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2025-04-22 08:54 Top 10

Top 10 VCs for Early-Stage Startups in North America in 2025

Top 10 VCs for Early-Stage Startups in North America in 2025

As we move into 2025, the venture capital landscape continues to evolve, driven by innovation and the potential of early-stage startups. For entrepreneurs seeking funding, aligning with the right venture capitalists is crucial for their success. Below is a detailed list of the Top 10 VCs for Early-Stage Startups in North America, complete with insights on their investment strategies, notable investments, and more.
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1. Sequoia Capital

Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
Investment Stage: Seed and growth-stage (Series A and Series B)
Industries: Financial services, health tech, cloud, blockchain, robotics, and more
Notable Investments: DoorDash, Stripe, Zoom, Apple, Google, Airbnb
Data Points:
  • Established in 1972, making it one of the oldest VC firms.
  • Has a "Company Design" philosophy that provides entrepreneurs with a framework for scaling.
  • Global presence in North America, Europe, India, and China.
  • Manages around $85 billion in assets (as of 2022).
  • Known for long-term partnerships with startups.
  • Learn more about Sequoia Capital

2. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)

Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
Investment Stage: Seed to late-stage
Industries: Enterprise software, fintech, cybersecurity, consumer tech, healthcare, and more
Notable Investments: Facebook, Airbnb, Lyft, Slack, and more
Data Points:
  • Partners were active angel investors before forming a16z, with 40+ seed-stage investments.
  • Produces content via a well-known podcast.
  • Invests across many tech sectors.
  • Known for their stellar track record.
  • Stage agnostic fund.
  • Discover more about a16z
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3. Accel

Location: Palo Alto and San Francisco, California, USA
Investment Stage: Seed, early, and growth-stage
Industries: Consumer, infrastructure, SaaS, e-commerce, etc.
Notable Investments: Dropbox, Etsy, Lynda.com
Data Points:
  • Founded in 1983.
  • Has over 100 investors.
  • Invests across industries and geographies.
  • Wide portfolio across multiple sectors.
  • Recommends reviewing their news section to learn more about their decisions and views on different topics.
  • Explore Accel

4. Bessemer Venture Partners

Location: Not specified in detail, but has offices globally
Investment Stage: Private equity and venture capital
Industries: Various, with a focus on technology
Notable Investments: LinkedIn, Pinterest, Shopify, and more
Data Points:
  • Has over 50 years of experience.
  • Has a $20 billion AUM.
  • Features an "Anti-Portfolio" on their website of companies they declined to invest in that became unicorns.
  • Provides startup resources and AI bot.
  • Invests in both private equity and venture capital.
  • Learn more about Bessemer Venture Partners

5. First Round

Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Investment Stage: Seed, Debt, Early Stage, Late Stage
Industries: Diverse
Notable Investments: Notion, Roblox, Uber, and more
Data Points:
  • Focuses on companies just starting their entrepreneurial journey.
  • One of the first VC firms to invest in seed-stage companies.
  • Takes pride in being an early investor.
  • Invests in different stages.
  • Has invested in many well-known companies.
  • Discover First Round
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6. Thrive Capital

Location: New York, New York, USA
Investment Stage: Primarily early-stage
Industries: Internet, software, technology
Notable Investments: Stripe, Nourish, and more
Data Points:
  • Focuses on startups in internet, software, and technology.
  • Aims to bridge the old ways of doing business with the new.
  • Supports entrepreneurs redefining their industries.
  • Gravitates towards ventures with strategic potential and emotional value.
  • Partners with companies seeking to enact positive change.
  • Learn more about Thrive Capital

7. Founders Fund

Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Investment Stage: Primarily early-stage
Industries: Technology
Notable Investments: SpaceX, Facebook, Palantir Technologies
Data Points:
  • Invests in technology startups.
  • Known for investing in groundbreaking companies.
  • Values intellectual diversity and contrarian thinking.
  • Notable for early stake in Facebook and investment in SpaceX.
  • Has a unique approach to venture capital.
  • Explore Founders Fund

8. Khosla Ventures

Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
Investment Stage: Early-stage startups
Industries: Technology, energy, health, financial services
Notable Investments: Square, Instacart, Impossible Foods, and more
Data Points:
  • Founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems.
  • Emphasizes backing innovative and unconventional ideas.
  • Focuses on various sectors including tech, energy, and health.
  • Known for investing in early-stage startups.
  • Committed to supporting groundbreaking technologies.
  • Discover Khosla Ventures

9. New Enterprise Associates (NEA)

Location: Menlo Park, USA
Investment Stage: Not Specified
Industries: Technology and Healthcare
Notable Investments: Not specified
Data Points:
  • Global venture capital firm.
  • Invests in technology and healthcare.
  • Founded in 1977.
  • Global presence.
  • One of the top VC investors in the United States.
  • Learn more about NEA

10. Precursor Ventures

Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Investment Stage: Pre-seed and Seed
Industries: B2B and B2C Software and Hardware
Notable Investments: Not Specified
Data Points:
  • Early-stage venture capital firm.
  • Focused on pre-seed and seed investments.
  • Focus on investments in B2B and B2C software applications and hardware.
  • Has adopted the Diversity Term Sheet Rider.
  • One of the most active VC funds in the United States.
  • Explore Precursor Ventures
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FAQ

Q: What is the location of Sequoia Capital?
A: Sequoia Capital is based in Menlo Park, California, USA. Learn more about Sequoia Capital.
Q: What types of industries does Andreessen Horowitz invest in?
A: Andreessen Horowitz invests across various sectors including enterprise software, fintech, cybersecurity, and healthcare. Discover more about a16z.
Q: How long has Accel been in operation?
A: Accel was founded in 1983, which means it has over 40 years of experience in venture capital. Find out more about Accel.
Q: What is the focus of Bessemer Venture Partners?
A: Bessemer Venture Partners focuses primarily on technology sectors and has a notable "Anti-Portfolio" highlighting past investment decisions. Learn more about Bessemer Venture Partners.
Q: What stage of startups does First Round primarily invest in?
A: First Round focuses on seed, debt, early-stage, and late-stage investments. Explore more about First Round.
Q: What is Thrive Capital's investment strategy?
A: Thrive Capital primarily invests in early-stage startups and focuses on internet, software, and technology sectors. Find out more about Thrive Capital.
Q: Which notable companies has Founders Fund invested in?
A: Founders Fund has invested in groundbreaking companies like SpaceX, Facebook, and Palantir Technologies. Learn about Founders Fund.
Q: What industries does Khosla Ventures focus on?
A: Khosla Ventures focuses on a wide range of sectors including technology, energy, and health. Discover more about Khosla Ventures.
Q: What is the investment philosophy of New Enterprise Associates (NEA)?
A: NEA is a global venture capital firm that invests in technology and healthcare sectors with a strong focus on early-stage companies. Learn more about NEA.
Q: What unique approach does Precursor Ventures take in their investments?
A: Precursor Ventures focuses on pre-seed and seed investments, and it is recognized for adopting a Diversity Term Sheet Rider to promote inclusive investments. Find out more about Precursor Ventures.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.