Series B venture capital firms electrifying Palo Alto companies in 2026

Palo Alto raised $18.4B across 420+ deals in 2025. Series B rounds averaged $52M, higher than anywhere except San Francisco. Most capital went to AI infrastructure, enterprise software, and frontier tech. You won't close a Series B here without Stanford connections or prior Valley investors. Stanford ties and warm intros matter more than your deck.

Quick list

Why Palo Alto for Series B fundraising

Palo Alto is where Series B rounds get competitive. Average check size is $52M compared to $38M nationally. Most firms sit on Sand Hill Road within walking distance of each other. That proximity means faster decisions but also means every other Valley startup is pitching the same partners you are.

Stanford connections dominate deal flow. About 40% of Palo Alto Series B rounds include at least one Stanford-affiliated founder or investor. Y Combinator and StartX alumni get priority meetings. If you don't have those connections, you'll need exceptional traction metrics to break in.

Most Palo Alto Series B investors expect $5-15M ARR for B2B or 2M+ active users for consumer. They want to see Series A investors from recognizable firms. Local investors assume you've already proven product-market fit and now need capital to scale go-to-market.

Picking the right Palo Alto Series B investor

Stanford network effects: Most Palo Alto Series B investors have Stanford connections. Check if they backed Stanford spinouts or have Stanford alumni as partners. That network opens doors to talent, customers, and follow-on capital. If you're not Stanford-affiliated, you'll need stronger metrics or connections through accelerators like Y Combinator or StartX. Nonprofit teams often share information across many stakeholders, where trust matters as much as transparency.

Portfolio overlap with your stage: Many Palo Alto firms do seed through growth. Verify they actually write $20M+ Series B checks, not just $2M Series A checks. Some firms that claim "Series B" haven't led a B round in three years. Check Pitchbook for actual recent Series B deals they've closed.

Check size expectations: Palo Alto Series B rounds average $52M. Firms here expect significant traction before writing those checks. Most want $8-15M ARR for enterprise or 3M+ active users for consumer before they'll lead. Smaller rounds under $30M often go to firms in Mountain View or San Francisco instead. Simple access limits can prevent sensitive files from spreading unintentionally.

Co-investor expectations: Sand Hill Road firms co-invest constantly. Check which other Palo Alto firms appear in their recent deals. If Emergence and Kleiner co-invest frequently, pitching one might get you intros to the other. Upload your deck to Ellty with trackable links before meetings. You'll see which specific investors actually reviewed your materials.

Follow-on capacity: Palo Alto Series B investors usually have $500M+ funds and can lead your Series C. Verify this before taking their money. Some boutique firms can write one $30M check but can't follow-on. That means you'll need to re-raise from new investors in 18 months, which is harder than keeping existing investors engaged.

Sector specialization: Don't pitch a generalist Palo Alto firm if you're building frontier tech. Playground Global does hardware and deep tech. Fusion Fund backs technical founders in industrial and healthcare. Accel and Emergence focus on enterprise SaaS. Match your sector to their actual portfolio, not their marketing site's claims.

How to find and approach Palo Alto Series B investors

Research Sand Hill Road deals: Every major Palo Alto Series B gets covered in TechCrunch or The Information. Track which firms led rounds in your space. Don't rely on firm websites, they're always outdated. Check Pitchbook or Crunchbase for deals closed in the last 12 months.

Leverage Stanford ecosystem: If you're Stanford-affiliated, use it. StartX provides direct access to Sand Hill Road partners. Stanford GSB alumni networks include dozens of Palo Alto VCs. Even if you didn't attend Stanford, find advisors or early investors who did. Those intros work.

Work through Series A investors: Your Series A lead should intro you to Palo Alto Series B funds. If they won't, that's a red flag about your metrics. Most Palo Alto Series B investors expect warm intros from prior investors, not cold outreach. Share your deck with Ellty trackable links after the intro. Partners typically review decks within 48 hours in Palo Alto and you'll know who actually looked.

