13 venture capital firms endorsing Oakland companies in 2026

Oakland sits 8 miles from San Francisco but operates with different values. The East Bay city specializes in impact investing, social justice tech, and underrepresented founders with 30-40% lower costs than SF. Over 350 active startups worth $12B. Kapor Capital leads with 178+ portfolio companies, 62% underrepresented founders.

Quick list

Why Oakland for fundraising

Oakland fundraising centers on impact and inclusion. Kapor Capital pioneered this with 178+ portfolio companies where 62% of founders are underrepresented people of color and/or women. The firm invests exclusively in companies closing gaps of access and economic opportunity. This isn't virtue signaling - Kapor's portfolio includes Uber, Twilio, and Omada with 4 unicorns, 6 IPOs, and 66 acquisitions.

Social impact drives deals here. Better Ventures backs mission-driven founders solving problems in education, health, and sustainability. Radicle Impact Partners focuses on social justice, environmental resilience, and economic sustainability. Impact America Fund invests specifically in people of color founders. If you're building to address inequality or environmental challenges, Oakland investors understand your mission better than Sand Hill Road.

Cost advantages matter. Oakland's 30-40% lower costs than San Francisco mean your $1.5M seed goes twice as far. Engineer salaries run $90K-$130K vs $150K+ in SF. Office space in Uptown Oakland costs 40% less than SoMa. The city's 350+ active startups worth $12B prove you can scale here.

BART accessibility helps. Downtown Oakland is 12 minutes from Montgomery Street station in SF. You can pitch Bay Area investors while maintaining Oakland cost structure. Fivetran (Oakland-based, Y Combinator) and Pandora ($3.5B exit to SiriusXM) proved major outcomes happen here.

The challenge is investor concentration. Kapor Capital dominates Oakland's early-stage ecosystem. Beyond Kapor, Better Ventures, and Powerhouse, you're raising from SF investors who view Oakland as part of the broader Bay Area. There's no distinct "Oakland VC scene" - it's integrated with SF.

Later-stage capital requires leaving Oakland. Kapor invests seed with average $2.44M rounds. Better Ventures and Powerhouse focus early-stage. For Series B+ rounds above $15M, you're pitching Sequoia, Accel, or other Sand Hill Road firms who don't distinguish between Oakland and SF startups.

Picking the right Oakland investor

Mission alignment: Kapor Capital invests exclusively in companies closing gaps of access and economic opportunity for low-income communities and communities of color. Better Ventures backs mission-driven founders. Radicle Impact Partners requires social justice or environmental focus. If you're building a standard B2B SaaS tool without social impact angle, pitch SF investors instead.

Founder diversity matters: 62% of Kapor's founders are underrepresented people of color and/or women. Impact America Fund invests specifically in founders of color. Authentic Ventures focuses on women and minority founders. Oakland investors explicitly prioritize diverse founding teams over traditional pedigree.

Sector specialization: Kapor invests across education, finance, health, work, and justice sectors. Powerhouse Ventures specializes in cleantech and climate solutions. Congruent Ventures addresses sustainability challenges. Better Ventures focuses on education, health, sustainability. Your sector needs social impact angle to fit Oakland investors.

Check sizes realistic: Kapor's seed average is $2.44M, Series A $8.07M. Powerhouse writes $500K-$2M. Radicle provides $250K-$1M. Congruent invests $100K-$2M. These are 30-50% below SF averages but your costs are 40% lower in Oakland.

Values integration expected: Kapor created the Founders' Commitment requiring portfolio companies to establish diversity goals, invest in bias mitigation, volunteer with underrepresented communities, and participate in D&I sessions. Oakland investors expect values embedded in operations, not just pitch decks.

Communication approach: Upload to Ellty and share with Oakland investors emphasizing social impact metrics alongside financial projections. Kapor reviews how you're closing access gaps. Better Ventures evaluates mission alignment. Include diversity data for your founding team and hiring plans.

Follow-on capacity limited: Kapor has invested in 217 companies with follow-on through Series A (average $8.07M). For Series B+ above $15M, plan to bring in Sand Hill Road firms. Oakland investors help with warm intros to larger SF funds who appreciate the cost-efficient Oakland base.

