Early Stage VCs are some of the most important institutions in the worldwide startup ecosystem. To understand why so many top startups rely on Top VCs, just think about what early-stage investment is. It is the funding achieved through the first three stages of the company, with seed funding, startup funding and early-growth funding. This is the funding that helps businesses to get to the next level.
1. New Enterprise Associates
Year Founded: 1977
HQ: Menlo Park, California, USA
Size: 51-100
Founders: Chuck Newhall, Frank A. Bonsal, Jr., Richard Kramlich
New Enterprise Associates is an early-stage VC that was founded in 1977 and is currently based in Menlo Park, California. The company predominantly focuses its investment efforts on businesses in the technology and healthcare industries. The company has the history and pedigree of success to build a successful company from a startup.
Since the business was founded, it has managed a total of 13 investment funds. These funds have allowed the VC to make a mammoth 1956 investments. From these investments, the business has exited from 526.
2. Amadeus Capital Partners
Year Founded: 1997
HQ: Cambridge, England
Size: 11-50
Founders: Anne Glover, Hermann Hauser
Amadeus Capital Partners is an English Early Stage VC that was founded in 1997 and is currently based in Cambridge, England. The VC firm focuses on the technology industry, which encompasses things like enterprise software, medical technology, cleantech, business services and many more.
The company has managed a series of five investment funds since it was founded. This has given the firm the capability to make 247 investments in total. Directly from these investments, Amadeus has exited from 48 so far.
3. Venrock
Year Founded: 1969
HQ: Palo Alto, California, USA
Size: 51-100
Founders: Laurance Rockefeller
Venrock is an American early-stage Venture Capital firm that was founded in 1969 and is currently based in Palo Alto, California. The company has a long-standing pedigree of helping innovative companies to take their product and service offerings to the next level, having worked with Apple and Intel among others.
Since the VC firm was founded, it has managed a total of 10 investment funds, which has therefore allowed it to make 761 investments. Out of these investments, the company has currently exited from 263.
4. Google Ventures
Year Founded: 2008
HQ: Mountain View, California, USA
Size: 101-250
Founders: Bill Maris, Wesley Chan
Google Ventures, true to its name is the investment arm of Google's parent company, It was founded in 2008 and is currently based in Mountain View, California. The company invests in technology companies in the life sciences, robotics, AI, transport, security and agricultural sectors.
Since the company was founded just over a decade ago, it has made a series of 879 investments into various startups. So far, Google Ventures has exited from 207 of these investments.
5. Fuel Ventures
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: London, England
Size: 11-50
Founders: Mark Pearson
Fuel Ventures is an English VC firm that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in London, England. The company provides early-stage funding to companies that operate marketplaces, platforms and they also particularly cater to SaaS companies. The business also provides mentorship and support where it is needed.
Since the company was founded six years ago, it has managed five investment funds. From these funds, Fuel Ventures has made a total of 70 investments. So far, the company has only exited from one of these investments.
6. ARCH Venture Partners
Year Founded: 1986
HQ: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Clinton Bybee, Keith Crandell, Robert Nelsen, Steven Lazarus
Arch Venture Partners is an American VC firm that was founded in 1986 and is currently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company focuses on early-stage investment into healthcare and life science companies to make sure that diseases can be discovered, treated and then cured, to keep people safe.
Since the VC firm was founded it has managed a total of 11 investment funds. These funds have allowed the company to make a series of 389 investments into growing businesses. Currently, Arch has exited from a total of 91 investments.
7. Bain Capital Ventures
Year Founded: 1984
HQ: San Francisco, California, USA
Size: 51-100
Founders: James Nahirny, Michael Krupka
Bain Capital Ventures is an early-stage VC and the investment arm of Bain Capital, which was founded in 1984, with a headquarters in San Francisco, California. The company identifies and investments in companies that have the potential to either disrupt an industry, or create an entirely new industry.
Since the company was founded it has managed a total of 11 investment funds. The use of these funds has allowed Bain CV to make 505 investments. In terms of exits, the VC has exited from 101 investments so far.
