In the tech industry, much of the financial support successful startups receive comes from an array of top venture capital (or VC) firms that invest in companies, as well as the people and ideas behind them. While founders may have to cede part of their ownership in exchange for funds, top VC firms can breathe new life into a tech startup and give leaders the resources they need to grow their businesses.
Top VC Firms in Tech
- Andreessen Horowitz
- Greylock Partners
- Sequoia Capital
- Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Kleiner Perkins
- Intel Capital
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- Accel
- Founders Fund
- Benchmark
How Do Venture Capital Firms Operate?
VC firms back startups and established companies at specific stages of growth using invested funds from institutional clients like large nonprofits, pension funds and university endowments.
While financial backing from a VC firm can come early in the life of a startup — like a pre-seed or seed funding round — or later in a company’s evolution — think Series C funding to help a company take their next big leap — that money is a big bet that could provide a tremendous return on investment if the company goes public or is acquired.
But for every Apple and Amazon that has relied on venture capital to emerge as well-known, publicly traded companies, there are others that weren’t so successful for any number of reasons — either from hitting the market too soon or just outright collapse. To manage risk, VC firms conduct immense amounts of research and analysis and may even focus their investments in certain niche sectors within the tech industry like artificial intelligence or digital healthcare.
26 Top Venture Capital Firms in Tech
From seed rounds to late-stage growth partnerships, these are the top VC firms helping tech companies, and their founders, not only find financial success but make even greater advances in the industry.
- Best for: Startups across a range of stages and industries
- Notable investments: Ambient.ai, Asana, ClickUp
- Industries served: Many areas, including healthcare, crypto and gaming
One of the most well-known VC firms backing tech companies today is Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, as it’s commonly known. Launched in 2009 by Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, a co-founder, alongside Andreesen, of the software company Opsware, a16z has invested in companies in various industries ranging from healthcare to cryptocurrency. It manages $42 billion across its funds and has backed companies like Airbnb, Facebook, Lyft and Skype.
- Best for: Startups of all stages, especially seed-stage startups
- Notable investments: Coinbase, Palo Alto Networks, Nextdoor
- Industries served: Enterprise software, consumer technology, cybersecurity and crypto
Greylock Partners is a Silicon Valley-based VC firm that invests in companies developing enterprise and consumer technology. It has provided funding to Nextdoor, the neighborhood-based social media service; Roblox, the gaming and metaverse platform; and Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange. In 2023, Greylock Partners established a $1 billion Greylock 17 fund and a Greylock Edge program to further support founders.
- Best for: Startups of all stages
- Notable investments: Apple, WhatsApp, Unity
- Industries served: Consumer technology, mobile technology and energy, among other sectors
Another well-known VC firm, Sequoia Capital has backed a wide array of companies ranging from Apple and Atari to Square and Unity. Founded in 1972, Sequoia also manages investments for a limited number of nonprofits like the Ford Foundation and the Boston Children’s Hospital. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Sequoia has offices across the globe, including in the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
- Best for: Startups of any stage, especially early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Rubrik, Snap, Affirm
- Industries served: Blockchain, consumer technology, enterprise software, fintech, gaming and healthcare
Besides funding startups, Lightspeed Venture Partners leverages its network of relationships to help startups develop long-term strategies. The firm’s partners can guide startups’ executive teams, test and deliver feedback on products and provide additional funding as needed. Lightspeed offers even more opportunities to connect to industry leaders through its advisory council, which features C-suite figures from companies like HubSpot, Uber and Adobe.
- Best for: Early- and growth-stage startups
- Notable investments: Amazon, Electronic Arts, VMware Carbon Black
- Industries served: Fintech, consumer technology, hardware, enterprise software and healthcare
Founded in Menlo Park, California, in 1972, Kleiner Perkins has backed tech industry forebears like Compaq, Genentech, AOL, Amazon and Netscape. It’s also invested in consumer tech companies like Epic Games; fintech companies like Stripe; and hardware, enterprise and healthcare companies. In late 2023, Kleiner Perkins made a splash in the generative AI field by leading funding for Together AI.
- Best for: Early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Joby Aviation, Beep, Horizon Robotics
- Industries served: Cloud, mobile technology and hardware, to name a few
A subsidiary of technology company Intel Corporation, Intel Capital backs a wide array of startups working in cloud, hardware, circuit and chip, and “frontier” technologies like robotics and automation. Founded in 1991, Intel Capital has invested in more than 2,000 companies and has provided funding for the eVTOL company Joby Aviation as well as Beep, the self-driving electric car company.
- Best for: Early- and late-stage startups
- Notable investments: LinkedIn, Twilio, Pinterest
- Industries served: Consumer services, enterprise software and healthcare
Having backed LinkedIn, Twitch, Pinterest and Shopify, Bessemer Venture Partners has helped companies across healthcare, social media and other consumer industries grow into successful brands. In 2024, Bessemer Venture Partners expanded its presence in the AI industry by leading funding for AI data management company Voxel51 and Fieldguide, a company looking to revamp accounting with AI.
