18 pre-seed semiconductor investors
We list 18 pre-seed semiconductor investors as of November 2026: 14 have an SEC filing on file and 4 were checked on the firm's own website or an official register, and the list was last checked on 7 Nov 2026. The states with the most are California (5), Massachusetts (3) and New York (2).
Top 5 pre-seed semiconductor investors, 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 (35: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (25; 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), size of the fund on file on a log scale (15) and completeness of the public record (10). Stage focus is 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.
Protagonist
Type: VC firm · HQ: Bay Harbor Islands, FL · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: Semiconductor, AI, Industrial Tech, Energy · Latest activity: New fund, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $150M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Aug 2026; $150M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states semiconductors as a focus; backs pre-seed; 8 named decision-makers on file.
Inflection
Type: VC firm · HQ: Framingham, MA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Semiconductor, AI, Space, Defense Tech · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $50M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $50M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states semiconductors as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; 3 named decision-makers on file.
Julian Capital: Deeptech Seed Fund
Type: VC firm · HQ: San Francisco, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Semiconductor, Energy, Deep Tech, Healthtech · Latest activity: New fund, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $51M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Aug 2026; $51M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states semiconductors as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; 5 named decision-makers on file.
Bison Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: San Francisco, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B · Focus: Semiconductor, AI, Healthtech, Energy · Latest activity: New fund, Oct 2026 · Fund size on file: $160M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Latest fund filing dated Oct 2026; $160M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2025); states semiconductors as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed, Series A; 2 named decision-makers on file.
Mayfield
Type: VC firm · HQ: Menlo Park, CA · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: Semiconductor, AI, Consumer, Healthtech · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; states semiconductors as a focus; backs pre-seed; 2 named decision-makers on file.
First 10 of 18 pre-seed semiconductor investors
| Investor | Type | HQ | Stagesour research | Focusour research | Latest fund or deal | Fund sizeas filed or stated | Checked | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonist | VC firm | Bay Harbor Islands, FL | Pre-seed | Semiconductor, AI, Industrial Tech, Energy | New fund, Aug 2026 | $150M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Inflection | VC firm | Framingham, MA | Pre-seed, Seed | Semiconductor, AI, Space, Defense Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Julian Capital: Deeptech Seed Fund | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | Semiconductor, Energy, Deep Tech, Healthtech | New fund, Aug 2026 | $51M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 5 names · Unlock |
| Bison Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B | Semiconductor, AI, Healthtech, Energy | New fund, Oct 2026 | $160M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Mayfield | VC firm | Menlo Park, CA | Pre-seed | Semiconductor, AI, Consumer, Healthtech | New fund, Sep 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names · Unlock | |
| Deep Future | VC firm | Seattle, WA | Pre-seed | Semiconductor, Energy, Robotics, Deep Tech | New fund, May 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Empirical Ventures | SEIS/EIS fund | London, United Kingdom | Pre-seed, Seed | Semiconductor, Biotech, Energy, Deep Tech | New deal, Jul 2026 | £50M (own site) | 4 Nov 2026 | 6 names, firm email · Unlock |
| W Health Ventures | VC firm | Boston, MA | Pre-seed | Semiconductor, Healthtech, AI, Medtech | New fund, Dec 2025 | $45M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| ThatRound | Investment platform | London, United Kingdom | Pre-seed, Seed | Semiconductor, AI, Energy, Generalist | Portfolio news, Sep 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock | |
| TNO Ventures | Government or university fund | Netherlands | Pre-seed, Seed | Semiconductor, Deep Tech, AI, Medtech | Portfolio news, Sep 2026 | 7 Nov 2026 | firm email · Unlock |
You are seeing 10 of 18. The full list adds 8 more investors and 84 named decision-makers.
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How these 18 break down
By region
| Region | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 14 | 78% |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 17% |
By US state
| US state | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5 | 28% |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 17% |
| New York | 2 | 11% |
By type
| Type | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| VC firm | 15 | 83% |
| SEIS/EIS fund | 1 | 6% |
| Investment platform | 1 | 6% |
| Government or university fund | 1 | 6% |
Method and limits
- Source
- 14 of the 18 rows carry an SEC filing (Form D or Form ADV). All 18 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 semiconductors 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 (35: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (25; 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), size of the fund on file on a log scale (15) and completeness of the public record (10). Stage focus is 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 7 Nov 2026.
- Fill rates
- Of 18 rows: stage 18, sector 18, fund size 13, website 18. In the paid file: named decision-makers on 17 rows, firm email on 10, LinkedIn page on 10, check size on 6.
- Corrections
- Email [email protected] or use the update form. We act within 5 working days.
Questions
How many pre-seed semiconductor investors are there?
We list 18 as of November 2026. 15 of the 18 have a fund filing or a dated deal in the last 12 months.
Which pre-seed semiconductor investors raised a new fund in the last 12 months?
10 of the 18 have a fund filing dated in the last 12 months. The most recent on this list are Bison Ventures (Oct 2026), Mayfield (Sep 2026) and Inflection (Sep 2026).
What is the typical fund size of pre-seed semiconductor investors?
The median fund size on file for this list is $50M, across the 12 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 6 do not disclose a size there.
How do I contact pre-seed semiconductor investors?
The paid file holds 84 named decision-makers across 17 of these 18 and a firm email for 10. 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 semiconductor investors come from?
14 of the 18 rows have an SEC filing on file (Form D or Form ADV) and 4 were checked on the firm's own website or an official register. 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 7 Nov 2026 at the latest. The whole file is re-verified twice a year.
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