403 pre-seed AI investors in the US
We list 403 pre-seed AI investors in the US as of November 2026: each has an SEC filing on file, and the list was last checked on 6 Nov 2026. The cities with the most head offices on this list are San Francisco (54), New York (49) and Palo Alto (23).
Top 5 pre-seed AI investors in the US, ranked by recent fund activity
Among firms with a published profile and a dated fund or deal in the last 24 months. The rule: Activity score out of 100: recency of the latest fund filing or dated deal (30: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (20; half of that when the sector is stated only), stage focus (15: all of it when pre-seed is the only stage the firm states, split evenly when it states more), stated focus on the US (15: full marks when the firm names the US as where it invests, half when it says global), size of the fund on file on a log scale (12) and completeness of the public record (8). Stage and regional focus are our research, not an SEC figure. It is a measure of activity and fit, not of quality or returns. The same rule orders the whole list; it is repeated in the method box.
Tectonic Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: Newton, MA · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: AI, B2B, SaaS · Latest activity: New fund, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $87M (SEC Form D, 2021)
Latest fund filing dated Aug 2026; $87M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2021); states AI as a focus; backs pre-seed; names the US as where it invests; 2 named decision-makers on file.
1517 Fund
Type: VC firm · HQ: Telluride, CO · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: AI, Edtech, Deep Tech, SaaS · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $43M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $43M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2025); states AI as a focus; backs pre-seed; names the US as where it invests; 2 named decision-makers on file.
Incisive VC
Type: VC firm · HQ: Seattle, WA · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: AI, Media, B2B, SaaS · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $25M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $25M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states AI as a focus; backs pre-seed; names the US as where it invests; 1 named decision-maker on file.
Redbud VC
Type: VC firm · HQ: Columbia, MO · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: AI, Healthtech, Agritech, Climate Tech · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $25M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $25M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2025); states AI as a focus; backs pre-seed; names the US as where it invests; 8 named decision-makers on file.
True Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: Palo Alto, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: AI, Fintech, Deep Tech, Consumer · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $800M (SEC Form D, 2022)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $800M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2022); states AI as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 8 named decision-makers on file.
First 25 of 403 pre-seed AI investors in the US
| Investor | Type | HQ | Stagesour research | Focusour research | Latest fund or deal | Fund sizeas filed or stated | Checked | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tectonic Ventures | VC firm | Newton, MA | Pre-seed | AI, B2B, SaaS | New fund, Aug 2026 | $87M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names · Unlock |
| 1517 Fund | VC firm | Telluride, CO | Pre-seed | AI, Edtech, Deep Tech, SaaS | New fund, Sep 2026 | $43M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Incisive VC | VC firm | Seattle, WA | Pre-seed | AI, Media, B2B, SaaS | New fund, Sep 2026 | $25M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Redbud VC | VC firm | Columbia, MO | Pre-seed | AI, Healthtech, Agritech, Climate Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $25M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| True Ventures | VC firm | Palo Alto, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Deep Tech, Consumer | New fund, Sep 2026 | $800M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| New Stack | VC firm | Chicago, IL | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Industrial Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $125M (SEC Form D, 2024) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names · Unlock |
| Transpose Platform | VC firm | Houston, TX | Pre-seed | AI, Biotech, Generalist | New fund, Sep 2026 | $500M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| NextView Ventures | VC firm | Boston, MA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Marketing Tech, Robotics, Industrial Tech | New deal, Oct 2026 | $135M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 6 names · Unlock |
| Silent Ventures | VC firm | Dallas, TX | Pre-seed | AI, Defense Tech, Logistics, Space | New fund, Jul 2026 | $85M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Inflection | VC firm | Framingham, MA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Space, Defense Tech, Crypto and Web3 | New fund, Sep 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Avid Ventures | VC firm | New York, NY | Pre-seed | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, SaaS | Portfolio news, Oct 2026 | $75M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 5 Nov 2026 | 2 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Khosla Ventures | VC firm | Menlo Park, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth | AI, Consumer, B2B, Fintech | New fund, Aug 2026 | $1.9B (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Slauson & Co | VC firm | Los Angeles, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Healthtech, Fintech, Logistics | New deal, Sep 2026 | $100M (SEC Form D, 2023) | 5 Nov 2026 | 2 names · Unlock |
| M25 | VC firm | Chicago, IL | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Healthtech, Generalist, Fintech | New deal, Sep 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Sazze Partners | VC firm | San Jose, CA | Pre-seed | AI, Media, SaaS, Consumer | New fund, Jun 2026 | $79M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Kleiner Perkins | VC firm | Menlo Park, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth | AI, Fintech, Proptech, Mobility | New fund, Aug 2026 | $995M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names · Unlock |
| LightX Capital | VC firm | Chicago, IL | Pre-seed | AI, Robotics, Healthtech, SaaS | New fund, Nov 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | 5 names, firm email · Unlock | |
| Alliance Venture Capital | VC firm | Morton Grove, IL | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Healthtech, SaaS | New deal, Oct 2026 | $40M (SEC Form D, 2024) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Wonder Ventures | VC firm | Malibu, CA | Pre-seed | AI, Fintech, B2B, Consumer | New fund, Jul 2026 | $55M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 4 Nov 2026 | 6 names · Unlock |
| Bison Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B | AI, Healthtech, Energy, Biotech | New fund, Oct 2026 | $160M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Volt Capital | VC firm | New York, NY | Pre-seed, Seed | AI | New fund, Aug 2026 | $30M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 4 names · Unlock |
| Madrona | VC firm | Seattle, WA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth | AI, Biotech, Consumer, Deep Tech | New deal, Oct 2026 | $490M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Motive Venture | VC firm | New York, NY | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth | AI, Fintech, Data, Future of Work | New fund, Aug 2026 | $200M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| First In Ventures | VC firm | Hobe Sound, FL | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Biotech, Healthtech, Climate Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $22M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 5 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Leo Capital | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Insurtech, SaaS | New deal, Oct 2026 | $20M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
You are seeing 25 of 403. The full list adds 378 more investors and 1,895 named decision-makers.
