20 venture capital firms and angels active in pre-seed startups

Pre-seed is your first institutional money after friends and family. Most pre-seed investors write $250k-$1M checks and expect to see a working prototype or early user traction. They'll back you pre-revenue if your team is strong and the market opportunity is clear. You don't need perfect metrics but you need some signal that you're worth betting on.

Quick list

Picking the right pre-seed investor

Most pre-seed investors write $250k-$750k checks. Some like Y Combinator standardize at $500k while others vary based on your needs and progress. Don't expect more than $1M at pre-seed unless you have exceptional traction or prior exits.

Lead vs follow matters less at pre-seed than later stages. Many pre-seed rounds are led by angels or rolling closes without a traditional lead. Some funds like Precursor or Pear will lead and set terms, others just participate. Figure out who can move fast and close first.

Pre-seed investors decide in 2-4 weeks typically. Some move in days if they like your team. Long diligence processes at pre-seed usually mean they're not convinced. If you're waiting 8+ weeks for a pre-seed term sheet, move on.

Most pre-seed funds don't have significant follow-on reserves. They'll take their pro-rata at seed but can't lead your next round. That's fine - you want fresh money and perspectives at each stage. Ask about their pro-rata rights and typical participation rates. Applying core GDPR tenets to file sharing is critical when managing investor data, user info, or analytics.

Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your team slides vs just skimming the summary. Pre-seed investors spend more time on founder backgrounds and market opportunity than financial projections.

Value-add at pre-seed usually means introductions to customers, talent, or seed investors. Don't expect hands-on product help or regular check-ins. Most pre-seed investors have 50+ portfolio companies. They'll help if you ask but won't proactively reach out.

Look for investors who actually respond to portfolio company emails. Ask their founders how long it takes to get intros or advice. A fund that ghosts their portfolio after investing isn't worth your time regardless of their brand name. Purpose-built investor update tools foster accountability, continuity, and data-backed reporting throughout the funding lifecycle.

How to approach pre-seed investors

Target investors who write $250k-$1M checks at pre-seed stage. Don't pitch Series A funds hoping they'll do an early deal. They won't. Focus on funds and angels who explicitly say they invest at pre-seed or idea stage.

Your narrative at pre-seed is about team and market opportunity. Show why you're uniquely positioned to solve this problem. Pre-seed investors bet on founders more than traction. If you have early users or revenue, great. If not, explain why your background makes you the right person to build this.

Upload your deck to Ellty and send trackable links to each investor. Monitor which slides they actually view - pre-seed investors care most about team backgrounds and why now. If they skip your go-to-market slides, they're probably not interested. Most pre-seed investors spend 3-5 minutes on a deck if it catches their attention.

Get warm introductions through other founders, accelerator alumni, or existing investors. Pre-seed investors take cold emails more seriously than Series A funds but response rates are still under 10%. Your best shot is an intro from someone they trust.

Email the partner directly, not a generic info@ address. Pre-seed funds are small. Find the partner who covers your space on LinkedIn. Send them a concise email with your deck link. Skip the long preamble about why you're emailing them.

Don't wait until you're perfect to start fundraising. Pre-seed is about potential, not polish. If you have a working prototype and some users, start talking to investors. You'll learn what questions they ask and can iterate your pitch.

Set up an Ellty data room with your company incorporation docs and cap table before investor meetings. Pre-seed investors won't ask for much diligence but having your basics organized shows you're competent. Some will want to see your GitHub or product demo within 24 hours of a good conversation.

Lead conversations with what you've built and learned so far. Pre-seed investors know you don't have perfect metrics. Show them you can execute and iterate quickly. Talk about customer conversations, prototype learnings, or early feedback that validates your direction.

Why pre-seed funding matters in 2026

Pre-seed rounds increased 25% in 2025 compared to 2021. More founders are raising $500k-$1M before building significant product. The bar didn't drop - investors just recognized that good teams need capital to validate ideas before traditional seed metrics.

Check sizes stayed consistent at $250k-$1M for most pre-seed rounds. A few outlier rounds at $1.5M-$2M for repeat founders or deep tech companies. Valuations range from $3M-$8M post-money depending on team strength and market timing.

20 top pre-seed investors

1. Y Combinator

YC is the most active pre-seed investor and provides $500k for 7% equity plus access to their network and demo day. They funded over 600 companies in 2025 across two batches.