How to find and approach Oakland investors

Research impact focus: Kapor Capital accepts applications through their website - one of first VCs to openly accept cold applications. Review their portfolio companies like Promise (Jay-Z backed), Planet FWD, Career Karma, Thrive Market to understand what "closing gaps" means practically. Prevent unauthorized screenshots of your confidential presentations or financials.

Attend Oakland ecosystem events: Kapor Center hosts events separate from Kapor Capital. SMASH AI Innovation Challenge happens in Oakland. Impact Hub Oakland connects social entrepreneurs. These events are where Oakland investors actually spend time, not standard SF pitch events.

Leverage diversity programs: Kapor Capital Fellows program provides pathway for individuals underrepresented in venture to enter investing. Apply if you're building connections. SMASH provides STEM education to underrepresented students - involvement signals values alignment.

Share pitch materials: Create Ellty links emphasizing both financial projections and social impact metrics. Oakland investors need to see how you're closing access gaps, not just growing revenue. Include diversity data and community impact plans prominently.

Network through portfolio: Kapor has 178+ portfolio companies. Better Ventures and Radicle each have active portfolios. Connect with Oakland-based founders who raised from these investors. They'll provide warm intros if your mission aligns.

Join accelerators: Y Combinator backs Oakland startups (Fivetran, numerous others). Berkeley SkyDeck serves UC Berkeley and broader region. These programs connect to both Oakland and SF investors.

Prepare values documentation: Use Ellty data rooms to organize not just financials but also diversity metrics, community impact plans, and bias mitigation strategies. Oakland investors expect this documentation upfront, not as afterthought.

Understand timing differences: Kapor moves deliberately to assess mission fit alongside financial potential. Better Ventures evaluates values alignment. Expect 90-120 day close timelines for seed rounds while investors verify your commitment to social impact matches your pitch.

Oakland-specific considerations

Proximity to San Francisco shapes everything. You're 12 minutes via BART from Montgomery Street. Most Oakland founders pitch both Oakland impact investors and SF traditional VCs simultaneously. The cost savings justify Oakland base while maintaining SF access.

Social impact is non-negotiable. Kapor Capital, Better Ventures, Radicle Impact Partners, Impact America Fund all require demonstrable commitment to closing gaps or addressing inequality. If your startup doesn't solve problems for underserved communities, raise in SF instead.

Founder diversity weighs heavily. 62% of Kapor's portfolio founders are underrepresented people of color and/or women. Oakland investors explicitly prioritize diverse founding teams. Your Stanford/Harvard pedigree matters less here than lived experience with the problem you're solving.

Values must be operational. Kapor's Founders' Commitment requires portfolio companies to set D&I goals, invest in bias mitigation training, organize volunteer opportunities, and participate in inclusion sessions. Oakland investors verify values through actions, not statements.

Tech sector concentration exists. Oakland's 350+ startups worth $12B cluster in fintech (20%), AI (25%), and sustainable tech (15%). Promise ($50M+ raised, Jay-Z backed), Fivetran (YC, Oakland HQ), and Lenme show fintech strength. Adjust expectations if you're outside these sectors.

Corporate VC limited. Unlike SF with Google Ventures or Peninsula with corporate arms, Oakland has Kaiser Permanente Ventures (healthcare focus) but limited other corporate capital. Most funding comes from mission-aligned independent VCs.

13 top investors in Oakland

1. Kapor Capital

Founded 1999, 178+ portfolio companies, 62% underrepresented founders, $106M+ invested, 4 unicorns/6 IPOs/66 acquisitions.

• Recent Deals: Parento seed (Sept 2025), Bloomlife $12.9M Series A (2025), Shifted Energy exit (Oct 2025), Uber, Twilio, Omada (unicorns), Promise $50M+ (Jay-Z backed), Career Karma, Planet FWD, Thrive Market
• LinkedIn: Mitch Kapor, Founding Partner | Brian Dixon, Managing Partner
• Sector Focus: Education, Finance, Health, Work, Justice, Food, Media, Retail (closing access gaps)
• Stage Focus: Seed (avg $2.44M), Series A (avg $8.07M), Series B (avg $15.8M)
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: kaporcapital.com

2. Better Ventures

Mission-driven early-stage VC backing founders solving problems in education, health, sustainability.

