Software & Apps VC Funds

Tugboat Ventures is a founder-first, early-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California, formed in 2006 to back bold entrepreneurs from inception through Series A. The firm describes its partners as 'mentor capitalists,' emphasizing a close, supportive relationship with founders across the entire business lifecycle, much like a tugboat guiding ships into open water. Though broadly sector-agnostic and highly selective, Tugboat has concentrated on San Francisco Bay Area companies in information technology, enterprise software-as-a-service, consumer internet, mobility, retail, media and next-generation online advertising, generally as a co-investor. The firm launched its inaugural fund with more than $43 million in commitments from 13 investors and has operated roughly six private funds with under $150 million in total assets under management. Its portfolio spans around 42 companies, weighted toward enterprise applications and retail, with the majority of deals at the incubation-through-Series-A stages. Tugboat was founded by Dave Whorton, a former general partner at TPG Ventures and associate at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers who worked closely with Amazon, Google and SuccessFactors in their earliest days, and who co-founded four companies including Good Technology, sold to Motorola for a reported $500 million, and Drugstore.com. In 2013 Whorton shifted his primary focus to found the Tugboat Institute, a community for 'Evergreen' private companies built to endure independently rather than pursue venture-backed exits, and Tugboat Ventures' new-investment activity has wound down accordingly. The firm's legacy reflects a mentor-driven, founder-first approach to early-stage technology investing.

TurningIdeas Ventures is a venture studio and early-stage investment firm based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, that partners with visionary founders to build and scale breakthrough technology startups through a combination of capital, hands-on mentorship and market access. Rather than acting as a pure financial investor, TurningIdeas operates a startup-studio model: its team of ex-Google and Microsoft professionals provides startup incubation and enterprise innovation consulting, helping companies establish product-market fit, build technology, develop go-to-market strategies and raise follow-on funding, typically in exchange for equity. The firm focuses on early-stage, technology-enabled startups with a primary geographic emphasis on India, while also engaging with select global startups, and it positions itself across a broad range of stages from seed and early stage through Series A, Series B, growth and later rounds, generally as a co-investor. Its portfolio spans technology, IT services, fintech, finance, marketing and advertising. Named investments include IntelliDB Enterprise, an AI-driven database-solutions provider; BidYourStay, an accommodation-booking platform; and Roque Online, an informal-market network supporting financial inclusion in Africa. The firm is led by co-founder and chief mentor Ashish Mittal and runs a compact team of roughly one to ten people. As a relatively small and privately held studio, TurningIdeas does not publicly disclose detailed fund size, cheque ranges or a full portfolio count. By combining a venture-studio build model with capital and senior operating expertise, TurningIdeas Ventures helps technology founders, primarily in India, move from idea to scaled, fundable company.

Tusk Venture Partners is a New York-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage startups navigating highly regulated markets. Founded in 2015 by Bradley Tusk and Jordan Nof, the firm brings a unique edge with its deep expertise in political strategy and regulatory risk, allowing them to guide companies through complex legal landscapes. Their portfolio boasts high-profile investments in companies like Bird, Alto Pharmacy, Ro, and Calm, covering sectors such as digital health, fintech, transportation, and enterprise software. Tusk primarily targets startups at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, often writing checks between $750K and $2M. They are well-known for backing disruptive companies that face regulatory hurdles, such as those in healthcare, insurance, and mobility. Recent exits include Lemonade, Coinbase, and FanDuel, reflecting the firm's strength in taking companies from early-stage to successful outcomes. Tusk's leadership leverages their political consulting background to give founders not just capital but also access to regulatory strategy, making them a sought-after partner for companies in complex industries. Entrepreneurs should approach Tusk with a clear understanding of their regulatory challenges and a focus on markets requiring specialized expertise.

TUZ Ventures is an early-stage technology venture capital fund founded in September 2019 and headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan, with a mission to develop the startup ecosystem across Central Asia and the Caucasus. The firm was established by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, co-founders Fabio Ribeiro and Herve Edongo, with a track record of penetrating untapped frontier markets that were once considered risky, such as Indonesia and Nigeria, and it runs a compact team with partners based in Kyrgyzstan, Japan and other locations. TUZ targets regionally and globally scalable startups in fintech, logistics, artificial intelligence, e-government and blockchain, and it is active across eleven countries spanning the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Armenia, Georgia and Pakistan. Beyond direct investing, with around twenty investments tracked to date, the firm plays a prominent ecosystem-building role, partnering with the AIFC Tech Hub to produce 'The startup ecosystem of Kazakhstan' report and with Uzbekistan's IT Park on a study of the Uzbekistan startup market. Its stated aim is to foster local entrepreneurship, create incentives for talented founders to stay in the region, and leverage new ventures into a virtuous cycle of growth. As a small frontier-market fund, TUZ Ventures does not publicly disclose its fund size or typical cheque ranges. By combining Silicon Valley operating experience with deep frontier-market focus, TUZ Ventures backs early-stage founders and builds the entrepreneurial ecosystem across Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Twelve Below is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in New York, New York. The firm focuses on investing in early-stage, software-enabled businesses led by visionary founders. With a commitment to being the earliest believers in promising startups, Twelve Below seeks out companies that are building defensible technologies with the potential to disrupt their industries. The firm is led by Taylor Greene and Byron Ling, both of whom have extensive experience in the venture capital space, particularly within the New York City startup ecosystem. Their investment strategy is highly personalized, focusing on providing not just capital but also strategic support during the most formative phases of a company's development. This includes helping founders with critical tasks such as team building and strategic planning. Twelve Below’s portfolio includes a diverse range of companies, such as Accrue Savings, Odyssey Energy, and Croissant, spanning across fintech, productivity software, and other tech-driven sectors. The firm has a strong track record, with over 60% of its portfolio companies successfully raising follow-on funding. With nearly $160 million in assets under management, Twelve Below continues to actively seek new investments, particularly in companies that demonstrate a strong potential for growth and industry impact.

Twelve19 Ventures is a seed-stage, technology-focused venture capital firm founded in 2014 and based in Des Moines, Iowa. The firm makes angel, seed and venture investments in early-stage and growth companies led by strong, innovative entrepreneurs and management teams, primarily backing United States-based startups at the seed round, generally as a co-investor. While broadly active across enterprise applications, high tech and consumer sectors, its portfolio shows particular weight in software, SaaS, mobile and transportation and automotive themes, with enterprise applications and high tech as the two largest categories. Twelve19 has invested in roughly 28 companies and built a notable track record for a small firm, with its portfolio producing one unicorn, one IPO and seven acquisitions; named holdings include Plastiq, Density, Talla, Superhuman, Common, Mazen Animal Health and Koloni, with a more recent investment in BetterYou. The firm is effectively a solo operation led by Managing Partner Jason DeStigter, who is also Managing Partner at Summit Equity Group and holds roles across affiliated companies including Lomont Investment, Lomont Molding and KPI Acquisition Co. Twelve19 does not publicly disclose its fund size or typical cheque ranges, consistent with its lean, founder-led structure operating from Iowa rather than a coastal venture hub. By backing seed-stage founders from the Midwest while reaching nationally, Twelve19 Ventures has assembled a compact but high-performing early-stage technology portfolio.

