---
title: "How to Build an Investor List (With a Free 25-Row Starter List)"
author: "Muhammad Tayyab Shabbir"
last_updated: "2026-11-10"
data_as_of: "November 2026"
publisher: "The Investor Database"
canonical: "https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-to-build-an-investor-list/"
---

# How to Build an Investor List (With a Free 25-Row Starter List)

By Muhammad Tayyab Shabbir. Last updated 10 Nov 2026. Data as of November 2026.

To build an investor list, write down your stage, sector and place, pull every fund that fits from a dated source, and keep eight columns for each one. Below is a **free starter list of 25 US venture firms**, the most recent filers in our data of 4,178 investors as of November 2026.

## Key takeaways

- Decide the fit first: stage, sector, place. A list without a filter is a phone book.
- Start from a dated public source, such as SEC Form D, so every row has evidence behind it.
- Eight columns are enough. The checked date is the one people skip and regret.
- Rank by recency. 1,598 of our 3,019 US investors show activity in the last year or two.
- A short, well-matched list beats a long one.

## What are the steps to build an investor list?

1. **Define the fit.** One stage, up to three sectors, and the places you can raise from.
2. **Pull the candidates.** Use SEC Form D for US funds, a register for UK and European funds, or a list page that already does the filtering.
3. **Add stage and sector.** Read each firm's own site and portfolio. What a firm has backed tells you more than what it says.
4. **Find the contact route.** A pitch form if the firm has one, a named partner if not, a firm address as a last resort.
5. **Rank by recency.** A firm with a new fund or a deal this year goes above one that has gone quiet.
6. **Date and source every row.** Write down when you checked it and where the fact came from.

## Which columns should an investor list have?

These eight. The last column shows how many of our 4,178 rows carry each one, so you can see where any list, ours included, runs thin.

| Column | Why you need it | Filled in our data (4,178 rows) |
|---|---|---|
| **Firm name and type** | So you know what kind of money it is | 4,178 (100%) |
| **City, state or country** | For meetings and for funds with a local focus | 3,884 (93%) |
| **Stage** | The first filter: a growth fund will not do your pre-seed | 2,510 (60%) |
| **Sectors** | The second filter | 2,865 (69%) |
| **Latest fund date and size** | Shows whether there is fresh capital | 2,428 (58%) |
| **Named decision-makers** | Someone to write to | 3,520 (84%) |
| **Firm email or pitch route** | How the firm asks to be approached | 1,638 (39%) |
| **Source and checked date** | So you can trust the row in three months | 4,178 (100%) |

## A free starter list: 25 US venture firms with a new fund

Rule for this table: US firms with the most recent Form D filing date in our data, where we also hold a stage and a sector. The filing date is SEC Form D data. Stage and sector are our research.

| Firm | Location | Stages (our research) | Sectors (our research) | Latest Form D filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Quiet Capital](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/quiet-capital/) | San Francisco, California | Pre-seed | AI, SaaS, Fintech, Consumer | 6 Nov 2026 |
| [GrayHair Venture Partners](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/grayhair-venture-partners/) | Ridgewood, New Jersey | Seed | AI, Legal Tech, Fintech, Edtech | 4 Nov 2026 |
| [Reveille](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/reveille/) | New York, New York | Seed | Defense Tech, Energy, Space, AI | 4 Nov 2026 |
| [LightX Capital](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/lightx-capital/) | Chicago, Illinois | Pre-seed | AI, Robotics, Healthtech, SaaS | 4 Nov 2026 |
| [Hyve Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/hyve-ventures/) | Austin, Texas | Pre-seed | Consumer, Healthtech, Logistics, Biotech | 3 Nov 2026 |
| [ClearSky](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/clearsky/) | West Palm Beach, Florida | Growth | AI, Energy, Cybersecurity, Climate Tech | 2 Nov 2026 |
| [MESH](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/mesh/) | Portland, Oregon | Growth, Late stage | Hardware | 2 Nov 2026 |
| [25Madison Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/25madison-ventures/) | New York, New York | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Healthtech, AI, Logistics, Industrial Tech | 30 Oct 2026 |
| [Future Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/future-ventures/) | Los Altos, California | Seed | Healthtech, AI, Biotech, Energy | 30 Oct 2026 |
| [Draper Associates](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/draper-associates/) | San Mateo, California | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Mobility | 29 Oct 2026 |
| [Crystal Venture Partners](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/crystal-venture-partners/) | New York, New York | Pre-seed, Seed | Insurtech, AI, Fintech, Cybersecurity | 28 Oct 2026 |
| [Audere](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/audere/) | Austin, Texas | Growth | Cybersecurity, AI, Robotics, Industrial Tech | 28 Oct 2026 |
| [Squared Circle Square Two](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/squared-circle-square-two/) | Plymouth, Minnesota | Pre-seed, Seed | Cybersecurity | 28 Oct 2026 |
| [Inspired](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/inspired/) | New York, New York | Seed | AI, Fintech, Generalist, Consumer | 27 Oct 2026 |
| [Pear Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/pear-ventures/) | Menlo Park, California | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Consumer | 27 Oct 2026 |
| [Qubits Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/qubits-ventures/) | Pasadena, California | Seed | Quantum, AI, Deep Tech | 26 Oct 2026 |
| [Multimodal Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/multimodal-ventures/) | Naperville, Illinois | Seed | AI, Robotics, Fintech, SaaS | 23 Oct 2026 |
| [Foster Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/foster-ventures/) | Foster City, California | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | AI, Future of Work, Developer Tools, SaaS | 23 Oct 2026 |
| [IVP: Venture capital for the Exceptional](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/ivp-venture-capital-for-the-exceptional/) | Menlo Park, California | Series B, Growth | AI, Healthtech, Developer Tools, SaaS | 22 Oct 2026 |
| [K5 Global](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/k5-global/) | Miami Beach, Florida | Pre-seed, Growth, Any stage | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Biotech | 21 Oct 2026 |
| [Soma Capital](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/soma-capital/) | Miami Beach, Florida | Seed | AI, Fintech, SaaS, Deep Tech | 21 Oct 2026 |
| [Saga Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/saga-ventures/) | Austin, Texas | Seed | AI, Fintech, Defense Tech | 21 Oct 2026 |
| [True Beauty Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/true-beauty-ventures/) | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | Seed, Series A, Series B | Consumer, Healthtech, CPG | 20 Oct 2026 |
| [White Rabbit](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/white-rabbit/) | San Francisco, California | Pre-seed | Cybersecurity | 20 Oct 2026 |
| [Bison Ventures](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors/bison-ventures/) | San Francisco, California | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B | AI, Healthtech, Energy, Biotech | 19 Oct 2026 |

