyn
• Website: collaborativefund.com

15. Initialized Capital

Y Combinator alumni fund that backed Coinbase and Instacart at seed. Active in NYC market.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase seed (2012), Instacart seed (2012), Flexport seed (2013), Patreon seed (2013), Cruise seed (2014)
• LinkedIn: Garry Tan
• Sector Focus: fintech, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, developer tools, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 944 Market Street, San Francisco (active NYC)
• Website: initialized.com

16. SV Angel

Super angel fund that backed Twitter, Square, and Pinterest at seed. Small checks but massive network.

• Recent Deals: Twitter seed (2008, IPO 2013), Square seed (2009, IPO 2015), Pinterest seed (2010, IPO 2019), Postmates seed (2011, acquired 2020)
• LinkedIn: Ron Conway
• Sector Focus: consumer platforms, fintech, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, mobile
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 525 University Avenue, Palo Alto (active NYC)
• Website: svangel.com

17. Betaworks

Incubator and seed fund focused on social and media tech. They built and sold multiple companies.

• Recent Deals: Tumblr seed (2007, acquired 2013), Bitly seed (2008), Giphy seed (2013, acquired 2020), Anchor seed (2016, acquired 2019)
• LinkedIn: John Borthwick
• Sector Focus: social platforms, media tech, creator tools, consumer internet, audio
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 195 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: betaworks.com

18. Great Oaks Venture Capital

Seed-stage B2B SaaS fund founded by former operators. They understand enterprise software deeply.

• Recent Deals: Gorgias seed (2015), Triplebyte seed (2015), Uberflip seed (2012), Guru seed (2016)
• LinkedIn: Andrew Goldner
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, sales tools, marketing tech, customer success
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 122 East 42nd Street, Manhattan
• Website: greatoaksvc.com

19. Eniac Ventures

Mobile-first seed investor who backed Airbnb and SoundCloud early. Consumer and infrastructure focus.

• Recent Deals: Airbnb seed (2009, IPO 2020), SoundCloud seed (2009), Cue Health seed (2010), The Muse seed (2011)
• LinkedIn: Nihal Mehta
• Sector Focus: consumer mobile, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, healthcare, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: eniac.vc

20. Red Swan Ventures

Healthcare and life sciences seed fund. They back medical devices, digital health, and biotech at early stages.

• Recent Deals: Ro seed (2017), Noom early rounds, One Medical early rounds (IPO 2020), Cityblock Health seed (2017)
• LinkedIn: Brenton Fargnoli
• Sector Focus: digital health, medical devices, biotech, healthcare IT, telehealth
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: redswanventures.com

21. XFactor Ventures

Underrepresented founders with technical focus. They back diverse teams building B2B software.

• Recent Deals: Capsule seed (2016), Rupa Health seed (2020), Common Room seed (2020), Paragon seed (2021)
• LinkedIn: Laura Chau
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, developer tools, infrastructure, diverse founders, technical teams
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: xfactorventures.com

22. Graph Ventures

AI and data infrastructure seed specialist. They back technical founders building machine learning platforms.

• Recent Deals: Scale AI seed (2016), Weights & Biases seed (2018), Robust Intelligence seed (2019), Snorkel AI seed (2019)
• LinkedIn: John Park
• Sector Focus: AI infrastructure, machine learning, data platforms, developer tools, enterprise AI
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: graph.vc

23. Urban.us

Climate tech and urban innovation seed fund. They back companies solving city-scale problems.

• Recent Deals: Sidewalk Labs early rounds, Revel seed (2018), OhmConnect seed (2014), Tour24 seed (2015)
• LinkedIn: Shaun Abrahamson
• Sector Focus: climate tech, urban infrastructure, mobility, proptech, sustainability
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn
• Website: urban.us

24. Grand Central Tech

Free workspace program for NYC seed companies. They invest small checks in exchange for equity.