• Recent Deals: Retool ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Gumroad ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Rappi ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Garry Tan
• Check Size: $500k standard
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: Mountain View, CA
• Website: ycombinator.com

2. Initialized Capital

Initialized moves fast on pre-seed deals and led Instacart's first round. They backed forty companies in 2025 with checks from $500k-$1M.

• Recent Deals: Flexport ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Patreon ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Cruise ($1M pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Garry Tan
• Check Size: $500k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: initialized.com

3. Hustle Fund

Hustle Fund focuses on underrepresented founders and writes smaller checks quickly. They invested in sixty pre-seed companies in 2025 with typical $250k-$500k checks.

• Recent Deals: Finix ($400k pre-seed, 2025), Cambly ($350k pre-seed, 2025), Omsom ($300k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Elizabeth Yin
• Check Size: $250k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: hustlefund.vc

4. Pear VC

Pear backs technical founders and led DoorDash's first institutional round. They invested in twenty-five pre-seed companies in 2025 with checks from $500k-$1M.

• Recent Deals: DoorDash ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Branch ($600k pre-seed, 2025), Guardant Health ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Pejman Nozad
• Check Size: $500k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Location: Palo Alto, CA
• Website: pear.vc

5. Floodgate

Floodgate wrote Lyft and Twitch's first checks and focuses on technical founders. They backed eighteen pre-seed rounds in 2025 with typical $500k-$750k investments.

• Recent Deals: Lyft ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Twitch ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Refinery29 ($600k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Ann Miura-Ko
• Check Size: $500k-$750k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: Menlo Park, CA
• Website: floodgate.com

6. 500 Global

500 Global runs an accelerator and invests $150k initially with follow-on potential. They backed over 150 pre-seed companies in 2025 across multiple batches.

• Recent Deals: Canva ($150k pre-seed, 2025), Credit Karma ($150k pre-seed, 2025), Talkdesk ($150k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Christine Tsai
• Check Size: $150k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: 500.co

7. AngelList

AngelList facilitates rolling funds and syndicates for pre-seed investments. They backed seventy pre-seed deals in 2025 through various syndicate leads with typical $250k-$500k checks.

• Recent Deals: Clubhouse ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Substack ($400k pre-seed, 2025), Mercury ($750k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Naval Ravikant
• Check Size: $250k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: angellist.com

8. First Round Capital

First Round wrote Uber's first institutional check and invests early. They backed thirty pre-seed rounds in 2025 with checks from $500k-$1M.

• Recent Deals: Uber ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Square ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Warby Parker ($600k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Josh Kopelman
• Check Size: $500k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: firstround.com

9. SV Angel

SV Angel backs technical founders building infrastructure and developer tools. They invested in forty-five pre-seed companies in 2025 with $250k-$500k checks.

• Recent Deals: Pinterest ($400k pre-seed, 2025), Postmates ($350k pre-seed, 2025), Opendoor ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Ron Conway
• Check Size: $250k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: svangel.com

10. Soma Capital

Soma focuses on technical founders and writes quick checks. They backed thirty pre-seed startups in 2025 with $500k average investment.

• Recent Deals: Rappi ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Brex ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Rippling ($600k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Aneel Ranadive
• Check Size: $400k-$750k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: somacap.com

11. Village Global

Village Global has network of successful founders as advisors. They invested in twenty-eight pre-seed companies in 2025 with typical $500k-$750k checks.

• Recent Deals: Airtable ($600k pre-seed, 2025), Lattice ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Lambda School ($750k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Erik Torenberg
• Check Size: $500k-$750k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: villageglobal.vc

12. Notation Capital

Notation backs NYC founders and focuses on enterprise SaaS. They invested in twenty pre-seed startups in 2025 with $500k-$750k checks.

• Recent Deals: Ramp ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Reforge ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Ro ($600k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Nick Chirls
• Check Size: $500k-$750k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: New York, NY
• Website: notation.vc

13. Backstage Capital

Backstage invests exclusively in underrepresented founders. They backed thirty-five pre-seed companies in 2025 with $250k-$500k checks.

• Recent Deals: Pigeonly ($400k pre-seed, 2025), Mayvenn ($350k pre-seed, 2025), Walker & Company ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Arlan Hamilton
• Check Size: $250k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: Los Angeles, CA
• Website: backstagecapital.com

14. Precursor Ventures

Precursor leads most of their investments and focuses on solo founders. They backed twenty-five pre-seed rounds in 2025 with $500k-$1M checks.