8. Spintop Ventures
Year Founded: 2009
HQ: Stockholm, Sweden
Size: 1-10
Founders: Erik Wenngren, Finn Persson, Mats Johansson, Peter Carlsson, Sami Niemi
Spintop Ventures is a Swedish VC firm that was founded in 2009 and is currently headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The company focuses primarily on businesses in the early stages of their development and they tend to invest in technology startups in the Scandinavian region.
Since the business was founded just over a decade ago, Spintop Ventures has made a series of 35 investments into growing startups. Out of these investments, the company has successfully exited from four so far.
9. Anthemis Group
Year Founded: 2010
HQ: London, England
Size: 11-50
Founders: Amy Nauiokas, Nadeem Shaikh, Sean Park
Anthemis Group is an English early-stage VC that was founded in 2010 and is currently based in London, England. The company primarily focuses on making investments into the Fintech and InsurTech markets. Their aim is to drive change and innovation in the way that finance works.
Since the company was founded 11 years ago, it has managed a total of eight investment funds. These funds have allowed the company to make a grand total of 179 investments into startups. So far, Anthemis Group has exited from 16 of these investments.
10. General Catalyst
Year Founded: 2000
HQ: Cambridge, Mass, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: David Fialkow, David Orfao, Joel Cutler
General Catalyst is an American VC firm that was founded in 2000 and is currently based in Cambridge, USA. The company focuses on providing early-stage investment funding to help businesses to bring their ideas and their concepts to fruition, as well as helping to further any expansion efforts.
Since the business was founded two decades ago, it has managed 14 investment funds. These funds have allowed the VC firm to make an impressive 931 investments into startups. So far, General Catalyst has exited from 160 investments.
11. 360 Capital
Year Founded: 1997
HQ: Paris, France
Size: 11-50
Founders: Fausto Boni
360 Capital is a French early-stage Venture Capital firm that was founded in 1997 and is currently based in Paris, France. The company aims to target startups across a variety of sectors, with investments being given to companies that they believe have the potential to disrupt their industry. The company also has offices in Milan.
Since being founded, 360 Capital has managed 7 investments funds. From these investment funds, the French VC has managed to successfully make 155 investments into startups. The business has currently exited from a total of 39 investments.
12. Frontline Ventures
Year Founded: 2012
HQ: London, England
Size: 11-50
Founders: Shay Garvey, Will Prendergast
Frontline Ventures is an English early-stage VC that was founded in 2012 and is currently based in London, England. The company invests in technology companies and provides a range of other support services to give the founders the best possible chance for success. They also specialize in helping English companies with expanding into the United States.
Since it was founded nine years ago, the company has managed a total of four investment funds. This has allowed the company to make a series of 113 invests into early-stage startups. Out of these investments, the company has currently exited from 11.
13. Project A Ventures
Year Founded: 2012
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 101-250
Founders: Anton Waitz, Ben Fischer, Christian Weiss, Florian Heinemann, Thies Sander, Uwe Horstmann
Project A Ventures is a German early-stage VC firm that was founded in 2012 and currently has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Businesses can not only get investment from this company, but they can also get support in the form of mentorship and operational assistance. This helps the companies to grow and expand with the skills that they need.
Since the business was founded nine years ago, it has managed four investment funds. These funds have directly contributed towards the VC firm making 146 investments. So far, the team at Project A has exited from 22 investments.
14. Thrive Capital
Year Founded: 2009
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Joshua Kushner
Thrive Capital is an American VC firm that was founded in 2009 and is currently headquartered in New York, USA. The business is known for investing primarily in technology companies and software-enabled businesses. There is also a particular emphasis placed on companies in the internet market.
Since the company was founded 12 years ago, it has gone on to manage a total of 7 investment funds. These funds have allowed the VC firm to make a total of 266 investments into growing startups. So far, the company has exited from 56 of these investments.
