6 Top Venture Capital Firms in California
Last Updated: By TRUiC Team
With California being the headquarters of massive tech giants like Apple and Google, it’s no wonder that the Golden State is home to thousands of tech startup companies. These companies strive to be as successful as these giant industries and to be the next big name in technology.
In fact, as of 2022, Los Angeles now has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the United States. Venture capital firms, also known as VC firms, can help create successful businesses by funding these startups and providing much-needed guidance and capital. VC firms have the power to mold ideas into successful multimillion- or multibillion-dollar empires in California and around the world.
Below, we highlight some of the most notable VC firms in California to help you get started on your venture capital journey.
We also recommend exploring our main list of the top venture capital firms.
Best California VC Firms
1. Mindset Ventures
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Industries: Agriculture, Financial Services, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Software
- Stage: Early Stage, Seed, Series B
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Angle Health, Affogata, Lendai, Backed
Mindset Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that provides funding to companies in the B2B sector in both the United States and Israel. This VC firm's focus is mainly on companies that have strong technology that is applicable to several industries, including healthcare, agriculture, and cybersecurity among others.
Mindset Ventures is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with sects in San Francisco, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel. They support global expansion into Latin American countries as well.
We chatted with Jules Miller, a partner at Mindset Ventures. Listen to the interview below!
2. Delphi Ventures
- Location: Silicon Valley (San Mateo, CA)
- Industries: Life Science, Pharmaceuticals, Neurovascular Treatments, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy
- Stage: Early Stage, Late Stage
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Karyopharm, OncoMed, Relypsa, Seattle Genetics
Delphi Ventures is one of the first VC firms to invest exclusively in life science technology. They have helped fund companies and have eight FDA-approved drugs under their belt.
Based in San Mateo, California and founded in 1988, Delphi now has 35 acquisitions to their name as well. Some of the many drugs they help fund and create include drugs to fight cancer, migraines, Cushing's disease, and glucose monitoring systems, among others.
3. Altos Ventures
- Location: Menlo Park, CA
- Industries: Enterprise SaaS, Ecommerce, Fintech
- Stage: Early Stage, Seed, Series A
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Airspace Link, Bench, Bitfinder, Candex
Altos Ventures began in 1996, and is one of the most successful VC firms now managing around $10 billion in regulatory assets. Altos Ventures likes to invest in tech companies that are startups, such as SaaS and fintech companies.
In addition, Altos Ventures also prides itself on investing in the early stages of a startup's development in order to avoid the Series B Trap. They believe in investing smartly into a brand's owners, and helping to scale to encourage sustainability.
4. Canaan
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Industries: Technology, Healthcare, Frontier Tech, Life Sciences
- Stage: Early Stage, Series A, Series B
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Berkshire Grey, Astra, Arvinas, The Real Real
Canaan is a VC firm that was founded in 1987. Canaan invests in startups such as tech industries, pharmaceutical companies, and app developers.
Canaan believes in high performance, low ego, preferring to invest in companies that are results driven rather than driven by hype. They take a unique approach to investments, allowing their companies to do the work while providing consulting and 1:1 partnerships. One of their mottos that best describes them is, "We're in the know, not in the way."
5. Greylock
- Location: Menlo Park, CA
- Industries: Consumer Tech, Cryptocurrency, Travel
- Stage: Seed, Series A and beyond
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Airbnb, Medium, LinkedIn, Discord
Greylock is one of the most successful VC firms based in Menlo Park, California. They have invested in such companies including Airbnb and Discord. Recently, they amped up their investments to $500 million for seed-stage companies.
Greylock separates itself by investing in entrepreneurs with ideas that change the marketplace. If you have an idea that will change the way consumers shop, then Greylock might be interested.
6. New Enterprise Associates
- Location: Menlo Park, CA
- Industries: Healthcare, Consumer, Finance
- Stage: Seed to IPO
- Notable Portfolio Companies: Databricks, Strive Health, Patreon, Robinhood
NEA, also known as New Enterprise Associates, is based in Menlo Park, CA and was founded in 1977. They are one of the only VC firms that invest in both startups and support all stages of a company, including IPO stages.
NEA invests mostly in healthcare companies; however, they have a robust portfolio that includes companies like Robinhood and Patreon. They also invest in healthcare industries that are focused on making healthcare accessible for patients. They also fund companies that create new models of medical care delivery.