Twenty Two VC, founded by Katherine Caldwell, is an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California. The firm specializes in investing in ambitious founders who are building innovative companies in sectors such as SaaS, fintech, open source, marketplaces, and developer tools. Twenty Two VC stands out by investing earlier than most other investors, often engaging with companies before they have publicly launched. The portfolio of Twenty Two VC includes notable companies like Airbyte, an open-source ELT platform, BuildBuddy, which provides enterprise features for the Bazel build system, and Whatnot, the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S. Other significant investments include Cron, a next-generation calendar for professionals, and PostHog, an open-source product operating system platform​. The firm has made over 85 investments since its founding in 2017 and is known for its quick decision-making and efficient execution, which is highly valued by founders looking to focus on their work without lengthy fundraising processes. Twenty Two VC seeks out magnetic, tenacious, and adaptable founders who are not afraid of big ideas and are committed to shipping great products.

Twin Path Ventures is a dynamic venture capital firm based in London, specializing in early-stage investments across deep-tech and AI-driven sectors. Founded in 2023, the firm focuses on backing visionary startups that are poised to disrupt industries such as healthcare, fintech, and enterprise software. Twin Path typically invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies, with an average ticket size of £500,000. They lead most of the rounds they participate in but also co-invest alongside other strategically aligned VCs. Their fund structure is designed to optimize tax efficiency, blending SEIS, EIS, and non-tax funds, which allows them to offer investors tax-free capital growth through a diverse portfolio of tech-driven businesses. Notable investments include Causa Tech, a leader in AI-driven productivity software, and FinCrime Dynamics, which focuses on advanced fraud detection and prevention software. Twin Path operates with a hands-on approach, providing strategic guidance and operational expertise to help portfolio companies navigate growth challenges. The team is led by General Partner John Spindler, a seasoned investor with deep roots in the UK venture ecosystem, including his previous role as CEO of Capital Enterprise and co-founder of the London Co-Investment Fund. Katie Lockwood and Nick Slater, both partners, bring complementary expertise in bioscience, intellectual property, and deep-tech startups, creating a robust support network for the companies they back. Twin Path Ventures is gaining recognition in the UK, recently being named a finalist for the 2023 Seed VC of the Year at the UKBAA Angel Investment Awards.

Twin Ventures is an AI-focused angel and pre-seed fund founded in 2018 and based in San Francisco, California, that builds and fosters AI-first startups. The firm was created by brothers Swapnil and Snehal Shinde, who previously co-founded the AI travel assistant Mezi, where Swapnil was CEO and Snehal was Chief Product Officer and CTO, before its acquisition by American Express. Drawing on that operating background, Twin backs entrepreneurs building disruptive ventures that solve real-world problems and aim to define new markets and become category leaders through Applied AI, offering hands-on technical, product and operational expertise in areas such as natural language processing, neural networks, human-assisted AI, machine learning, personalization, AI analytics, chatbots and messaging. As an early-stage investor it typically writes cheques of around $100,000 with follow-on capacity of up to roughly $150,000, and it frequently partners and co-invests alongside larger venture firms in seed and Series A rounds. The firm has invested in approximately 19 companies across the United States, India and Israel, spanning enterprise applications, high tech, retail and other sectors. Its most notable investments include Flam, an AI-native mixed-reality and interactive-content platform whose $4.57 million seed round Twin co-led with Inventus Capital Partners, and Oddr, a legal-tech platform that raised a $2 million seed round led by Saama Capital and Twin Ventures in October 2022. By combining founder-operator experience with early AI conviction, Twin Ventures backs Applied-AI founders and co-invests alongside larger firms as their rounds come together.

Twine Ventures is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, founded in 2021 by Leshika Samarasinghe. The firm focuses on early-stage investments in sectors like healthcare, climate tech, and financial empowerment, aiming to support mission-driven founders whose work ties purpose and profit. Twine invests primarily at the seed and Series A stages, offering check sizes ranging from $100,000 to $1 million. Their portfolio includes companies like Waltz Health, Rupa Health, and Alpha Grid, with a focus on leveraging technology such as AI and data science to drive improvements in healthcare and sustainability. Additionally, Twine is committed to diversity, with a strong emphasis on investing in ventures led by women and BIPOC founders. Twine operates with a hands-on approach, providing more than just capital by supporting founders with go-to-market strategies and scaling their companies through competitive fundraising.

Twitter Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Twitter, established in 2015 to support innovative startups primarily in the fields of social media, multimedia, and entertainment software. With a focus on strategic investments, Twitter Ventures has backed companies like ShareChat, SoundCloud, and Alter, reflecting its interest in fostering platforms that enhance user engagement and digital content creation. Twitter Ventures typically invests in late-stage companies, often co-investing alongside prominent venture firms like Lightspeed Venture Partners and Google. While headquartered in San Francisco, it has made investments globally, with notable activity in markets like India, particularly in social media startups like ShareChat, which became a unicorn in 2021. Over time, Twitter Ventures has participated in several successful exits, including the acquisition of Alter by Google and the IPO of Cyngn. However, as of 2024, Twitter Ventures has not been very active, reflecting shifts in corporate priorities following Twitter's internal changes​.

Two Bridges Capital is an angel investment fund based in South Dakota with a focus on early and growth-stage companies. The fund primarily targets sectors such as software, mobile technologies, and consumer-driven companies, particularly those rooted in South Dakota. Their team is led by seasoned professionals who have managed over $25 billion in real estate transactions, bringing a wealth of experience to their investment approach. Two Bridges seeks to fund high-growth ventures in their early stages, with portfolio companies including notable startups like Bulu Box. The firm emphasizes backing companies with solid growth potential in underserved areas, often focusing on businesses without a proven revenue model yet but poised for significant expansion. Their investments range from seed to growth stages, typically targeting startups with minimal to moderate revenue streams. Two Bridges operates with a hands-on investment strategy, often involving itself deeply in the management and scaling of its portfolio companies. Led by managing directors like Lawrence Santoro and Lawrence Smoler, their small but experienced team prefers working closely with founders and operators to ensure success. They tend to be approachable for entrepreneurs operating within their geographic focus, but primarily they favor companies located within South Dakota.

Two Culture Capital is a globally focused venture capital firm that has backed over 30 early-stage companies across five continents. Their portfolio spans diverse sectors, including consumer tech, financial services, logistics, and insurance, with a commitment to supporting founders who blend the "art and science" of entrepreneurship. Notable investments include unicorns like Robinhood, UiPath, and Carta, as well as high-growth startups such as Bloomscape and Kumu, a leading live-streaming app in Southeast Asia. The firm is stage-agnostic and geo-agnostic, investing from pre-seed to secondary rounds, with more than half of their portfolio companies being international. They are particularly interested in ventures that solve deeply human problems, whether through innovative tech, financial access, or improved logistics​. Founded by Scott Hartley and Simon Wagner, the team combines deep expertise in finance, tech, and global venture ecosystems. Hartley, a published author and co-founder of Everywhere Ventures, oversees investments alongside Wagner, a former hedge fund partner. Two Culture Capital places a strong emphasis on tech solutions that improve the future of work, using both machine and human ingenuity.

