207 pre-seed investors in California
We list 207 pre-seed investors in California 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 (69), Palo Alto (29) and Menlo Park (19).
Top 5 pre-seed investors in California, 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 (40: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), 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 (20) and completeness of the public record (10). 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.
Expa
Type: VC firm · HQ: San Francisco, CA · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: Fintech, SaaS · Latest activity: New deal, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $200M (SEC Form D, 2021)
Dated new deal in Sep 2026; $200M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2021); 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); backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 8 named decision-makers on file.
Khosla Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: Menlo Park, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth · Focus: AI, Consumer, B2B, Fintech · Latest activity: New fund, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $1.9B (SEC Form D, 2025)
Latest fund filing dated Aug 2026; $1.9B fund on file (SEC Form D, 2025); backs pre-seed, seed, Series A; names the US as where it invests; 8 named decision-makers on file.
Kleiner Perkins
Type: VC firm · HQ: Menlo Park, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth · Focus: AI, Fintech, Proptech, Mobility · Latest activity: New fund, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $995M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Aug 2026; $995M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); backs pre-seed, seed, Series A; names the US as where it invests; 2 named decision-makers on file.
Slauson & Co
Type: VC firm · HQ: Los Angeles, CA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: AI, Healthtech, Fintech, Logistics · Latest activity: New deal, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $100M (SEC Form D, 2023)
Dated new deal in Sep 2026; $100M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2023); backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 2 named decision-makers on file.
First 25 of 207 pre-seed investors in California
| Investor | Type | HQ | Stagesour research | Focusour research | Latest fund or deal | Fund sizeas filed or stated | Checked | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expa | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed | Fintech, SaaS | New deal, Sep 2026 | $200M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Quiet Capital | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed | AI, SaaS, Fintech, Consumer | New fund, Nov 2026 | $500M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names · 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 |
| Rebellion Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Logistics, Industrial Tech, Robotics | New fund, Oct 2026 | $13M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 4 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Autotech Ventures | VC firm | Menlo Park, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B | Mobility, AI, Logistics, Fintech | New fund, Aug 2026 | $25M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Draper Associates | VC firm | San Mateo, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Mobility | New fund, Oct 2026 | $301M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Galileo Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Deep Tech, Robotics, B2B | New fund, Aug 2026 | $100M (SEC Form D, 2023) | 5 Nov 2026 | 5 names, firm email · Unlock |
| How Women Invest | VC firm | Oakland, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B | Healthtech, AI, B2B, Climate Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $12M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Right Side Capital Management | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed | New fund, Apr 2026 | $323M (SEC Form ADV) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock | |
| 2AM Ventures | VC firm | La Habra, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Media | New fund, Sep 2026 | $10M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names, firm email · Unlock |
| South Park Commons | Accelerator | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Developer Tools, Edtech, SaaS | New fund, Oct 2026 | $500M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 4 names · Unlock |
| Paradigm | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed | Crypto and Web3, AI, Robotics, Fintech | New deal, Jul 2026 | $1.1B (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Initialized | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Generalist, Fintech, Defense Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $520M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Schematic Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Industrial Tech, Logistics, Robotics | New fund, May 2026 | $60M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 5 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Electric Capital | VC firm | Palo Alto, CA | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Crypto and Web3, AI, Fintech, Healthtech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $532M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Plaid Matrix Fund | VC firm | Palo Alto, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Proptech, Industrial Tech | New fund, Jun 2026 | $55M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 5 names · Unlock |
| Pear Ventures | VC firm | Menlo Park, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Consumer | New fund, Oct 2026 | $410M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Kindred Ventures | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Crypto and Web3, Fintech, Healthtech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $230M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
You are seeing 25 of 207. The full list adds 182 more investors and 898 named decision-makers.
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How these 207 break down
By metro area
| Metro area | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| The San Francisco Bay Area | 164 | 79% |
| Silicon Valley | 75 | 36% |
| Los Angeles | 22 | 11% |
| San Diego | 5 | 2% |
Silicon Valley is counted inside the San Francisco Bay Area as well.
By city
| City | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 69 | 33% |
| Palo Alto | 29 | 14% |
| Menlo Park | 19 | 9% |
| Los Angeles | 8 | 4% |
| San Mateo | 6 | 3% |
| Mill Valley | 6 | 3% |
| San Jose | 4 | 2% |
| Mountain View | 4 | 2% |
| Oakland | 3 | 1% |
| Berkeley | 3 | 1% |
By sector
| Sector | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| AI | 166 | 80% |
| SaaS | 151 | 73% |
| Healthtech | 77 | 37% |
| Fintech | 71 | 34% |
| Deep Tech | 46 | 22% |
| Consumer | 41 | 20% |
| Hardware | 40 | 19% |
| Developer Tools | 37 | 18% |
| Robotics | 36 | 17% |
| B2B | 35 | 17% |
| Biotech | 34 | 16% |
| Climate Tech | 30 | 14% |
Sector is our research. A firm can carry more than one sector.
By type
| Type | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| VC firm | 204 | 99% |
| Accelerator | 2 | 1% |
Method and limits
- Source
- All 207 rows carry an SEC filing (Form D or Form ADV). All 207 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. Stage: the firm states that it invests at pre-seed. Place: head office in California.
- Order
- Firms with a published profile come first. Activity score out of 100: recency of the latest fund filing or dated deal (40: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), 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 (20) and completeness of the public record (10). 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 207 rows: stage 207, sector 198, fund size 185, website 207. In the paid file: named decision-makers on 205 rows, firm email on 53, LinkedIn page on 116, check size on 30.
- Corrections
- Email hello@theinvestordatabase.com or use the update form. We act within 5 working days.
Questions
How many pre-seed investors in California are there?
We list 207 as of November 2026. 116 of the 207 have a fund filing or a dated deal in the last 12 months. The cities with the most are San Francisco (69), Palo Alto (29) and Menlo Park (19).
Which pre-seed investors in California raised a new fund in the last 12 months?
97 of the 207 have a fund filing dated in the last 12 months. The most recent on this list are Quiet Capital (Nov 2026), House (Nov 2026) and Draper Associates (Oct 2026).
What is the typical fund size of pre-seed investors in California?
The median fund size on file for this list is $55M, across the 169 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 38 do not disclose a size there.
How do I contact pre-seed investors in California?
The paid file holds 898 named decision-makers across 205 of these 207 and a firm email for 53. 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 investors in California come from?
All 207 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.
Related lists
Seed investors in California (415)Series A investors in California (136)Growth-stage investors in California (89)Pre-seed investors in New York (82)Series B investors in California (60)Pre-seed investors in Massachusetts (48)Pre-seed investors in Florida (30)Pre-seed investors in Texas (25)Pre-seed investors in Illinois (16)
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