15. Octopus Ventures
Year Founded: 2000
HQ: London, England
Size: 11-50
Founders: Simon Rogerson, Christopher Hulatt, Guy Myles
Octopus Ventures is an English VC firm that was founded in 2000 and is currently headquartered in London, England. The company specializes in providing investment to companies in the healthcare, FinTech, DeepTech and consumer markets. The company is rapdily growing within the European VC market.
Since being founded two decades ago, the company has managed a series of six investment funds. As a result of these investment funds, the VC firm has made a total of 273 investments. So far, the company has exited from 36 of these investments.
16. Conor Venture Partners
Year Founded: 2005
HQ: Espoo, Finland
Size: 1-10
Founders: Manu Makela, Sami Ahvenniemi
Conor Venture Partners is a Finnish VC firm that was founded in 2005 and is currently based in Espoo, Finland. The company focuses its investment efforts on early-stage technology startups within Scandaniva and the Baltic region. Common investments include IT technology, communications, software, electronics and more.
Since 2005, the company has managed two investment funds- with these funds providing Conor Venture Partners the ability to make a series of 42 investments. So far, the company has exited from nine of its investments.
17. Northcap
Year Founded: 1999
HQ: Copenhagen, Denmark
Size: 1-10
Founders: Thomas Weilby, Tim Wiencken
Northcap is a Danish early-stage VC firm that was founded in 1999 and is currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company exclusively focuses its effort on providing support to early-stage technology startups.
The VC firm has managed three investment funds since 1999 and these funds have allowed it to make 28 investments. Of these investments, the company has currently exited from eight of these investments.
18. Hummingbird Ventures
Year Founded: 2000
HQ: Gent, Belgium
Size: 1-10
Founders: Barend Van den Brande
Hummingbird Ventures is a Belgian VC firm that was founded in 2000 and is currently based in Gent, Belgium. The company primarily provides investment to companies experiencing high growth in the digital media and software spaces.
Since the company was founded, it has managed a total of eight investment funds. These numerous funds have given the company the necessary tools to make 71 investments. From these investments, the VC firm has currently exited from nine of these.
19. PICO Venture Partners
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Jerusalem, Israel
Size: 11-50
Founders: Gina LeVersa, Elie Wurtman
PICO Venture Partners is an Israeli early-stage VC firm that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in Jerusalem, Israel. The company focuses its investments on companies in the fashion, vehicles, tech and cybersecurity industries. There is also a range of additional support available aside from the invested money.
Since the company was founded six years ago it has managed two investment funds. These funds have allowed the VC firm to make a series of 48 investments. So far, the company has exited from four of its investments.
20. State of Mind Ventures
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Israel
Size: 1-10
Founders: Pinchas Buchris, Yuval Baharav
State of Mind Ventures is an early-stage VC firm based in Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Israel and was founded in 2016. The company mainly focuses its investments on the automotive, AI, computer vision, sensors, big data markets and more.
Since the company was founded five years ago, it has managed two investment funds. These funds allowed the VC firm to make a series of 28 investments into growing startups. As it stands, the company has exited from a single investment.
21. Vamos Ventures
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Los Angeles, California, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Marcos Gonzalez
Vamos Ventures is an American early-stage VC firm that was founded last year and is currently based in LA, California. This newcomer to the market invests in early-stage startups that make use of technology. There is also a major focus on providing opportunities to Latinx founders, as well as diverse founders from other backgrounds.
Since the company was recently founded, it has managed a total of two investment funds. From these funds, the company has managed to make a total of four investments. Vamos Ventures has interestingly received funding from Apple.
FAQs
What is Early-Stage Venture Capital?
This round of funding is normally reserved for companies that are still in the building and development phases. This funding is normally larger than the seed stage due to development and product needs. These funding rounds are typically identified by their letter, like Series A, B and C funding.
How Much Money is Invested in Early-Stage VC?
2021 has been a fantastic year for startup funding as the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and there has been great recovery in early-stage funding, which slumped 11% in 2020 to $88.4 Billion.
What is the Average Early-Stage VC Deal?
As noted, early-stage VC investment is typically larger than seed funding due to the fact that money is needed for product and business development. Early-stage funding rounds can range from an average of $2 Million to $15 Million, depending on the business.