• Recent Deals: Education, health, sustainability mission-driven startups
• LinkedIn: Better Ventures
• Sector Focus: Education, Health, Sustainability (mission-driven)
• Stage Focus: Seed, Early-Stage
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: betterventures.vc

3. Powerhouse Ventures

Cleantech and climate innovation investor, $500K-$2M checks, seed-stage focus.

• Recent Deals: Clean tech seed-stage startups, climate solutions
• LinkedIn: Powerhouse Ventures
• Sector Focus: Cleantech, Climate Solutions, Energy
• Stage Focus: Seed ($500K-$2M)
• Office Location: Oakland, CA (also Virginia and other locations)
• Website: powerhouse.vc

4. Authentic Ventures

Early-stage VC partnering with founders, operators, investors focused on women and minority founders.

• Recent Deals: Women and minority-led startups solving social problems
• LinkedIn: Authentic Ventures
• Sector Focus: Various (women and minority founder focus)
• Stage Focus: Early-Stage
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: authenticventures.com

5. Radicle Impact Partners

Impact venture fund focused on social justice, environmental resilience, economic sustainability, $250K-$1M checks.

• Recent Deals: Social justice, environmental, economic sustainability investments
• LinkedIn: Radicle Impact Partners
• Sector Focus: Social Justice, Environmental Resilience, Economic Sustainability
• Stage Focus: Early to Growth ($250K-$1M)
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: radicleimpact.com

6. Impact America Fund

Investing in people of color founders creating agency and participation in American economy.

• Recent Deals: People of color founders across sectors building economic opportunity
• LinkedIn: Impact America Fund
• Sector Focus: Various (founders of color focus)
• Stage Focus: Early-Stage
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: Contact through Oakland ecosystem

7. Congruent Ventures

Early-stage sustainability investor addressing climate challenges, $100K-$2M checks.

• Recent Deals: Hardware, software, enterprise sustainability companies
• LinkedIn: Congruent Ventures
• Sector Focus: Sustainability, Climate, Hardware, Software, Enterprise
• Stage Focus: Early-Stage ($100K-$2M)
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: congruentventures.com

8. Intercept Ventures

Early-stage Madison-focused investor in cloud, data, fintech, mobility, security across US.

• Recent Deals: Cloud, data, fintech, mobility, security technology startups
• LinkedIn: Intercept Ventures
• Sector Focus: Cloud, Data, Fintech, Mobility, Security
• Stage Focus: Early-Stage
• Office Location: Oakland, CA (focuses on Madison but invests nationally)
• Website: interceptventures.com

9. Piedmont Partners Group Ventures

Private equity partnering with transformational business leaders for long-term value creation.

• Recent Deals: Transformational business leaders with unique sector insights
• LinkedIn: Piedmont Partners Group Ventures
• Sector Focus: Various (transformational focus)
• Stage Focus: Growth, Private Equity
• Office Location: Oakland, CA
• Website: Contact through Oakland network

10. Illuminate Ventures

B2B enterprise software specialist for Series A/B rounds.

• Recent Deals: B2B enterprise software companies at growth stage
• LinkedIn: Illuminate Ventures
• Sector Focus: B2B Software, Enterprise Software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Menlo Park, CA (active in Oakland/East Bay)
• Website: illuminate.com

11. devlabs

Multi-sector early-stage investor supporting founder growth and development.

• Recent Deals: Various early-stage technology companies
• LinkedIn: devlabs
• Sector Focus: Various Technology Sectors
• Stage Focus: Early-Stage
• Office Location: Active in Oakland/Bay Area
• Website: Contact through ecosystem

12. Creative Ventures

Deep tech humanizer focused on frontier technology with human-centered approach, $1M-$3M checks.

• Recent Deals: Deep tech, humanized technology, frontier innovations
• LinkedIn: Creative Ventures
• Sector Focus: Deep Tech, Frontier Technology
• Stage Focus: Seed, Early-Stage ($1M-$3M)
• Office Location: San Francisco, CA (active in Oakland)
• Website: creative.vc

13. 1517 Fund

Pre-seed and seed investor backing young founders who skip or drop out of college.

