22 Pre-Seed Investors in San Francisco — 22 Currently Deploying

South Park Commons helps talented technologists and founders turn 'illegible into the inevitable' by providing a home for figuring out what's next, transitioning from -1 to 0 (pre-…

YC turns builders into formidable founders by providing structured mentorship, funding, and network access during a 12-week batch program. The program transforms early-stage teams …

Invest first in founders making mutants a reality by reimagining the universe. Generalist investors backing companies that make 1 billion lives better through bold bets in deep tec…

Bee Partners backs radical technical founders at inception (pre-product, pre-revenue) with conviction-first capital. They invest in AI supercycle futures, enterprise AI agents, har…

Forum Ventures is a founder-first AI venture studio, accelerator, and pre-seed fund committed to the entrepreneurial journey from zero to one, with a maniacal focus on becoming an …

Write the first check to builders who are still dreaming, tinkering, and exploring what they want to create. Work with founders pre-product, pre-traction, and often pre-idea.

Investing in the best technical storytellers at preseed and seed stage. The fund focuses on founders who can effectively communicate complex technical visions.

Pre-seed venture fund leading investments in Intelligent Industry Solutions, focused on AI-led innovation that delivers radical productivity, industrial efficiency through percepti…

Neo invests in people and the next generation of founders through pre-seed/seed funding, a startup residency program, and a diverse mentorship community. The fund believes in suppo…

Experienced founders (particularly serial/exit founders) win 22x more often. Zero-equity retreats attract elite repeat founders who avoid traditional accelerators, enabling first-m…

AI Fund is a venture studio that co-founds companies with entrepreneurs, venture funds, and corporate partners to build AI-powered startups that move humanity forward, from idea to…

Specialists in pre-seed and seed investing, founded by operators who have built and scaled companies. Provide hands-on support through recruiting, GTM coaching, fundraising assista…

Back the world's best AI native founders at pre-seed and seed stages with product and go-to-market expertise from OpenAI, Meta, Twitter, and a16z to help them reshape the world.

We're aligned with founders for the long haul, investing at the earliest stages with sector-agnostic conviction in exceptional entrepreneurs. We believe in founder alignment, early…

Seed-stage fund that helps founders build generational companies by providing connections, experience, hands-on support, and human-centered partnership from pre-seed through scale.

Network-driven seed fund that provides $500K-$3M in capital plus access to 400+ founders, operator angels, and luminary LPs from world's greatest tech companies to help founders bu…

Invest in people over product at the earliest stages of entrepreneurial journey, focusing on long-term relationships with founders at pre-seed and seed stages.

Investing in technology companies within supply chain, manufacturing, and software infrastructure that makes and moves the world.

First-check investor (pre-seed, seed, series A) deeply focused on AI-first companies. Partners selectively, cares deeply, and strives for excellence in reshaping industries through…

Pre-seed firm investing in products, services and software businesses of everyday life, focusing on founders with uncommon personal and professional insight who understand their pr…

Baukunst is a collective of creative technologists advancing the art of building through pre-seed investments in companies at the frontiers of technology and design.

Alchemist guides technical founders on the journey from possibility to traction by transforming technical builders into CEOs ready to scale through intensive coaching, investor acc…

How many pre-seed investors are actively deploying right now?

DryPowder tracks 22 pre-seed funds. Of these, 22 are currently deploying capital based on recent fund closes, portfolio activity, and partner signals. Use DryPowder's fund matching to see which ones fit your specific startup.

What check size do pre-seed VCs write?

Among 22 pre-seed funds on DryPowder, check sizes run from $25K–$5M. Ranges vary by fund size, vintage, and whether the fund leads rounds. Each fund profile shows check size detail and lead preference.

How do I get a meeting with a pre-seed VC?

A warm intro is still the fastest path. Most pre-seed VCs on DryPowder do accept cold outreach or direct applications, but response rates vary widely by fund. Before reaching out, use DryPowder's AI matching to get a fit score and specific talking points. Founders who lead with thesis-aligned framing get significantly better response rates than those sending the same deck to every fund on a list.

How long does a pre-seed round take to close?

Most pre-seed rounds close in 4-8 weeks once a lead is committed. The process is faster than seed because checks are smaller and terms are simpler. A SAFE or convertible note is standard. Founders who close quickly typically have a lead committed, 2-3 other investors lined up, and a hard deadline. Open-ended rounds with no timeline tend to stall.

How many pre-seed investors should I be talking to at once?

Most fundraisers recommend a parallel process: identify 20-40 target investors but approach your highest-fit funds first. Of the 22 pre-seed funds currently deploying, not all will match your specific stage and sector. Use fund matching to find your top 10-15, approach those first, collect feedback, then go wider. Going to every fund simultaneously without qualifying first burns bridges and dilutes the urgency that helps close a round.

How is DryPowder different from building a VC list on LinkedIn or Crunchbase?

The fund list you build on LinkedIn or Crunchbase is roughly the same list every other founder is building. DryPowder adds three things a manual search cannot: deployment signals (which funds have recently closed new vehicles and are actively writing checks), AI thesis matching (which of the 22 pre-seed funds actually fits your specific startup, ranked by fit), and verified partner contact details. The goal is 15 targeted, thesis-aligned pitches instead of 150 generic ones.