Two Sigma Ventures, established in 2012 and based in New York, is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments. The firm focuses on sectors such as artificial intelligence, data science, healthcare, biotechnology, and fintech. Notable investments include companies like Recursion Pharmaceuticals, GitLab, and Ripple. They have a portfolio of 113 companies and have achieved 25 successful exits. Two Sigma Ventures typically invests between $500,000 to $5 million, leveraging its expertise in data and technology from its parent company, Two Sigma Investments, to support innovative startups​.

Two Small Fish Ventures (TSFV) is a Toronto-based early-stage venture capital firm founded by Eva and Allen Lau, both experienced entrepreneurs with deep expertise in technology and scaling startups. Known for its unique approach, TSFV invests in early-stage products, platforms, and protocols that transform user behaviors and create impactful value. They are particularly focused on sectors like AI, deep tech, and next-generation computing, with a strong emphasis on spotting and backing visionary founders before their disruptive technologies reshape industries. TSFV typically leads or co-leads pre-seed and seed rounds, though they also syndicate with other investors. The firm is deeply involved in the operations of their portfolio companies, providing mentorship and leveraging their entrepreneurial experience to help founders scale. Some of their notable investments include SkipTheDishes, BenchSci, and the AI-driven Ideogram, a MidJourney competitor that recently raised significant capital​. Their third fund, TSFV Fund III, closed at $41 million CAD and focuses on the next frontier of computing, investing in startups with transformative potential. The firm’s strong ties to Canada’s startup ecosystem are complemented by partnerships with global investors like Andreessen Horowitz.

Tykhe Block Ventures is a Wyoming-based venture capital firm founded in 2021, focusing on blockchain technology, digital assets, and decentralized finance (DeFi). With a commitment to accelerating Web3 and blockchain infrastructure, Tykhe Block recently closed its inaugural $30 million Blockchain Growth Fund. This fund earmarks 25% of its capital for startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, a key area where the firm sees immense growth potential in the decentralized space. Led by industry veterans such as Prashant Malik, a former early Facebook engineer and the creator of Apache Cassandra, Tykhe Block Ventures leverages deep technological expertise to support its investments. Malik’s vast experience in both tech and entrepreneurship—having been involved in early blockchain projects like CoinSwitch and Neo bank Juno—provides Tykhe with an edge in spotting and scaling disruptive blockchain companies​. Ganesh Kompella, another founding partner, brings extensive experience in blockchain investments and was an early investor in notable projects such as Ethereum, Ripple, and Aave. Tykhe’s portfolio spans various industries, with investments in companies like NFTperp, Bluzelle, Hedera, and Ripple Labs. The firm often backs startups at an early stage, providing not just capital but also hands-on guidance. Their investment strategy centers on identifying high-impact blockchain applications and fostering their growth into global leaders. With a strong focus on the future of decentralized technology, Tykhe Block Ventures aims to be at the forefront of the next wave of innovation.

Type One Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2019 and based in Malibu, California. The firm is deeply focused on investing in early-stage, seed, and Series A companies, specifically in sectors driving humanity toward technological advancement. These include space technology, robotics, AI, automation, and nanotechnology, with a mission inspired by the Kardashev Scale to help humanity progress toward a Type I civilization. Type One Ventures backs transformative companies such as Gravitics and Lunar Outpost, both leaders in space exploration and infrastructure. They also invest in groundbreaking ventures across diverse fields, including human longevity and the future of mobility. The firm typically takes a hands-on approach, offering not just capital but strategic guidance, leveraging a team of founders, operational experts, and technologists to support the long-term success of their portfolio. With investments ranging from space tech to human health and automation, Type One Ventures actively seeks visionary founders who are solving complex, high-impact problems. Their geographic focus is global, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, and they often co-invest with other major firms in the deep tech and space industries. Key members of the team include founding partner Tarek Waked and general partner Abdo John Hajj, both of whom drive the firm’s forward-looking investment strategy.

Tyr Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 and based in Sierra Madre, California. The firm primarily focuses on investments in technology startups, particularly within the fintech, social platforms, and gaming industries. With a growing portfolio, Tyr Ventures has made notable investments in companies such as AAZZUR and PearPop, supporting them from seed stage onwards. The team at Tyr Ventures includes experienced partners like David Chang and David Wilson, who bring a wealth of knowledge from the tech and investment worlds. Tyr Ventures' strategy emphasizes early engagement with promising startups, often participating in seed rounds and maintaining close relationships with their portfolio companies as they scale. Their geographic focus includes the U.S. and Europe, with investments spread across countries like Germany and Canada​. In addition to venture capital, Tyr Ventures leverages a global network of co-investors to help startups grow, often collaborating with other prominent funds and angel investors to maximize the impact of their capital​.

UB Ventures, rebranded FIRSTLIGHT Capital in November 2024, is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 as the corporate venture arm of Uzabase, the Japanese business intelligence company behind the SPEEDA and NewsPicks platforms. The firm invests in early-stage software and IT companies from seed to Series A, concentrating on SaaS, professional services, artificial intelligence, IoT, media, the metaverse and broader digital transformation, with a particular thesis around startups tackling the challenges of Japan's depopulating, aging society and modernising legacy industries. Its geographic focus spans Japan and the United States, generally as a co-investor. UB Ventures launched its first vehicle, UBV Fund-I, in June 2018 dedicated to digital media and B2B/SaaS, growing it to roughly JPY 1.53 billion after a second close in early 2019 with backing from investors such as Dentsu, Fukuoka Bank, Sankei Digital, GMO VenturePartners, Ricoh, Tokyu Land and Uzabase. It subsequently raised a much larger second fund of JPY 10 billion, around $64 million, aimed at innovation for a depopulating society. The firm is led by founder and general partner Osamu Iwasawa and runs a compact team. Across its funds it has made roughly 79 investments, with notable portfolio companies including the spaced-repetition learning app Monoxer, fitness-SaaS provider OptFit and LobbyAI, reflecting a focus on business-productivity and vertical SaaS software. By pairing capital with Uzabase's business-intelligence expertise and a thesis tuned to Japan's demographic challenges, UB Ventures backs software founders modernising legacy industries.

