If you are raising a pre-seed round, focus your outreach on venture capital firms, accelerators, and early-stage investors that actively back companies at your specific stage. Pre-seed funding can come from dedicated pre-seed VC funds, multi-stage venture firms, accelerator programs, and angel investors. Each option differs in check size, sector focus, ownership expectations, decision-making process, and the level of support offered after an investment.
This founder’s directory highlights active pre-seed investors relevant to U.S.-based venture-backed startups, including their investment focus areas, publicly disclosed check sizes or program terms, and key considerations before you pitch.
Because investor strategies, check sizes, and program terms change frequently, founders should confirm each firm’s current criteria directly before fundraising. The goal is to identify investors whose stage, investment model, and operating support align with the capital you need to reach your next fundable milestone.
Last reviewed: August 2026.
Pre-Seed Investor Directory
| Fund or program | Focus areas | Published check size or terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precursor Ventures | Broad early-stage investing; pre-seed and seed | Up to $500K | Precursor says it typically invests up to $500K in pre-seed and seed rounds and aims to be meaningful while leaving room for syndication. |
| Pear VC | AI, enterprise software, healthcare, deep tech, consumer and other mission-driven companies | $250K–$6M firm-wide; PearX: $500K–$2M | Pear states that its early checks range from $250K to $6M. PearX, its 12-week pre-seed accelerator, currently lists $500K–$2M per company. |
| First Round | Technology companies across sectors, including enterprise, consumer, healthcare and financial technology | $3.5M average initial investment | First Round reports an average initial investment of $3.5M, with historical investments ranging from $100K to $20M. It may be a fit for certain pre-seed companies, but founders should not assume a small standard check. |
| Hustle Fund | Early-stage technology startups; broad sector approach | $150K first check | Hustle Fund says it is comfortable being the first check and setting terms, but its $150K initial check generally will not represent the majority of a round. |
| NFX | Network effects, marketplaces, fintech, software and other technology businesses | Not publicly disclosed | NFX is a relevant early-stage firm, but a current standard direct-investment check size was not publicly disclosed in the reviewed materials. Its historical scout program described checks of roughly $75K–$200K, which should not be used as the firm’s current direct-investment range. |
| Afore Capital | Pre-traction software companies across industries | $500K–$2M+ | Afore describes itself as a $500M pre-seed fund investing $500K–$2M+ in companies before meaningful traction. Separate founder-in-residence and special programs may use different check amounts. |
| Forum Ventures | B2B software, AI and SaaS | Accelerator: $100K for 7.5%; fund: up to $1M | Forum’s 16-week accelerator invests $100K for 7.5% on a standard post-money SAFE. It also advertises separate pre-seed-fund support of up to $1M. |
| Haystack | Early-stage technology startups; often software, AI and consumer technology | Not publicly disclosed | Haystack’s current public materials do not provide a standard check-size range. Founders should confirm fit, ownership expectations, and round participation directly. |
| Founder Collective | Seed-stage technology companies across sectors | Not publicly disclosed | Founder Collective says it intentionally keeps fund sizes below $100M. It has referenced successful sub-$1M and sub-$500K investments, but does not publish a standard current check-size range. |
| Notation Capital | Early-stage software and technology companies | Not publicly disclosed | Notation is an early-stage investor, but its public materials do not support a standardized $100K–$500K range. The firm has described a $2M round as its largest check to date. |
| boldstart | Enterprise software, AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, developer tools and physical AI | $500K–$10M | boldstart reported initial check sizes of $500K–$10M across its Discovery, Classic and Jumbo Inception rounds in its 2025 recap. Its range is wider and often later than a conventional micro-pre-seed check. |
| Village Global | Sector-agnostic early-stage technology companies | $500K–$3M | Village Global says it can lead or participate in pre-seed and seed rounds with typical checks of $500K–$3M. Its Velocity program is designed for pre-seed founders and may invest up to $1M. |