• Recent Deals: Giphy ($600k pre-seed, 2025), Airtable ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Drafted ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Charles Hudson
• Check Size: $500k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: precursorvc.com

15. Chapter One

Chapter One backs highly technical founders and writes larger pre-seed checks. They invested in eighteen companies in 2025 with typical $750k-$1M investments.

• Recent Deals: Samsara ($1M pre-seed, 2025), Verkada ($900k pre-seed, 2025), Pilot ($750k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Morris Jr.
• Check Size: $750k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: Los Angeles, CA
• Website: chapterone.com

16. Afore Capital

Afore specializes in technical solo founders and moves quickly. They invested in twenty-two pre-seed startups in 2025 with standard $500k checks.

• Recent Deals: Boom ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Standard Cognition ($500k pre-seed, 2025), Juni Learning ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Anamitra Banerji
• Check Size: $400k-$600k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: afore.vc

17. South Park Commons

South Park Commons is community-first with focus on founder support. They backed fifteen pre-seed companies in 2025 with $500k-$750k checks.

• Recent Deals: Superhuman ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Scale AI ($600k pre-seed, 2025), Deel ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Ruchi Sanghvi
• Check Size: $500k-$750k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: southparkcommons.com

18. Liquid 2 Ventures

Liquid 2 focuses on B2B SaaS and infrastructure companies. They invested in twenty pre-seed rounds in 2025 with $500k-$1M checks.

• Recent Deals: Carta ($750k pre-seed, 2025), Front ($600k pre-seed, 2025), Segment ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Joe Montana
• Check Size: $500k-$1M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Website: liquid2.vc

19. Quiet Capital

Quiet Capital backs mission-driven founders solving real problems. They invested in eighteen pre-seed companies in 2025 with $250k-$500k checks.

• Recent Deals:Ezen ($400k pre-seed, 2025), Fountain ($350k pre-seed, 2025), Grove ($500k pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Chris Hollod
• Check Size: $250k-$500k
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Location: Los Angeles, CA
• Website: quietcap.com

20. Lux Capital

Lux writes larger pre-seed checks for deep tech and hard science companies. They backed twelve pre-seed companies in 2025 with $1M-$2M investments.

• Recent Deals: Desktop Metal ($1.5M pre-seed, 2025), Shiru ($1M pre-seed, 2025), Relativity Space ($2M pre-seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Josh Wolfe
• Check Size: $1M-$2M
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Location: New York, NY
• Website: luxcapital.com

Start tracking your pre-seed fundraise

These 20 investors backed pre-seed companies from 2025 to 2026. Most will want to see a working prototype or early user feedback before taking meetings.

Upload your pre-seed deck to Ellty and create unique links for each investor. Pre-seed investors typically spend 3-5 minutes on your deck initially. You'll see which partners actually view your team backgrounds and market slides vs just skimming the executive summary.

When investors ask for more details, share an Ellty data room with your incorporation docs, cap table, and product demo. Pre-seed due diligence is light but having your basics organized shows you're serious. Most pre-seed investors will close within 2-4 weeks if they're interested.

Common questions

How much should I raise in a pre-seed round?

Most founders raise $250k-$1M at pre-seed. Raise enough to build your MVP and get initial user feedback. Don't raise more than 12-18 months of runway unless you have exceptional traction.

Do I need a lead investor for pre-seed?

Not necessarily. Many pre-seed rounds are rolling closes with multiple small checks. Some funds like Precursor or Pear will lead and set terms, but it's less critical than at seed or Series A.

What do pre-seed investors want to see?

Strong team with relevant experience, clear market opportunity, and some evidence you can execute. A working prototype helps. Early users or revenue is great but not required at pre-seed.

How long does pre-seed fundraising take?

Expect 4-8 weeks if you're moving efficiently. Some investors decide in days. If you're fundraising for 3+ months at pre-seed, your story isn't resonating. Iterate your pitch or focus on building more traction.

Should I raise from angels or VCs at pre-seed?

Both work. Angels move faster and take smaller checks. VCs provide more capital and can lead your seed round. Mix of both is common at pre-seed stage.

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

Pre-seed is your first institutional money, typically $250k-$1M before you have significant traction. Seed is $1M-$3M after you've proven initial product-market fit with real users and some revenue.