Ubiquity Ventures is a Palo Alto-based seed-stage institutional venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Sunil Nagaraj, managing approximately $200 million across three funds. The firm invests in what it calls 'software beyond the screen,' startups applying software, machine learning and artificial intelligence to physical-world problems through sensors, hardware, robotics and connected devices that you can touch, hear and feel. Ubiquity follows a self-described 'nerdy and early' philosophy, backing technical founders at the very earliest stages, often pre-incorporation, and typically writing cheques in the $1 to 5 million range, leading or co-leading seed rounds. Before founding the firm, Nagaraj spent the better part of a decade at Bessemer Venture Partners, where he led the seed rounds of Auth0, acquired by Okta for $6.5 billion, and Zapier and made early investments in Rocket Lab and Twitch, acquired by Amazon for $1 billion; earlier he founded and ran Triangulate, a machine-learning-driven online dating startup. Ubiquity closed its debut fund of $30 million in 2018, raised $51 million for Fund II in 2020, and secured $75 million for Fund III in January 2024 under a 'disciplined deeptech' thesis. The portfolio spans roughly 42 companies including two unicorns, with notable names such as Diligent Robotics, Esper, Kinetic, BusRight, Camino, Caddi and Eyebot, concentrated in enterprise applications, industrial technology, robotics and sustainability. By backing technical founders applying software to the physical world at the earliest stages, Ubiquity Ventures leads and co-leads seed rounds in deep-tech and robotics companies.

The UCL Technology Fund (UCLTF) is a venture capital fund established in 2016 to commercialize cutting-edge research originating from University College London (UCL). Managed in partnership with AlbionVC and UCL Business, the fund focuses on investing in intellectual property arising from UCL's research in life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. UCLTF plays a pivotal role in taking groundbreaking technologies from early-stage proof of concept through to commercialization, either via licensing or by forming spinout companies. With an emphasis on life sciences, the fund supports pioneering projects in areas such as gene therapy, oncology, and advanced materials. Notable investments include Orchard Therapeutics, a spinout specializing in rare disease gene therapies, and Bloomsbury AI, which developed natural language processing technology before being acquired by Facebook in 2018. The fund's portfolio is diverse, encompassing companies tackling global challenges like clean energy through firms such as Carbon Re, which is focused on decarbonizing heavy industries​. The fund’s mission is not only to support UCL's world-class academic research but also to deliver societal impact and substantial commercial returns. The first fund has seen impressive successes, including two Nasdaq IPOs and raising over £1 billion in external funding across its portfolio. Recently, UCLTF closed its second fund at £100 million, further strengthening its ability to back high-impact innovations in biotech, healthcare, and AI.

Ufi Ventures is the United Kingdom's specialist early-stage investor in vocational technology (VocTech), digital tools that help adults gain the skills they need for work and help businesses improve performance by developing their workforce. It is the investment arm of Ufi VocTech Trust, a London-based charity dedicated to unlocking vocational learning with technology, and it has been investing since 2019. Distinctively, Ufi Ventures invests its own capital rather than that of external limited partners, allowing it to focus entirely on social impact alongside commercial sustainability. The fund draws on deep sector expertise and a network of educators, developers, employers, investors and policymakers to support portfolio companies, typically writing early-stage cheques of roughly £250k to £1m, historically from £75k, generally as a co-investor, backing companies that get adults learning and progressing in work, with an ambition to build a portfolio of around 20 active businesses. In November 2024 it launched a second vehicle, the Ufi Ventures Challenge Fund, aimed at early-stage companies using vocational technology to make a scalable impact on skills development for the transitioning economy. The team is led by Director of Ventures Helen Gironi, a long-time early-stage and impact investor formerly of Nesta Impact Investments, supported by an associate director, investment associate and venture partners. To date Ufi Ventures has made around 26 investments, with portfolio companies including CertChain, Gladys, Assemble You, Purlos and Learnerbly, and it co-publishes quarterly VocTech Market Reports with Tyton Partners. By investing its own charitable capital, Ufi Ventures backs the technologies that build the adult workforce's skills.

Ugly Duckling Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Copenhagen, Denmark, founded in 2021. It focuses on early-stage investments, particularly at the pre-seed and seed stages, within the Nordic region. The firm is led by a team of experienced founders and business angels who prioritize building strong relationships with the startups they back, offering not only capital but also operational expertise to help early ventures scale quickly. The firm targets disruptive business models and industries with growth potential across various sectors, including software, e-commerce, and sustainability. Ugly Duckling Ventures is known for its hands-on, collaborative approach, providing startups with direct access to general partners rather than delegating them to junior managers. The firm is actively involved in the Danish startup ecosystem, with many of its investors contributing to the success of portfolio companies like Moxso, BeCause, and Juristic. In 2023, Ugly Duckling closed a DKK 150 million (approximately $22 million) fund to support Danish startups, typically investing around $1.6 million per round. Their focus on transparency and founder-first partnerships makes them a valuable ally for early-stage companies.

UKTV Ventures is the London-based media-for-equity investment fund operated by the British broadcaster UKTV, home to popular channels such as Dave, W and Gold, and now part of BBC Studios. Rather than deploying cash, the fund offers premium advertising airtime across UKTV's channel network in exchange for minority equity stakes in high-growth, predominantly direct-to-consumer UK start-ups and scale-ups, an 'airtime-for-equity' model designed to help young brands access the television advertising market and scale rapidly into household names. The fund has roughly £8 million of premium advertising to invest annually and additionally provides equity-free support to cover the creative production costs of advertising campaigns, which startups would otherwise fund themselves. Launched in 2018, initially as UKTV's Innovation Fund, it is led by Sheena Amin, who began her career as a venture capitalist at growth-equity firm Summit Partners and held senior media and telecoms roles including business development at Virgin Media and commercial partnerships at Dixons Carphone. Its first investment was in Hopster, the award-winning preschool learning and entertainment streaming platform, and the fund has since made around 11 investments, including a seven-figure deal with an online funeral-planning service in March 2024 and a stake in over-50s lifestyle platform Rest Less in January 2025. The fund focuses on consumer-facing businesses spanning media, streaming, e-commerce, apps and lifestyle brands seeking national reach. By trading premium TV airtime for equity, UKTV Ventures gives UK consumer brands a route to mass-market awareness while building a portfolio of high-growth companies.

Ulu Ventures, based in Palo Alto, is a leading seed-stage venture capital firm with strong ties to Stanford and Silicon Valley. They focus on funding diverse entrepreneurial teams, particularly those led by women and minority founders. Ulu Ventures has made over 200 investments, with notable exits including Proterra, Taulia, and Blue River Technology​​. Their investment strategy is data-driven, aiming to reduce cognitive biases and systematically identify key drivers of risk and uncertainty. They invest in sectors such as enterprise IT, EdTech, FinTech, healthcare, and sustainability​ (Ulu Ventures)​. With an emphasis on diversity, 76% of their funded companies have diverse founders​​. The firm is co-founded by Miriam Rivera and Clint Korver, who bring extensive experience in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Ulu Ventures is recognized for its thoughtful and rigorous approach to venture funding, which has resulted in a portfolio that includes companies like Guild Education, Genesis Therapeutics, and Lex Machina​