| SOSV | Deep tech, climate, health, biology, industrial technology and hardware | Up to $550K | SOSV typically begins at pre-seed through its HAX and IndieBio development programs. It says its average check is $550K and that it generally seeks ownership above 10%. |
| 2048 Ventures | Vertical AI, deep tech, health and biotech | $500K–$3M | 2048 says it leads pre-seed and seed rounds with $500K–$3M checks. Its Pre-Seed Fast Track offers $250K–$750K checks for qualifying $500K–$1.5M pre-seed rounds. |
| Sequoia Arc | Pre-seed and seed companies across sectors | Company-specific; not publicly standardized | Arc is Sequoia’s biannual open call and connection pathway for pre-seed and seed founders, not a scout program with published fixed terms. Sequoia says each early-stage partnership has company-specific terms. |
| Antler | Inception-stage companies across AI, enterprise SaaS, consumer, fintech, climate, deep tech and health | U.S. initial commitment: $500K–$1M | Antler’s U.S. program says it typically makes $500K–$1M initial commitments, plus partner credits. Its global network and terms vary by country and program, so U.S. terms should not be applied universally. |
| Y Combinator | Companies across industries and stages, including pre-launch companies | $500K total | YC says it invests $500K four times per year. Its standard deal is $125K for 7% on a post-money SAFE plus $375K on an uncapped MFN SAFE. |
| Betaworks | AI, media, consumer internet, social products and emerging technology | $250K–$750K | Betaworks describes itself as a product-focused seed fund investing at pre-seed and seed, with typical check sizes of $250K–$750K. |
| Right Side Capital Management | Capital-efficient U.S. and Canadian technology startups, particularly B2B SaaS | $150K–$300K | RSCM targets companies generally raising $150K–$500K at $1.5M–$4M valuations, often with $5K–$30K+ in monthly recurring revenue. It calls this category “Pre-VC.” |
| K9 Ventures | Early-stage technology, including AI, developer tools and enterprise software | Not publicly disclosed | K9 is relevant for early technical teams, but its current public materials did not provide a standardized check-size range. |
| Launch Capital | Early-stage technology companies | Not publicly disclosed | Launch Capital should be researched based on sector, stage, and partner fit. A current public standard check-size range was not provided. |
| Initialized Capital | Early-stage technology companies across software, AI, consumer and other categories | Not publicly disclosed | Initialized remains a significant early-stage firm, but its current public materials did not provide a standard initial-check range. |
| Susa Ventures | Enterprise software, fintech, healthcare, data and AI | Not publicly disclosed | Susa invests in early-stage companies, but a current first-party standard check-size range was not located in the reviewed materials. |
What “Pre-Seed” Means Now
Pre-seed is not a standardized legal or financial category. One investor may use the label for a $250K SAFE round led by angels, while another may use it for a $1M–$3M institutional round with a lead investor. The amount you should raise depends on the capital required to achieve a specific, credible next milestone – not on a generic market benchmark.
For a software company, that milestone might be a launched product, design partners, early retention data, or the first repeatable customer-acquisition signal. For deep tech, biotech, hardware, or regulated fintech, it could involve technical validation, regulatory planning, intellectual-property work, a prototype, or early pilot data.
As a practical starting point, founders should build an operating plan that answers four questions:
- What milestones will make the next round fundable?
- How much time and money will it take to reach those milestones?
- What financing instrument and valuation framework best fit the company’s stage?
- How will the round affect founder ownership, the option pool, and future fundraising flexibility?
This is why a complete pre-seed financing plan should include a realistic budget, monthly cash-burn forecast, cap-table model, and financing scenarios before founders begin taking investor meetings.
Why Work With a Dedicated Pre-Seed Investor?
A good pre-seed investor can contribute more than capital, but the value depends on the specific firm and partner. Founders should assess an investor’s actual operating style, portfolio concentration, and willingness to support the company between rounds.
1. A lead can provide a financing framework
A lead investor may help establish the financing structure, including the SAFE valuation cap, discount, MFN provisions, allocations, and closing process. This can help prospective investors evaluate the opportunity within a clear set of terms.