Attend StrictlyVC and other events: StrictlyVC at Playground Global features Palo Alto partners actually making decisions. It's invite-only but portfolio founders can get you access. Skip the large conferences. Palo Alto partners do more deals from small dinners than from demo days. TechCrunch Disrupt and other San Francisco events work better for earlier stages.

Target partners, not firms: Every Palo Alto firm has 3-8 partners. Research which partner leads deals in your sector. Send the deck to the right partner with a mutual connection. Upload to Ellty first so you can track if they actually opened your materials and which slides they focused on.

Prepare for fast timelines: Palo Alto Series B deals close in 6-10 weeks once you have partner interest. That's faster than NYC or LA. But getting first meetings takes 2-3 months of warm intro building. Set up your Ellty data room before first partner meetings. They'll ask for financials, cap table, and customer references immediately.

Connect through portfolio founders: Every Palo Alto Series B firm lists portfolio companies on their site. Find founders who raised from them in the last 18 months. Most will take a 20-minute call if you're respectful of their time. They'll tell you which partners actually help and which ones vanish after wiring money.

Understand the rhythm: Most Palo Alto firms make Series B decisions at Monday partner meetings. Send materials by Thursday before. Partners review over the weekend. If you don't hear back within a week, you're probably not advancing. Move on to the next firm rather than chasing slow responders. Many compliance issues stem from everyday sharing habits rather than major failures.

Palo Alto Series B considerations

Palo Alto Series B rounds require higher traction than anywhere else. Firms here see 50+ decks weekly and can afford to be selective. They expect you're already growing 10-15% month-over-month with clear path to $50M ARR.

Most Palo Alto Series B investors want proof your Series A round actually worked. They'll ask for detailed metrics on CAC, LTV, gross margins, and net retention. If you're burning $500K+ monthly without hitting growth milestones, they'll pass. Competition for Palo Alto capital means only top-quartile performers get term sheets.

Stanford ecosystem access matters more at Series B than seed. Many Palo Alto investors prioritize Stanford founders or companies with Stanford advisors. That's not gatekeeping, it's risk management. Stanford connections mean easier talent recruitment and customer intros.

Expect 6-10 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. Palo Alto moves faster than East Coast firms but slower than San Francisco. Most deals involve 2-3 partner meetings plus reference calls with your Series A investors and top customers. Set up proper data room infrastructure with Ellty before first meetings. You don't want to be scrambling to organize documents when they request due diligence.

18 best Series B investors in Palo Alto

1. Emergence Capital

One of the most active Series B investors in Palo Alto with a focus on enterprise SaaS and AI infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Genspark Series B ($275M, November 2025), Zoom early rounds (pre-IPO), Salesforce early backing
• LinkedIn: Jason Green
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, AI infrastructure, fintech, vertical software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 525 University Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: emcap.com

2. Accel

Long-established Palo Alto firm with history of backing global enterprise leaders at growth stages.

• Recent Deals: Vercel Series E ($250M, Q3 2025), Atlassian Series B (historical), Facebook Series A (historical)
• LinkedIn: Rich Wong
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, developer tools, cloud infrastructure, marketplace
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: 350 University Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: accel.com

3. Tenaya Capital

Exclusively focused on Series B and C stages for enterprise and consumer technology companies.

• Recent Deals: Coda Series D ($100M, 2025), Discord growth rounds (2024-2025), Palo Alto Networks late-stage (2024)
• LinkedIn: Tom McConnell
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, consumer tech, cloud, SaaS, marketplace, AI
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 2884 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: tenayacapital.com

4. Playground Global

Hardware and deep tech specialist led by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, doubles as engineering studio.

• Recent Deals: xLight Series B ($40M, July 2025), robotics and frontier tech investments
• LinkedIn: Andy Rubin
• Sector Focus: Hardware, deep tech, robotics, aerospace, AI, next-gen computing, decarbonization
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 456 University Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: playground.global

5. Kleiner Perkins

Historic Silicon Valley firm with Series B focus on AI, climate tech, and frontier technologies.