Unanimous Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm based in the U.S., specializing in transformative investments within the tech and financial software sectors. Founded with a focus on cutting-edge innovation, Unanimous Capital seeks to back startups poised to disrupt traditional industries through technology. Its portfolio includes successful investments in companies such as De.Fi, Vent, and Arweave, all of which are revenue-generating ventures in fintech and database software. The firm adopts a hands-on approach, providing not just capital but also strategic guidance to help startups scale and navigate their growth journeys. This strategy is focused on identifying high-potential companies at critical early stages, helping them position for long-term success. Unanimous Capital prides itself on identifying companies that have the potential to drive substantial technological change in sectors such as blockchain, financial software, and data infrastructure. The firm's structure follows the classic venture capital model, where general partners (GPs) are responsible for making investment decisions, conducting due diligence, and managing the portfolio, while limited partners (LPs) provide the capital and receive regular updates on the fund’s performance. The GPs work closely with an investment committee that reviews potential deals, ensuring that all investments align with the firm’s strategic goals. The firm places a strong emphasis on collaboration and continuous monitoring of its portfolio companies, helping to ensure that they are positioned for successful exits, whether through IPOs, acquisitions, or secondary market transactions. Unanimous Capital’s investment strategy is characterized by its focus on early-stage opportunities, aiming to lead or co-lead funding rounds and take a significant role in supporting the companies' operations and growth strategies. This approach has made it a key player in the financial software and tech sectors, particularly in blockchain and database software, where it sees significant future potential.

Unbridled Ventures is a founder-focused early-stage venture capital fund based in Louisville, Kentucky. The firm is built around a group of accomplished entrepreneurs and angel investors who contribute both capital and hands-on operating expertise to help founders build and scale their companies, framing an investment as the beginning of a long-term partnership aimed at maximizing value for all stakeholders. Unbridled invests primarily at the seed and Series A stages, with typical cheques in the range of roughly $200,000 to $500,000, generally as a co-investor, and takes a generalist but technology-oriented approach across sectors including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data analytics and business intelligence, SaaS, fintech, ed-tech, ad-tech, enterprise software, information technology, healthcare and media and entertainment. The fund is led by general partners Darren King, who has also been involved in launching the related Kentucky Select Fund angel vehicle, and Vik Chadha, supported by a deep bench of Louisville- and Kentucky-based limited partners and angel investors. Operating a relatively concentrated portfolio, Unbridled emphasizes a deliberate process and clear investment criteria before deploying capital. Disclosed and reported portfolio companies include Backstitch, Tailwind Imaging, Automotus and Gun Interactive, reflecting the firm's focus on backing regional founders and emerging software and technology businesses. By combining capital with the operating experience of its entrepreneur-led partnership and a strong Kentucky angel network, Unbridled Ventures backs early-stage technology founders and supports them as long-term partners through their formative growth stages.

Uncommon Capital, founded in 2014, is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments from pre-seed to Series A rounds. The firm is based in San Francisco and has a strong emphasis on software companies, particularly in sectors like B2B SaaS, marketplaces, consumer non-social, developer tools, and fintech. Uncommon Capital has a diverse portfolio with notable investments in companies such as Razorpay, a leading payment processing solution provider; Talkdesk, a cloud-based contact center software; and Function of Beauty, an internet-first brand offering customized skincare and haircare products. The firm also boasts investments in emerging companies like Morf Health, a health tech startup, and Antares Industries, focusing on environmental technology. The firm is led by experienced partners, including Tikhon Bernstam, co-founder of Scribd and Parse, and Jamie Quint, a seasoned product growth practitioner who has consulted for companies like Twitch, Everlane, and Substack​. Uncommon Capital distinguishes itself by providing hands-on operational support to its portfolio companies, helping them with product development, data infrastructure, marketing strategies, and engineering hiring.

Unconventional Ventures is a Copenhagen-based VC fund, focused on investing in early-stage startups led by underrepresented founders, including women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Founded in 2019 by Thea Messel, the fund is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the European tech ecosystem. It targets scalable impact tech companies, with a strong focus on climate, health, education, and fintech sectors. Unconventional Ventures invests mainly in the Nordics and Europe, with notable investments in startups like Meela and SciFree. Their strategy is deeply impact-driven, seeking founders who can tackle systemic issues often overlooked by traditional VCs. They typically invest at the pre-seed and seed stages, offering both capital and a robust support network, while frequently co-investing with other mission-aligned funds. The fund is active in building an ecosystem that provides not just mentorship but also tangible company-building support​. Nora Bavey, a general partner, plays a key role in shaping the fund’s ambitious vision of reshaping venture capital to be more inclusive. With an average check size in the early rounds, they aim to back diverse founders who are solving real societal challenges​.

Uncorrelated Ventures, headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in early-stage investments in infrastructure software, decentralized finance, and fintech sectors. Founded by Salil Deshpande in 2019, the firm has a portfolio that includes companies like Tandem PV, HockeyStack, and Bodo.ai. They typically engage in Seed and Series A rounds, with an average check size of $17M. The fund is known for its hands-on approach, offering strategic support and leveraging a robust network to help startups scale. Uncorrelated Ventures values clear, innovative pitches that demonstrate significant market potential and technological advancement. Key team members include founder Salil Deshpande, a veteran in the venture capital space, and a dedicated team with diverse expertise in technology and investment management. Startups can approach Uncorrelated Ventures through their extensive network or direct outreach, emphasizing the unique aspects of their technology and market approach.

Underdog Labs is a pre-seed venture capital firm based in Sebastopol, California, with a focus on supporting early-stage founders as they navigate the critical first milestones of their startups. Founded by Alex Chang and David Hehman in 2019, the firm specializes in working with passionate entrepreneurs who have promising ideas but need guidance and capital to turn these into scalable businesses. Underdog Labs targets very early-stage companies, often being the first institutional investors after initial angel rounds. The firm is industry-agnostic, but it has a strong focus on sectors like artificial intelligence, SaaS, fintech, health tech, and consumer products. With a hands-on approach, Underdog Labs provides not just capital but also strategic mentorship, leveraging the extensive entrepreneurial experience of its founders to help startups achieve product-market fit and scale effectively. The firm typically invests between $100K and $500K per company and has built a diverse portfolio of startups across various industries. Underdog Labs is particularly known for its commitment to backing underrepresented founders, further cementing its role as a key player in the early-stage venture ecosystem.

Underline Ventures is a Bucharest-based, early-stage venture fund founded in 2022 by Romanian investor Bogdan Iordache, and is widely described as Eastern Europe's first solo-GP venture fund. The firm partners at the earliest stages, pre-seed, seed and late-seed, with Eastern European founders building high-growth technology startups with global ambitions, writing average cheques of around $500,000, and it is willing to lead. Underline closed its debut fund in November 2023 at roughly EUR 18.4 million, about $20 million, reaching its target with capital raised predominantly from successful tech founders and operators, alongside other business leaders and international funds-of-funds; operators from companies such as UiPath, Telerik and Bitdefender advise its portfolio companies. Investment themes centre on enterprise automation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, industrial and vertical software, IoT, fintech, climate and defence technologies, with a strong B2B and enterprise-software orientation. Iordache is a developer-turned-founder-turned-investor who founded the influential How to Web conference, co-founded TechAngels, Romania's first business-angel network, built and exited the email-marketing startup Conectoo, and has worked in venture capital since 2013 across Springboard, 3TS Capital Partners, MVP Academy and Gecad Ventures. To date the fund has made roughly 13 investments in startups across Romania, Croatia, Serbia and the broader Eastern European diaspora, spanning big data and AI, cybersecurity and e-commerce infrastructure. As a pioneering solo-GP fund backed by the region's leading operators, Underline Ventures gives Eastern European B2B and deep-tech founders an early, hands-on partner with global ambition.