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How these 403 break down
By US state
| US state | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 166 | 41% |
| New York | 59 | 15% |
| Massachusetts | 31 | 8% |
| Florida | 21 | 5% |
| Texas | 20 | 5% |
| Illinois | 13 | 3% |
| Washington | 10 | 2% |
| Colorado | 7 | 2% |
| Connecticut | 7 | 2% |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 1% |
By type
| Type | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| VC firm | 394 | 98% |
| Accelerator | 8 | 2% |
Method and limits
- Source
- All 403 rows carry an SEC filing (Form D or Form ADV). All 403 have a website we checked. Filing date and fund size are SEC data where a filing exists. Stage, sector and check size are our research.
- Inclusion rule
- Organizations that back startups. Individuals, buyout funds and firms we found to be inactive are left out. Sector: the firm states AI as a focus on its own site, or we observed it in the firm's portfolio. Stage: the firm states that it invests at pre-seed.
- Order
- Firms with a published profile come first. Activity score out of 100: recency of the latest fund filing or dated deal (30: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (20; half of that when the sector is stated only), stage focus (15: all of it when pre-seed is the only stage the firm states, split evenly when it states more), stated focus on the US (15: full marks when the firm names the US as where it invests, half when it says global), size of the fund on file on a log scale (12) and completeness of the public record (8). Stage and regional focus are our research, not an SEC figure. It is a measure of activity and fit, not of quality or returns.
- Last refreshed
- November 2026. Rows on this list were checked between 4 Nov 2026 and 6 Nov 2026.
- Fill rates
- Of 403 rows: stage 403, sector 403, fund size 357, website 403. In the paid file: named decision-makers on 398 rows, firm email on 129, LinkedIn page on 220, check size on 56.
- Corrections
- Email [email protected] or use the update form. We act within 5 working days.
Questions
How many pre-seed AI investors in the US are there?
We list 403 as of November 2026. 236 of the 403 have a fund filing or a dated deal in the last 12 months. The cities with the most are San Francisco (54), New York (49) and Palo Alto (23).
Which pre-seed AI investors in the US raised a new fund in the last 12 months?
197 of the 403 have a fund filing dated in the last 12 months. The most recent on this list are Quiet Capital (Nov 2026), LightX Capital (Nov 2026) and 25Madison Ventures (Oct 2026).
What is the typical fund size of pre-seed AI investors in the US?
The median fund size on file for this list is $50M, across the 326 firms with a size on an SEC Form D. The fund on file is each firm's main fund, which is not always its newest. The other 77 do not disclose a size there.
How do I contact pre-seed AI investors in the US?
The paid file holds 1,895 named decision-makers across 398 of these 403 and a firm email for 129. We publish the address a firm lists itself, never a personal email. Each free row links to a profile with the firm's website.
Where does the data on pre-seed AI investors in the US come from?
All 403 rows have an SEC filing on file (Form D or Form ADV). Filing date and fund size come from the filing. Stage, sector and check size are our research. Rows on this list were last checked on 6 Nov 2026 at the latest. The whole file is re-verified twice a year.
Broader lists
AI venture capital firms in the US (1,112)Pre-seed investors in the US (549)Pre-seed AI investors (633)
Related lists
Seed AI investors in the US (724)Pre-seed SaaS investors in the US (367)Series A AI investors in the US (280)Pre-seed healthtech investors in the US (225)Pre-seed fintech investors in the US (187)Growth-stage AI investors in the US (162)Series B AI investors in the US (126)Pre-seed deep tech investors in the US (114)Pre-seed consumer investors in the US (104)Pre-seed medtech investors in the US (95)Pre-seed hardware investors in the US (95)Pre-seed B2B investors in the US (86)Pre-seed climate tech investors in the US (84)Pre-seed biotech investors in the US (81)Pre-seed industrial tech investors in the US (79)Pre-seed robotics investors in the US (76)Pre-seed energy investors in the US (73)Pre-seed developer tools investors in the US (67)
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