• Recent Deals: Harmonic Series B ($100M, 2025), Zipline Series F ($330M, April 2025), Commonwealth Fusion Series B ($1.8B)
• LinkedIn: Mamoon Hamid
• Sector Focus: AI, climate tech, frontier tech, enterprise software, healthcare
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: 2750 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: kleinerperkins.com

6. Felicis

Known for leading large Series B rounds with strong conviction in technical founders.

• Recent Deals: Mercor Series B ($100M, $2B valuation, 2025), Notion early rounds, Census Series C ($145M)
• LinkedIn: Aydin Senkut
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, AI, developer tools, fintech, marketplace
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2865 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: felicis.com

7. Norwest Venture Partners

Multi-stage investor with 60+ years of experience backing companies from early days through growth.

• Recent Deals: Multiple $30-80M Series B investments across sectors annually
• LinkedIn: Jeff Crowe
• Sector Focus: Healthcare, enterprise software, consumer, fintech, digital health
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, growth, late-stage
• Office Location: 525 University Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: nvp.com

8. CRV

Active in growth-stage enterprise deals with history of leading large Series B and C rounds.

• Recent Deals: Airtable Series F ($735M at $11B valuation), enterprise infrastructure Series B deals
• LinkedIn: George Zachary
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, SaaS, developer tools, cloud infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 2500 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: crv.com

9. Sapphire Ventures

Growth-stage firm providing go-to-market, business development, and capital markets expertise.

• Recent Deals: Multiple $10-50M Series B investments focused on enterprise expansion
• LinkedIn: Jai Das
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, SaaS, security, cloud, fintech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Office Location: 3408 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: sapphireventures.com

10. Sutter Hill Ventures

Deep Palo Alto roots with incubation model that follows portfolio companies through Series B.

• Recent Deals: Snowflake (incubated and backed through IPO), Pure Storage growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Stefan Dyckerhoff
• Sector Focus: Enterprise infrastructure, cloud, data, security, AI
• Stage Focus: Incubation, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: shv.com

11. Foundation Capital

Early-stage focus with Series B follow-on capacity in fintech and enterprise SaaS.

• Recent Deals: Multiple fintech and SaaS Series B rounds, historical successes include Netflix early rounds
• LinkedIn: Paul Koontz
• Sector Focus: Fintech, enterprise SaaS, cloud infrastructure, security
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2950 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: foundationcapital.com

12. Translink Capital

Cross-border specialist helping companies expand to Asia-Pacific markets at Series B stage.

• Recent Deals: Digital health, e-commerce, fintech, and semiconductor Series B investments with Asia expansion
• LinkedIn: Tiago Rodrigues
• Sector Focus: Digital health, e-commerce, blockchain, fintech, gaming, robotics, semiconductors
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2755 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: translinkcapital.com

13. Costanoa Ventures

Hands-on Series A and B investor in enterprise infrastructure with deep operational support.

• Recent Deals: 6sense, Amplify.AI, Quizlet, and other enterprise infrastructure Series B rounds
• LinkedIn: Greg Sands
• Sector Focus: Enterprise infrastructure, data, security, fintech, modern SaaS
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2200 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: costanoavc.com

14. Wing Venture Capital

Enterprise-focused firm investing in technology companies where technology is the primary value driver.

• Recent Deals: Multiple enterprise software Series B investments in cloud and security
• LinkedIn: Peter Wagner
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, AI, security, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 455 Ramona Street, Palo Alto
• Website: wing.vc

15. Fusion Fund

Technical founders building industrial, enterprise, and healthcare companies with data advantages.