Underscore.VC, established in 2015, is a Boston-based venture capital firm dedicated to early-stage B2B software startups. With a strong emphasis on community, Underscore integrates a unique Core Community of experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders who actively support portfolio companies. This approach ensures founders receive comprehensive guidance and resources tailored to their specific needs​. Notable investments by Underscore.VC include companies such as Project44, Salsify, Slang, Soofa, and TetraScience, showcasing their focus on B2B fintech, vertical SaaS, and emerging technologies​. The firm primarily invests in pre-seed and seed rounds, typically leading these rounds and committing substantial support beyond just financial backing. Their strategy is rooted in building strong, collaborative relationships with founders, emphasizing a partnership approach rather than just a financial transaction. They value transparency, long-term vision, and active involvement in the companies they support. This philosophy is reflected in their careful selection process and active participation in the growth and scaling of their investments​. For startups looking to engage with Underscore.VC, it's beneficial to demonstrate a strong alignment with their community-driven values and a clear, innovative vision for their business model. Approaching them with a well-thought-out plan and readiness to leverage their extensive network can significantly enhance the chances of forming a successful partnership.

Unicorn Growth Capital is a forward-thinking venture capital firm, established in 2020 and headquartered in New York City. The firm focuses on investing in fintech-enabled companies that are reshaping the financial services infrastructure of the digital economy. Unicorn Growth Capital specializes in bridging traditional finance (TradFi) with decentralized finance (DeFi), positioning itself at the forefront of innovation in Web3 technologies, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. This unique investment strategy aims to support the development of new financial systems that are more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. Led by Barbara Iyayi, the firm’s CEO and Founding Partner, Unicorn Growth Capital targets early-stage investments, particularly in emerging markets such as Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. The firm believes that these regions offer significant opportunities for financial technology innovations that can address longstanding challenges in financial inclusion and economic development. Unicorn Growth Capital’s portfolio is diverse and impactful, featuring companies like VertoFX, a global B2B payments platform; Bitmama, a startup driving crypto adoption in Africa; and Credrails, which is building open banking infrastructure across the continent. By backing these high-growth startups, Unicorn Growth Capital is not only driving financial innovation but also contributing to the broader goal of economic empowerment in underserved markets. With its strategic focus and expertise, Unicorn Growth Capital is well-positioned to continue leading investments in the fintech sector, particularly as the digital economy continues to evolve and expand​.

Unicorn Venture Partners is a Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Dave Lin and Jonathan Hung, with Phillip Sarofim involved at its formation. The firm backs seed and early-stage rounds in US-based technology and consumer-focused startups, spreading its investments across sectors from consumer and retail to high tech, and pairs capital with hands-on engagement, strategically testing new business models and offering consulting-style support to help founders reach Series A, generally as a co-investor. The team describes itself as entrepreneurs, operators and 'finance geeks' with experience across nearly every role in the venture ecosystem, including founder, CFO, product management, growth marketing, sales, board directorships and M&A advisory, and collectively claims more than $2 billion in exits. Managing Partner and CIO Dave Lin previously served as CFO at Maker Studios and is a serial entrepreneur, while Managing Partner Jonathan Hung is a well-known Los Angeles angel investor who likens the investor's role to that of a college counsellor guiding founders to their next round. Launched with around $5 million of seed capital, the fund has built a concentrated portfolio of roughly 15 companies that has already produced two unicorns, one IPO and three acquisitions, with marquee early investments including Coinbase, Lime, Cerebral and Solugen. By combining operator and finance backgrounds with hands-on support, Unicorn Venture Partners backs early-stage technology and consumer founders and helps prepare them for their next institutional round.

Unifier Ventures is a Berlin-based, cross-border early-stage micro-VC founded in 2018 that connects Europe and Southeast Asia. Its distinctive thesis is to give European technology startups access to talent, partners, customers and additional capital from Southeast Asia by leveraging a network of regional family offices, corporates and entrepreneurs, while also backing promising founders within Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. The firm invests at the pre-seed, seed and pre-Series A stages across the technology sector, with portfolio concentrations in enterprise applications, healthtech and consumer software, and focus markets spanning Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore and the Philippines, generally as a co-investor. Raising a fund of around EUR 25 million, Unifier writes tickets of roughly EUR 200,000 to 500,000 in Europe and EUR 50,000 to 250,000 in Asia. It is led by Managing Partner Miguel Encarnacion, who has long worked at the intersection of Southeast Asian and European venture markets and is also associated with ICCP SBI Venture Partners, supported by venture partner Kastytis Kemezys and a team of around seven. Unifier has made roughly 11 to 20 investments, with notable portfolio companies including the Philippine cryptocurrency exchange PDAX and logistics-software provider RoseRocket, alongside Otis AI, Ovom Care and Sunhat; its portfolio has already produced acquisitions including Bunch and Jobpal. By bridging European and Southeast Asian ecosystems and giving startups in each region access to the other's talent, customers and capital, Unifier Ventures backs cross-border early-stage technology founders.

Unify Ventures is a Sydney, Australia-based multi-thematic venture capital fund of funds, established in October 2022, that invests in specialist early-stage fund managers and unlocks co-investment alongside them. Rather than backing startups directly as its primary activity, Unify's thesis is that thematic funds, those concentrated on a specific sector, are better positioned to help early-stage portfolio companies succeed through deep, focused networks and expertise. The firm builds a portfolio of managers across chosen thematics, initially covering B2B SaaS, advanced manufacturing and fintech, with further thematics planned, and pairs this fund-of-funds exposure with a co-investment fund that takes direct positions in the strongest companies surfaced by its underlying managers. Its process involves selecting thematics based on the partners' collective experience, screening fund managers on the basis of investment track record and performance, and conducting detailed due diligence focused on understanding each manager's assumptions and strategy. Unify works closely with some of Australia's most ambitious emerging managers, for example Black Nova Venture Capital, a B2B SaaS-focused fund, to identify and back top performers. The firm was founded by Alex Retzlaff, who serves as Managing Partner and is also a founding venture partner at Black Nova, alongside co-founder Chris Deere, giving limited partners diversified access to Australia's early-stage venture ecosystem through a single, curated vehicle. By combining fund-of-funds exposure to specialist managers with selective co-investment, Unify Ventures offers investors a diversified yet curated route into Australia's emerging-manager venture landscape.