You are seeing 25 of 3,019 US investors. Narrow it to your own stage, sector and state with the [matching tool](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investor-matching-tool/), or browse the [list pages](https://theinvestordatabase.com/lists/), which show 25 rows each.

**Get all 3,019 US investors and 9,951 named contacts, $197:** https://theinvestordatabase.com/buy/us. One-time payment. No subscription. No account. Or get the [free sample file](https://theinvestordatabase.com/#sample) (100 investors) first.

## How long should an investor list be?

Long enough to fill your calendar and short enough that you can research every name. [How many investors should you pitch?](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-many-investors-should-you-pitch/) has a calculator that turns the round you need into a number.

## Should you build the list or buy one?

Build it if you have more time than money and only need a few dozen names. Buy one if your time is the scarce thing: the US file is $197 and a single list is $49, both one-time. Either way you still do the last step yourself: reading each firm before you write to it. [Where to buy an investor list](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/where-to-buy-an-investor-list/) compares the options.

## Method and limits

- **Starter list:** 25 rows chosen by filing date, newest first. No row was picked by hand.
- **Free fields:** Firm, location, stage, sector and filing date. Named people, emails and LinkedIn pages are in the paid file.
- **Fill rates:** Counted from all 4,178 records. Data as of November 2026.
- **Limits:** Stage and sector are missing for many US firms that have no website, so the starter list favors firms with a public profile.

## Questions

### How do I build an investor list?

Define your stage, sector and place. Pull matching funds from a dated source such as SEC Form D. Add stage, sector, a contact route, the latest fund date, and the date you checked each row.

### What columns should an investor list have?

Firm and type, location, stage, sectors, latest fund date and size, named decision-makers, a firm email or pitch route, and the source with the date checked.

### Where can I get a free investor list?

The table on this page has 25 rows. Every list page on this site shows 25 rows free, and the free sample file has 100 investors.

### How many investors should be on my list?

Enough to produce the meetings your round needs. Use the calculator in our guide on how many investors to pitch, with your own conversion rates.

### Is it better to build or buy an investor list?

Build it if you need a few dozen names and have the time. Buy it if research time costs you more than $49 to $197.

### How do I keep an investor list up to date?

Put a checked date on every row and re-check before you send. New Form D filings appear weekly and show which funds have fresh capital.

## Related

- [How many investors to pitch](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-many-investors-should-you-pitch/)
- [Investor outreach email templates](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/investor-outreach-email-templates/)
- [How to read a Form D](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-to-read-a-form-d/)
- [Form D glossary](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/form-d-glossary/)
- [How to find investors for your startup](https://theinvestordatabase.com/how-to-find-investors-for-your-startup/)
- [Investor matching tool](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investor-matching-tool/)
- [Venture capital firms in the US (2,975)](https://theinvestordatabase.com/lists/venture-capital-firms-us/)
- [Investors by sector](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investors-by-sector/)
- [Where to buy an investor list](https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/where-to-buy-an-investor-list/)
- [Investor list spreadsheet (Excel and CSV)](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investor-list-spreadsheet/)
- [What is in the investor database](https://theinvestordatabase.com/investor-database/)

## Cite this page

Muhammad Tayyab Shabbir, "How to Build an Investor List (With a Free 25-Row Starter List)", The Investor Database, 10 Nov 2026. https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-to-build-an-investor-list/