A SAFE round does not necessarily “price” the company in the same way as a preferred-stock equity financing. A SAFE may include a valuation cap or discount, but the conversion price is typically determined later by the instrument’s terms and a subsequent equity financing.
2. Early-stage investors can help prepare for later fundraising
The right investor may help founders clarify milestones, prepare fundraising materials, make relevant introductions, and build habits that later-stage investors expect. These often include consistent board or investor updates, an accurate cap table, credible financial reporting, and a cash plan tied to operating milestones.
For more on investor communications, see Kruze Consulting’s startup investor update template. For cap-table planning, see how to structure a cap table between founders.
3. Investor support can improve operating leverage
An engaged firm may be able to introduce founders to prospective customers, senior hires, domain experts, later-stage investors, or other portfolio founders. However, founders should validate this in diligence rather than relying on brand alone.
Questions to ask a potential lead investor include:
- How many new pre-seed investments do you make per year?
- Do you normally lead, co-lead, or follow?
- What ownership percentage do you seek at entry?
- How much capital do you reserve for follow-on rounds?
- Which portfolio founders can describe your support after the check clears?
- Can you help with hiring, customer introductions, or later-stage fundraising?
4. A strong investor relationship may help at the next round
A respected investor’s referral may get a company in front of relevant seed or Series A funds. But an introduction cannot substitute for progress. The most important evidence in a later raise remains the company’s team, market, execution, product traction, customer signal, financial discipline, and ability to use capital efficiently.
Angels, Accelerators, or Funds?
Founders do not need to choose a single source of capital. The right mix depends on the company, its funding needs, the founders’ network, and the value that each investor brings.
| Capital source | Typical role | Best fit | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel investors | Individual checks from founders, operators, executives, or subject-matter experts | Very early validation, flexible syndicates and specialized expertise | Angels may move quickly, but founders need to manage a larger group of stakeholders and maintain clean documentation. |
| Accelerators and incubators | Structured programming, community and an initial investment | First-time founders, teams needing a co-founder network, rapid iteration or fundraising preparation | Terms, time commitment, geography and post-program support vary significantly by accelerator. |
| Dedicated pre-seed funds | Institutional capital and hands-on support before or soon after product launch | Companies seeking a lead investor, formal fundraising process and a path to seed financing | Confirm ownership targets, reserves, portfolio concentration, check size and whether the investor leads. |
| Multi-stage early investors | Larger early checks and longer-term support from firms that invest beyond seed | Exceptional teams, capital-intensive markets and companies with unusually large early financing needs | A larger check can create pressure to grow into a larger financing narrative earlier than planned. |
A well-constructed pre-seed round may include a lead investor, several relevant angels, and, where appropriate, an accelerator investment. It may also be entirely angel-led or fund-led. The goal is not to accumulate logos. It’s to bring in enough capital and the right partners to reach a specific value-creating milestone without taking on unnecessary dilution or a misaligned investor base.
Build Financial Readiness Before Raising
Fundraising diligence becomes materially easier when founders can answer basic financial questions quickly and consistently. Before launching a pre-seed process, consider preparing:
- A monthly operating plan showing runway, burn and key hiring assumptions
- A clear use-of-funds plan tied to product, hiring, customer, compliance or technical milestones
- An up-to-date cap table that includes founders, SAFEs, convertible notes, option grants and the expected impact of new financing
- A forecast with realistic base, upside and downside cases
- Current bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and financial statements
- A plan for tax compliance, payroll, R&D tax credits and state registrations as the company grows
Kruze Consulting helps venture-backed startups manage bookkeeping, tax filings, CFO-level financial reporting, R&D tax-credit work, and finance operations. A reliable finance foundation can help founders understand their runway, communicate with investors confidently, and make more informed decisions as they scale.
For additional context on financing structures, valuation caps, dilution and early-stage fundraising, see Kruze Consulting’s Pre-Seed Funding Guide.