Union Labs, founded in 2018 and based in San Mateo, California, is a deep-tech venture capital firm focusing on pre-seed and seed-stage investments. Co-founded by Nate Williams and Chris Kim, Union Labs primarily invests in startups tackling big challenges across sectors like robotics, AI/ML, IoT, and smart infrastructure. The firm aims to solve complex global problems through innovative technology, often working directly with founders to de-risk the journey to product-market fit. Union Labs has made 28 investments, with notable companies like Pico MES, which develops factory operations software, and Urban Machine, focusing on forestry processing. The firm incubates many of its companies, having initially grown out of Kleiner Perkins with backing from Google Ventures, allowing it to offer both financial and hands-on operational support. This approach ensures that its startups benefit from Union Labs' extensive network and expertise. Union Labs is committed to advancing deep-tech solutions that contribute to a smarter, more connected world.

Union Square Ventures (USV), a venture capital firm based in New York City, focuses on investing in early-stage technology startups. Their investment philosophy is centered on finding companies at the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures. USV looks for new behaviors and business models enabled by technology, rapid experimentation, and broadening access to resources and opportunities. USV’s portfolio includes a range of notable companies such as Twitter, Etsy, MongoDB, and Twilio. They have invested across various sectors including social media, marketplaces, developer tools, health, fintech, web3, and climate tech. Their approach involves maintaining relatively small fund sizes and collaborating closely as a team to make investment decisions and support portfolio companies.

Uniseed is Australia's longest-running venture capital fund, established in 2000, with a strong focus on commercializing innovative research from its partner universities and research institutions. These include leading institutions like the University of Queensland, the University of Melbourne, and Monash University, among others. Uniseed supports startups in various sectors such as biotechnology, quantum computing, pharmaceuticals, and green energy. As a seed-stage investor, Uniseed helps researchers turn their ideas into marketable products by offering seed capital, expert guidance, and access to an extensive network of industry professionals. The firm has overseen more than 60 startups and over 12 successful exits, including notable deals like the sale of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals to Novartis and Fibrotech to Shire. In partnership with UniSuper, Uniseed manages significant capital to support deep-tech startups aiming for global impact. Uniseed’s latest $75 million commitment ensures its continued support for emerging technologies, and with its growing network of academic and institutional partners, the fund is poised to lead more groundbreaking innovations to market.

UnityPoint Health Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of UnityPoint Health, one of the most integrated health systems in the United States, launched in 2019 and based in West Des Moines, Iowa. The firm runs a $100 million Innovation Fund that invests in early-stage growth companies across four areas: digital health, medical devices, therapeutic spaces and health care services, spanning digital therapeutics, health IT, tech-enabled services, medical devices and diagnostics, while deliberately steering clear of pharma, biopharma and drug discovery. It concentrates on seed, Series A and Series B rounds, typically writing first checks of $1 million to $3 million, and is willing to lead. Beyond capital, a core part of its value proposition is strategic: it connects portfolio companies with UnityPoint's clinical and operational leaders to demo and validate solutions, and helps accelerate and scale them through prioritized IT access, expedited contracting, and marketing and earned-media support, all aligned with the health system's goals of lowering costs, improving quality of care and advancing population-health initiatives. The fund is led by Matthew Warrens, Managing Director of Innovation, and Austin Duke, Venture Investing Director. Its portfolio of around 17 companies, which has produced one IPO and three acquisitions, includes Health Catalyst, b.well Connected Health, whose $16 million Series A it led, OpenLoop Health, Carta Healthcare, HealthSnap and TailorMed, with its most recent disclosed deal being TailorMed's Series D in November 2024. By pairing capital with access to an integrated health system's clinical and operational network, UnityPoint Health Ventures backs the technologies improving care quality and lowering costs.

University Ventures is a New York City-based investment firm founded in 2011 and focused exclusively on the global higher-education and workforce-education sector. Founded by a quartet of veterans of the for-profit and nonprofit education worlds, including co-founder and managing director Daniel Pianko, a former Goldman Sachs banker and the first outside director of Altius Education, and managing director Ryan Craig, founding director of Bridgepoint Education, the firm pursues a strategy it calls 'innovation from within,' partnering with leading universities to jointly develop and deploy innovative higher-education programs across Europe and the United States. Its models combine the entrepreneurship, capital and management expertise of the private sector with the academic integrity, quality-assurance processes and brands of traditional institutions. University Ventures manages roughly $300 million across its funds, anchored by a $100 million-plus Fund I whose two largest investors were German media group Bertelsmann and the University of Texas Investment Management Company. The firm invests from seed through growth stages, most actively at Series A, concentrating on edtech and education-enterprise companies, and it is willing to lead. Its portfolio and track record, which includes one IPO and several acquisitions, features IT-training and staffing firm Revature, whose Series A it led alongside Eden Capital and USA Funds, Synergis Education, Appier, Techtonic, a Brandman University partnership and campus-engagement platform Ready Education, whose $5.3 million Series A it led with Y Combinator. By co-developing programs with universities, University Ventures backs the next generation of higher-education and workforce companies.

E14 Fund is an MIT-affiliated venture capital firm focused on supporting deep-tech startups emerging from the MIT community. Established in 2013 and rooted in the MIT Media Lab, the fund specializes in companies that are addressing critical global challenges through breakthrough science and engineering. E14 Fund invests in early-stage startups, typically from pre-seed to Series A, with a focus on industries such as robotics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and synthetic biology. Some notable investments include Formlabs, a leader in 3D printing technology, and Overjet, a pioneer in AI-powered dental care solutions. The fund is more than just a capital provider; it acts as a strategic partner, helping founders transition from academic research to building scalable businesses. E14 leverages the vast MIT network to connect entrepreneurs with industry leaders, mentors, and technical resources that can help accelerate their growth. A significant portion of the firm’s profits is reinvested into MIT, highlighting its commitment to fostering long-term innovation within the university ecosystem. Led by managing partners Calvin Chin and Habib Haddad, E14 Fund works closely with founders to address both scientific and business challenges, providing hands-on support throughout their journey. The fund’s portfolio companies typically possess unique intellectual property and a clear path to market dominance, reflecting E14’s focus on ventures with transformative potential. By supporting startups from their earliest stages, E14 Fund plays a crucial role in translating groundbreaking MIT research into impactful, market-ready technologies.

Unpopular Ventures is a venture capital firm founded by Peter Livingston, focusing on early-stage tech startups that are often overlooked by mainstream investors. They have invested in over 300 startups globally, with a portfolio spanning various industries and regions. Notable investments include Jeeves, a global business banking platform, Farcana, a battle royale shooter game, and Foundation Devices, developers of Bitcoin-centric tools. The firm's strategy is to find and invest in unconventional opportunities that have the potential for significant impact and growth. They emphasize global investments, particularly in emerging markets, driven by Livingston's own experience living and working around the world. This global perspective allows them to identify and support startups that are off the beaten path but have strong growth potential​. Unpopular Ventures operates both as a syndicate and a rolling fund on AngelList, providing flexible investment options to their backers. The firm's unique approach and diverse portfolio have made it a significant player in the venture capital landscape, despite its name.