• Recent Deals: Ringly seed (2013), Lola seed (2015), Ribbon seed (2017), Gradient seed (2019)
• LinkedIn: Matt Harrigan
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer tech, fintech, healthcare, NYC-based only
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 335 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: grandcentraltech.com

25. Techstars NYC

Accelerator program investing $120K for 6% at seed stage. Three cohorts per year with 10-12 companies each.

• Recent Deals: ClassPass seed (2013), DigitalOcean seed (2012, IPO 2021), Sphero seed (2011), Remitly seed (2012, IPO 2021)
• LinkedIn: Alex Iskold
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, consumer tech, healthcare, climate tech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 76 Ninth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: techstars.com/accelerators/nyc

Start tracking your New York seed investor outreach

These 25 investors backed 450+ NYC seed companies in 2025-2026. Before reaching out to Manhattan or Brooklyn funds, set up proper tracking so you understand which investors are engaged versus just being polite on intro calls.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each NYC seed investor. You'll see which slides they review and how long they spend on your traction metrics versus your vision. New York seed investors skip long-term projections and focus on what you've built so far - your analytics will confirm they spend 80% of time on current metrics and team slides.

When Lerer Hippeau or First Round ask for your customer pipeline and early metrics, share an Ellty data room instead of scattered email attachments. Keep your cap table, customer list, and financial projections organized in one place. Seed investors expect scrappy but organized founders who track their numbers.

Common questions

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

For most NYC seed funds, yes. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and Work-Bench only invest in NYC-based founders. Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup, and Notation Capital strongly prefer local companies. First Round, Founder Collective, and Homebrew will back remote founders but you'll get faster responses and better terms if you're local. Plan to move to NYC after you raise if you're taking money from local funds.

How does New York compare to SF for seed fundraising?

NYC has 50+ active seed funds versus SF's 80+. Average seed round is $2.8M in NYC versus $3.2M in SF. NYC expects more traction - you need some revenue or users, while SF will fund pure ideas with strong teams. NYC is better for B2B SaaS, fintech, and media. SF is better for consumer social, marketplaces, and deep tech. Both markets are competitive but accessible.

What traction do I need for seed in NYC?

For B2B SaaS: $10K+ MRR or signed design partnerships. For consumer: 50K+ MAU with 30%+ retention or $25K+ revenue. For fintech: early revenue or regulatory progress plus partnerships. For marketplaces: supply and demand with early GMV. Or exceptional team backgrounds (Google, Facebook, successful exits) can get you funded pre-traction. The bar is higher than 3 years ago.

Should I raise my seed locally or talk to SF investors too?

Talk to both if you have time. NYC investors move faster and care more about business fundamentals. SF investors have more capital and higher risk tolerance. Most founders talk to 20-30 investors across both coasts. If you're B2B or fintech, start in NYC. If you're consumer or infrastructure, start in SF. Take the best terms regardless of geography.

How long does seed take to close in NYC?

6-10 weeks from first meeting to wired funds. That includes 2-3 weeks of conversations, 2-3 weeks of light diligence (reference checks, basic financial review), and 1-2 weeks for legal documentation. SAFE notes close faster than priced rounds. If you're talking to multiple investors, add 1-2 weeks for competitive dynamics and term negotiations.

Can I raise seed without revenue?

Yes, but it's harder in 2026 than 2021. You need strong team backgrounds (exits, FAANG experience) or exceptional early traction (users, waitlist, partnerships). Pure idea-stage funding mostly happens through accelerators or super angels now. If you're pre-revenue, get into Techstars, ERA, or raise from angels first, then raise institutional seed at $10K+ MRR.

What's the difference between pre-seed and seed in NYC?

Pre-seed is $500K-1.5M at idea stage with strong team. Seed is $1.5M-4M with early traction. Pre-seed investors take 10-15% ownership, seed investors take 15-20%. The main difference is traction expectations - pre-seed funds pure potential, seed funds early proof. If you have $10K+ MRR or 50K+ MAU, you're raising seed not pre-seed regardless of round size.