• Recent Deals: Multiple early-stage through Series B investments in technical companies
• LinkedIn: Lu Zhang
• Sector Focus: Industrial tech, enterprise software, healthcare, data infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 3000 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: fusion.fund

16. Alloy Ventures

Technology, life sciences, and cleantech investor at growth stages with over $1B deployed.

• Recent Deals: Software, semiconductor, medical device, and diagnostic company Series B investments
• LinkedIn: Robert Chaplinsky
• Sector Focus: Technology, life sciences, cleantech, semiconductors, medical devices
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 2200 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: alloyventures.com

17. Maven Ventures

Consumer software specialist with five unicorn exits across 50 investments, seed through Series B.

• Recent Deals: Consumer software Series B rounds, historical unicorn exits
• LinkedIn: Jim Scheinman
• Sector Focus: Consumer software, marketplace, social, e-commerce
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 473 University Avenue, Palo Alto
• Website: mavenventures.com

18. Morado Ventures

AI, data infrastructure, and robotics investor from seed through Series B stages.

• Recent Deals: AI, data infrastructure, robotics, computer vision, and health tech Series B investments
• LinkedIn: Sarah Deshpande
• Sector Focus: AI, data infrastructure, robotics, computer vision, health, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2590 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto
• Website: moradoventures.com

Start tracking your Palo Alto Series B investor outreach

These 18 investors closed Series B deals in Palo Alto throughout 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Sand Hill Road firms, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Palo Alto investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. Palo Alto-based VCs typically review decks within 48 hours - faster than anywhere except San Francisco - so you'll know quickly who's actually interested.

When Palo Alto Series B investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, customer references, and legal docs in one secure place with view analytics. Most Sand Hill Road firms expect organized data rooms before partner meetings.

Common questions

Do I need Stanford connections to raise Series B in Palo Alto?

Not required but helpful. About 40% of Palo Alto Series B rounds include Stanford-affiliated founders or investors. If you don't have Stanford ties, you'll need stronger metrics or connections through Y Combinator, StartX, or recognizable Series A investors. Warm intros from prior investors work just as well.

How does Palo Alto Series B compare to San Francisco for fundraising?

Palo Alto averages $52M Series B rounds compared to $48M in San Francisco. Palo Alto investors are more selective and expect higher traction. San Francisco has more firms and faster decision timelines. If you're not getting Palo Alto meetings, try San Francisco or Mountain View firms first.

What's the average Series B check size in Palo Alto?

Most Palo Alto Series B rounds are $30-80M with the average around $52M. Firms here write larger checks than most other markets. If you're raising under $25M, look at Mountain View or San Francisco investors instead. Under $15M usually means you're not ready for Palo Alto Series B firms.

Should I raise locally or go straight to multi-stage coastal firms?

If you're already in Palo Alto, leverage local connections first. Many Palo Alto Series B firms can lead your Series C and beyond, so picking the right local investor saves re-raising effort. But if you're based elsewhere, don't relocate just for Series B. Remote deals happen regularly now.

Do Palo Alto Series B investors expect in-person meetings?

Most want at least one in-person meeting before term sheets. Initial meetings happen on Zoom, but serious discussions require visiting Sand Hill Road. Budget for 2-3 trips to Palo Alto during the raise. The close rate for purely remote Series B deals is much lower here than in other markets.

What metrics do Palo Alto Series B investors expect?

Enterprise SaaS: $8-15M ARR, 100%+ net revenue retention, clear path to $50M ARR. Consumer: 3M+ active users, strong engagement metrics, proven monetization. Hardware/deep tech: working product, design partnerships with tier-1 customers, clear manufacturing plan. Anything less and you're not ready for Palo Alto Series B.

How long do Palo Alto Series B raises take?

6-10 weeks from first partner meeting to term sheet if you have warm intros and strong metrics. Add 2-3 months for building those intros if you're starting cold. Most Palo Alto firms make decisions at Monday partner meetings, so time your outreach accordingly. Due diligence takes another 3-4 weeks after term sheet.