- Best for: Early- and late-stage startups
- Notable investments: 1Password, Ada, ACKO
- Industries served: Many industries, including fintech, SaaS and healthcare
The VC firm Accel has backed major players in tech like the password manager, 1Password, the drone company Skydio, and grocery delivery companies Misfits Market and GoPuff. It was also an early investor in Facebook. Founded in 1983, Accel is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and has offices in San Francisco, London and India. Accel has boosted its investments in the security sector through its relationships with companies like Corelight and Vorlon.
- Best for: Startups focused on developing transformational technologies
- Notable investments: SpaceX, Oculus, Figma
- Industries served: Space exploration, virtual reality and consumer technology, to name a few
Founders Fund was started by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, an early backer of Facebook and LinkedIn. The company prefers to invest in tech businesses focused specifically on scientific and engineering issues. It has funded businesses like SpaceX, Modern Health, Oculus, Lyft and the design tool Figma.
- Best for: Early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Amplitude, Cerebras Systems, Airtable
- Industries served: Enterprise software, mobile technology and cloud services, among others
Benchmark is another famous VC firm having backed big-name companies such as WeWork and Uber. It refers to itself as the Chicago Bulls of venture capital firms, and the firm’s general partner, Bill Gurley has been likened to the Michal Jordan of investing. The company has also backed startups like online dating app Tinder, messaging app SnapChat and Stitch Fix, the online personal styling company.
- Best for: Startups of all stages spanning various sectors
- Notable investments: Slack, Etsy, Notion
- Industries served: Many industries, including consumer technology, enterprise software and AI
With offices in San Francisco, New York City, New Jersey, London and Geneva, Switzerland, Index Ventures has backed companies like Roblox, Etsy, Slack and Squarespace. The company anticipated the rise of artificial intelligence and continues to pave the way in AI-based VC funding with investments in companies like Covariant and Weaviate.
- Best for: Startups of any stage
- Notable investments: Stripe, Warby Parker, Canva
- Industries served: Consumer technology, enterprise software, crypto, fintech, healthcare
General Catalyst seeks to make a positive impact through its investments by following the principles of “responsible innovation,” which include inclusive prosperity, sustainability and transparency. The firm identifies startups and emerging companies that align with these values and supports them throughout their journeys, from getting startups off the ground to helping companies work through growing pains.
- Best for: Middle-market startups of all stages
- Notable investments: Apothecary Products, Welocalize, Rosetta Stone
- Industries served: Healthcare, fitness, enterprise software, IT, consumer technology
Norwest Equity Partners remains committed to funding medium-sized startups and companies, keeping its transactions within the range of $50 million and $500 million. The firm establishes itself as a long-term partner to startups, tailoring funding to meet companies’ needs, equipping leaders with resources to navigate business challenges and tapping its network in the Midwest and Southeast to attract additional funds when necessary.
- Best for: Early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Warby Parker, Carta, Chime
- Industries served: Consumer technology, enterprise software and healthcare
Menlo Ventures focuses its investments on companies working in sectors like cybersecurity, SaaS, robotics, digital healthcare and other tech-related industries. Founded in 1976, the VC firm has helped more than 80 companies go public and has more than $5 billion under management. Menlo Ventures has backed companies like Warby Parker, Uber, Poshmark and Chime.
- Best for: Early-stage vertical SaaS startups
- Notable investments: Ritten, Cubby, GreenSpark
- Industries served: Scrap yards, behavioral health and self-storage, among many others
Fractal Software is a VC firm that invests in early-stage vertical SaaS companies. Vertical SaaS is specific to one industry, rather than serving customers across domains. VC brings money to the table, of course, but Fractal also works with entrepreneurs to co-create business concepts, bring in established co-founders and provide support to decrease risk and increase the potential for success, which it defines as “a venture-scale outcome.”
- Best for: Startups focused on Web3 areas like crypto and blockchain
- Notable investments: LimeWire, Hiro, Helium
- Industries served: Crypto, blockchain and digital asset financial services
Hivemind Capital Partners is an investment firm that offers venture funding to what are known as Web3 projects: early-stage crypto companies, blockchain tech and digital asset financial services. Scouting projects from entrepreneurs and software designers in the crypto economy, Hivemind brings strategy services and capital to the table to launch new companies and tech into the crypto economy.
- Best for: Early-stage startups in various industries
- Notable clients: Horizon Robotics, Pony.ai, UC Web
- Industries investments: Self-driving cars, robotics and e-commerce, to name a few
5Y Capital is a VC firm based in Shanghai, China. Previously known as Morningside Venture Capital, 5Y manages more than $5 billion for clients, investing in tech companies such as Hai Robotics, a warehouse automation company; Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup; and Horizon Robotics, another company working in the self-driving car industry.