• Recent Deals: Young founders outside traditional education paths, often technical focus
• LinkedIn: 1517 Fund
• Sector Focus: Various (young founder focus)
• Stage Focus: Pre-Seed, Seed
• Office Location: San Francisco, CA (invests in Oakland startups)
• Website: 1517fund.com

Start tracking your Oakland investor outreach

These 13 investors are active in Oakland and the East Bay in 2025-2026. Oakland's impact-focused ecosystem differs from traditional SF fundraising.

Upload your deck to Ellty before applying to Kapor Capital through their website. Include slides on social impact metrics, not just revenue growth. Track which investors engage with your diversity data and community impact plans.

When Kapor, Better Ventures, or Radicle request more information, share Ellty data rooms with D&I documentation, bias mitigation plans, and community engagement strategies alongside financials. Oakland investors expect values embedded in operations.

For Oakland-based startups raising from SF investors, use Ellty to track pitch engagement from both impact-focused Oakland VCs and traditional Sand Hill Road firms. Your 30-40% cost advantage is a selling point for both.

Common questions

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

Bay Area location helps significantly. Kapor Capital invests throughout the US but prefers proximity to Oakland for hands-on support. Better Ventures and Powerhouse consider national companies but value Oakland ecosystem integration. If you're outside Oakland, demonstrate commitment to the city's impact-driven community or explain why remote works for your mission. Most importantly, prove you're closing access gaps for underserved communities regardless of geography.

How does Oakland compare to San Francisco for fundraising?

Oakland has dramatically less capital but explicitly prioritizes social impact and founder diversity. Kapor Capital is Oakland's dominant seed investor with $2.44M average rounds vs $3M-$5M typical SF seeds. Oakland's advantage is 30-40% lower costs and investors who deeply understand impact businesses. Pandora ($3.5B to SiriusXM), Fivetran (YC, Oakland HQ), and Promise ($50M+ raised) proved major outcomes happen here. For pure profit-focused B2B SaaS, raise in SF. For mission-driven companies, Oakland investors are superior partners.

What's the average seed round size in Oakland?

$1.5M-$2.5M for seed rounds. Kapor Capital's seed average is $2.44M. Powerhouse writes $500K-$2M. Better Ventures and Authentic Ventures similar ranges. These are 30-50% below SF averages but Oakland's 40% lower operating costs mean your money lasts longer. Expect Oakland investors to focus on capital efficiency and mission accomplishment over growth-at-all-costs.

Should I raise locally or go to Silicon Valley?

If you're building to close access gaps for underserved communities, raise from Kapor Capital first. They're superior partners for mission-driven companies compared to traditional SF VCs. If you're building standard B2B SaaS without social impact angle, pitch SF investors directly. Most successful path: seed from Oakland impact investors, Series A from mix of Oakland and SF, Series B from Sand Hill Road firms who value your cost-efficient Oakland base.

Do Oakland investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for Kapor Capital who values hands-on relationships with portfolio companies. Oakland is 12 minutes via BART from SF, so in-person meetings are expected. Kapor hosts events at Kapor Center. Better Ventures and Powerhouse expect face-to-face for building trust. The city's smaller ecosystem means relationships matter more than in SF where deals happen quickly. Plan quarterly in-person visits if you're not Oakland-based.

What industries get funded most in Oakland?

Fintech (20%), AI (25%), and sustainable tech (15%) dominate Oakland's $12B startup ecosystem. Kapor's portfolio spans education tech (Newsela), fintech (Promise, Penny Finance), workforce development (Career Karma), consumer (Thrive Market), and justice tech. Better Ventures backs education and health. Powerhouse focuses exclusively on cleantech. All must have social impact angle - pure profit plays without mission don't fit Oakland investor thesis.

How long does it take to close a round in Oakland?

90-120 days from first meeting to term sheet for seed rounds. Oakland investors move deliberately to assess mission alignment alongside financial potential. Kapor evaluates whether you're genuinely closing access gaps versus using impact as marketing. Better Ventures verifies commitment to sustainability or education mission. This is slower than SF's 60-75 day typical timeline but Oakland investors become deeply engaged partners. Plan 6+ months runway before starting fundraising to allow time for mission verification.