Essence VC

Essence VC, founded by Timothy Chen in 2019, is a Seattle-based venture capital firm focusing on early-stage investments in deeply technical, first-time founders. The fund primarily targets startups in the infrastructure, enterprise, and developer tools sectors. With a strong emphasis on supporting engineers and technical founders, Essence VC provides critical early-stage funding, with check sizes typically ranging from $100K to $250K, enabling these founders to build transformative technologies. Essence VC's portfolio includes companies like Jasper.ai, Warp.dev, and Flatfile, all of which are making strides in infrastructure and AI. The firm is known for its active, hands-on involvement, guiding startups through technical challenges and helping them scale effectively. Timothy Chen, the managing partner, brings a wealth of experience from his time as an engineer and founder, giving him a unique empathy for the struggles that founders face. Essence VC has raised multiple funds, including a recently closed $27 million Fund III, and continues to focus on supporting innovative infrastructure startups with both financial and strategic backing.