Ault Krug Ventures

Ault Krug Ventures (AK Ventures) is a San Francisco-based pre-seed and seed venture capital firm founded in late 2015 by Joey Krug and J. Henry Ault. The firm invests in early-stage companies — typically before product-market fit — focused on advanced software and hardware applications. Through its AngelList syndicate, AK Ventures has deployed over $3 million with realized returns exceeding 7x, establishing a track record that belies its small fund size. The investment sweet spot is $300,000, with a range from $100,000 to $1 million, directed primarily at software, web3, AI, and fintech companies in the United States. Joey Krug also serves as co-Chief Investment Officer at Pantera Capital, one of the largest digital asset investment firms, bringing deep expertise in cryptocurrency and blockchain to the partnership. Henry Ault co-founded Beam, a payments-focused cryptocurrency, alongside Krug and other collaborators in 2017, giving the firm firsthand operator experience in fintech infrastructure. AK Ventures operates with a hands-on investment philosophy, helping founders clarify vision, direction, and communication while providing practical support in fundraising, selling, hiring, and navigating technical challenges. The dual expertise of its founders — spanning traditional software startups and digital assets — gives the firm a distinctive lens for evaluating companies at the intersection of these converging sectors. The firm's operator-first approach and willingness to engage at the earliest pre-traction stages define its character as an investor.