Unshackled Ventures, founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting immigrant entrepreneurs. The firm focuses on early-stage investments, particularly in technology and innovation sectors. Unshackled Ventures aims to provide not only capital but also visa support, enabling immigrant founders to build successful companies in the U.S. Their investment portfolio includes a diverse array of companies. Notable investments include Lily AI, which uses AI to improve retail personalization, and Pod Foods, a B2B marketplace for food brands and retailers. Other significant companies in their portfolio are Plantible Foods, a sustainable food company, and Career Karma, a platform helping people find jobs through bootcamps. Unshackled Ventures has made a total of 86 investments and has seen 17 exits, highlighting their effectiveness in nurturing startups to maturity. Their approach involves investing at the very earliest stages, often at "day zero," to help founders navigate the complexities of building a business from the ground up. The team is led by co-founders Nitin Pachisia and Manan Mehta, who are committed to leveraging their own experiences as immigrants to support other immigrant founders. Their mission is to unlock the potential of these entrepreneurs by providing the necessary resources, guidance, and community support to achieve their visions.

Untapped Capital is a venture capital firm based in Bellevue, Washington, founded in 2020 by Jessica Jackley and Yohei Nakajima. The firm focuses on pre-seed investments, targeting unexpected and often overlooked founders who are pioneering the latest technologies to build a more abundant future. Untapped Capital operates as a generalist VC, meaning they do not limit themselves to specific industries but instead invest across a broad spectrum, with a particular interest in companies driving innovation in climate tech, healthcare, and productivity software. The firm is known for its hands-on approach, running itself much like a startup to better understand and support the challenges faced by the founders they back. Untapped Capital has made 36 investments to date, with notable companies in their portfolio including Covalent, a leader in climate tech, and Mars Materials, which focuses on sustainable environmental solutions. Their investment strategy is centered around early-stage companies, often being one of the first institutional investors to commit capital. The team at Untapped Capital leverages their deep expertise and network to provide strategic guidance, helping their portfolio companies scale effectively. They have also developed a reputation for integrating cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies to enhance the growth and development of the startups they support. This innovative approach has made Untapped Capital a distinctive player in the venture capital landscape, particularly in supporting founders who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional VCs​.

Unusual Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2018 by John Vrionis and Jyoti Bansal. They focus on providing hands-on support to early-stage startups in sectors like infrastructure software, SaaS, fintech, and consumer applications. Notable investments include Arctic Wolf Networks, Carta, Robinhood, Harness, and Vivun. Unusual Ventures differentiates itself by embedding experienced operators with startups, offering deep operational support in areas such as marketing, sales, and recruiting. This approach helps founders navigate the challenging early stages of their business, working closely to find product-market fit and build a strong foundation for future growth. Their engagement model is designed to provide comprehensive support, acting as interim executives to ensure startups have the resources they need to succeed. The firm also emphasizes diversity and social impact, partnering with institutions that are positive forces in education, healthcare, and the arts. This mission-driven approach ensures that the returns generated contribute to meaningful progress. With offices in Menlo Park, San Francisco, and Boston, Unusual Ventures has raised multiple funds, including their recent $485 million Fund III, bringing their total assets under management to over $1 billion. This commitment underscores their dedication to supporting seed-stage founders with unparalleled resources and expertise.

UOB Venture Management (UOBVM), a subsidiary of United Overseas Bank (UOB), was established in 1992 and focuses on venture capital and private equity investments, primarily in Southeast Asia, Greater China, and the United States. The firm targets growth-stage companies across various sectors, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, consumer services, and digital economy ventures. UOBVM is known for integrating ESG principles and impact investing into its strategy, as demonstrated by its Asia Impact Investment Fund series. UOBVM has a significant portfolio with over 164 investments, and some notable exits include Gojek and Nanosys. They emphasize supporting businesses that contribute to sustainable development and innovation, particularly those improving livelihoods in the region. The firm manages several funds, including the ASEAN China Investment Fund and Asia Impact Investment Fund II, which raised over $60 million for initiatives in underserved markets​. The firm's leadership includes CEO Kian-Wee Seah, with key members like Mark Yeo and Jean Thoh, all based in Singapore, where the company is headquartered.

UP.Partners is a venture capital firm dedicated to transforming the mobility sector. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, UP.Partners focuses on investing in groundbreaking technologies that improve the movement of people and goods. The firm targets early-stage ventures in various mobility sectors, including air, land, sea, and space. The fund's strategy emphasizes investment in enabling technologies, such as software for precise positioning, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and sustainable aviation fuels. UP.Partners' notable investments include Skydio, a leader in flight autonomy; Beta Technologies, which develops eVTOL aircraft; and UnitX, a manufacturing quality assurance platform. UP.Partners manages a $230 million venture fund and collaborates with major corporations like Alaska Airlines, ARK Invest, and Woven Capital, the investment arm of Toyota's Woven Planet Group. The firm also hosts the annual UP.Summit, a pivotal event for the mobility community, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders to drive innovation in transportation. The firm was co-founded by aviation and technology entrepreneurs Ben Marcus and Cyrus Sigari, along with Adam Grosser, a veteran investor with a strong background in climate-focused companies. They are supported by a team of experts, including Ally Warson and industry leaders like Brian McClendon and Eric Hirshberg. UP.Partners seeks out bold entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that can transform mobility, aiming to make transportation cleaner, faster, safer, and more cost-effective. The firm provides not only capital but also strategic partnerships and resources to help startups scale effectively.

UP2398 is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Redwood City, California, established in 2015 by Alexander Poon, Randy Ching, and Pierre Omidyar. Specializing in pre-Series A investments, the firm focuses on high-growth sectors including artificial intelligence, blockchain, SaaS, and high-tech industries. The firm has a diverse portfolio of 34 investments, including standout companies such as Standard Fleet, MakerDojo, and Slapdash. UP2398 often targets companies that leverage technology to disrupt traditional sectors, from automotive software and AI-driven analytics to consumer technologies and e-commerce platforms. UP2398’s strategy involves providing early-stage capital and hands-on support to foster innovation and help startups scale rapidly. The firm co-invests with leading venture capital firms like SV Angel, Soma Capital, and Intel Capital, emphasizing a collaborative approach to venture investing. In addition to its focus on cutting-edge technology, UP2398 has supported companies in industries such as renewable energy, IoT, and machine learning, helping them navigate early growth stages and achieve successful exits. The firm has successfully guided multiple companies to acquisition or scaling, with notable exits including Convex and INDUS.AI. With its team’s deep experience in entrepreneurship and venture capital, UP2398 continues to identify and support companies that are transforming their industries. By focusing on sectors with high innovation potential, UP2398 remains a prominent player in the early-stage investment landscape, helping to fuel the next wave of technological breakthroughs.