- Best for: Early- and growth-stage startups
- Notable investments: Ernesta, Onehouse, Seqera Labs
- Industries served: Custom rugs, cloud, data analytics
Addition is a VC firm started by Lee Fixel, a former partner at Tiger Global Management, where he backed such companies as FreshWorks and Peloton. At Addition, Fixel is focused on backing early- and growth-stage companies. The firm has maintained its funding momentum with a fifth round of funding in just four years, this time raking in $1.5 billion.
- Best for: Early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Instacart, Dusty Robotics, Corvium
- Industries served: Healthcare, fintech, cloud and biopharma, among other sectors
Founded in 1987, Canaan invests in early-stage startups and has backed companies like grocery tech company Instacart and the collaborative robot company Dusty Robotics. It has raised $6 billion across 12 funds. Additionally, it has backed 70 companies that have had initial public offerings and has been involved in 145 mergers and acquisitions.
- Best for: Startups of any stage that are open to long-term partnerships
- Notable investments: Canva, Discord, Stripe
- Industries served: Graphic design, cloud services and fintech, among other industries
Based in San Francisco, Greenoaks Capital was founded in 2012. The firm embraces quality over quantity, seeking to build long-term relationships with businesses that have the potential to reshape their industries. It has backed companies like Airtable, a database platform provider; Robinhood, an investment trading platform; and Canva, a graphic design company.
- Best for: Early- and growth-stage startups
- Notable investments: Pinterest, Shopify, DraftKings
- Industries served: Enterprise software, consumer technology and frontier sectors like AI
Based in New York City, FirstMark Capital is a VC firm that’s backed big names in consumer and enterprise tech like Pinterest, DraftKings and Ro, a digital healthcare company. With funds totaling more than $1 billion, FirstMark also offers a recruiting platform, as well as a network of more than 50,000 members with organized events and conferences to connect founders and entrepreneurs.
- Best for: Seed-stage startups
- Notable investments: Uber, Airtable, The Trade Desk
- Industries served: E-commerce, crypto, adtech and healthcare, among other industries
Working with startups at the seed stage, Founder Collective has funded Airtable, Uber and Embark, a company that provides DNA testing for dogs. In 2023, Founder Collective created its largest fund of $95 million, staying true to its approach of keeping its funds smaller with the goal of gaining large returns from rising startups.
- Best for: Late-stage startups
- Notable investments: Klarna, Twitter, CrowdStrike
- Industries served: Fintech, healthcare and SaaS, among other industries
Founded in 1980, IVP has invested in more than 400 companies, over 130 of which have gone public. The firm boasts a diverse portfolio that covers sectors like gaming, SaaS, AI, digital health and fintech. IVP has backed companies like Glossier and Coinbase, as well as Lime and UIPath, a leading robotic process automation company.
- Best for: Early-stage startups
- Notable investments: Headspace, Lyft, River Financial
- Industries served: Web3, financial services, e-commerce and healthcare, among other sectors
M13 is a VC firm with offices in Santa Monica, California, and New York City. The company invests in technology companies working in health, e-commerce, financial services and Web3. It has invested in the meditation app, Headspace, and Daily Harvest, the plant-based meal kit company. With generative AI attracting much attention, M13 has adjusted and invested in AI-focused companies like Carenostics.
- Best for: Seed-stage startups
- Notable investments: DoorDash, Aurora Solar, Affinity
- Industries served: Fintech, AI, biotech and SaaS, among other industries
Pear VC has seeded almost 200 companies, eight of which are valued at more than $1 billion today, and three of which have gone public. It has backed companies like DoorDash, Affinity, a SaaS company focused on client relationship management, and the climate tech company Aurora Solar.
- Best for: Growth-stage startups
- Notable investments: Jellyvision, Built In, Nerdio
- Industries served: B2B technology and software
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Updata Partners specializes in working with software-enabled companies based outside of the Bay Area with limited prior outside investment. In addition to capital, Updata provides companies with support in scaling operations and accelerating sales. Its portfolio includes companies like Jellyvision, Nerdio and Built In.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a venture capital firm?
A venture capital firm provides funding to startups and growing businesses. A committee decides which companies to invest in, leaning toward companies already generating revenue. For each investment, members of a VC firm pull from their own resources and those of third-party investors — also known as limited partners — and receive an equity stake in the client’s business in return.
How do VC firms get paid?
In addition to earning revenue from holding an equity stake in client businesses, members of VC firms may collect income from management fees and a percentage of the return on investment from private equity funds.
How much money do you need to be a VC investor?
The smallest VC investments often fall between $1 to $5 million. A VC firm often pools resources among its members and brings in additional funding from third-party investors to reach this range at the very least.
