Who Offers The Best Early Stage VC Funding? 7 Firms With Proven Track Records

The best early-stage investors aren't always the biggest names. For founders raising their first institutional round, what matters more is whether an investor has built companies themselves and whether they’ve consistently helped founders raise follow-on funding. A strong signal is whether a firm's portfolio companies consistently raise their next rounds, especially when traction is limited.

In this guide, we break down seven firms with proven seed and Series A track records, then explain how to evaluate any investor beyond brand recognition.

7 Best VC Firms Investing in Early-Stage Startups

The firms below consistently lead seed and Series A rounds rather than just participating. They differ in decision speed, ownership approach, partner involvement and whether they show up when execution gets hard. Your choice determines how quickly your fundraise closes and shapes your company for years down the road.

1. CRV

CRV is a 55-year-old early-stage VC firm that focuses on early-stage tech startups. The firm manages $750 million through CRV XX, exclusively dedicated to seed and Series A investments. CRV operates as a partnership where any partner can say yes to a founder within 24 hours without investment committee approval and all partners receive equal compensation regardless of seniority.

Investment focus: CRV backs technical founders, from current students building their first company while attending Stanford to seasoned repeat founders building AI-native companies, cybersecurity solutions, developer tools, infrastructure, SaaS and consumer marketplaces. The firm’s  founders are based all over the world including the Bay Area, Israel as well as NYC.

Why founders choose CRV:

• 24-hour decision capability: Any partner can commit the firm independently without committee approval, compressing typical six-month fundraising into days.
• Equal partner compensation: Every partner receives equal compensation regardless of seniority, eliminating "A-team" vs. "B-team" dynamics and ensuring consistent founder experience.
• Direct partner engagement: Partners take board seats and work directly with founders rather than delegating to junior team members or platform specialists.
• Follow-on commitment: CRV participates in subsequent rounds for successful portfolio companies, providing capital continuity without requiring founders to "re-sell" existing investors.

Track record:

• 55 years backing early-stage companies since 1970, with 80+ portfolio companies achieving IPO status
• Co-led the first financing round for DoorDash, led Airtable's Series A, Vercel's Series A and Mercury's Series A
• Returned $275M to limited partners rather than deploying at inflated valuations, demonstrating disciplined capital allocation

Investment approach: CRV leads seed rounds and Series A rounds with substantial check sizes targeting over 20 percent ownership stakes. The firm provides first institutional term sheets and leads rounds rather than waiting for social proof. Partners work with founders before they have teams or company names, offering hands-on support without imposing generic playbooks. The core philosophy will always be, "It's your company. It's your decision. But we’re here if you need us."

Notable portfolio companies: 7AI, CodeRabbit, DoorDash, Encord, Mercury, Protege and Vercel

Number of portfolio companies: 750+ (80+ CRV backed companies have achieved public company status)

2. First Round Capital

First Round Capital pioneered the institutional seed stage and focuses exclusively on seed-stage investments. The firm emphasizes community connections through events and peer learning programs.

Investment focus: First Round backs operators and technical founders building across enterprise software, consumer products, healthcare and fintech. The firm targets founders who value community access alongside capital. Geographic focus includes the Bay Area, New York and distributed teams.

Why founders choose First Round:

• First Round Review: Content platform providing tactical advice on hiring, management and scaling from successful founders.
• Community events and programs: Regular gatherings and founder-to-founder connections.
• Seed specialization: Focus exclusively on the seed stage rather than spreading across multiple stages.

Investment approach: First Round leads seed rounds with $500K to $3M checks, typically targeting 10 percent to 15 percent ownership. The firm operates as a seed specialist, rarely investing beyond Series A. Partners focus on operator founders who can execute through ambiguity.

Notable portfolio companies: Uber, Square, Notion, Roblox, Warby Parker, Blue Apron, Flatiron Health, Ring

Number of portfolio companies: 548 (60+ portfolio companies achieved IPOs and acquisitions)

3. Benchmark Capital

Benchmark operates as a small equal-partnership firm where every partner has equal ownership and voting rights. The firm maintains a deliberately small partnership (typically five to six partners). Benchmark takes board seats at every investment and maintains concentrated portfolios.

Investment focus: Benchmark backs founders across consumer, enterprise and infrastructure. The firm targets founders with unique insights. Geographic focus centers on the Bay Area with selective investments in other markets.

Why founders choose Benchmark:

• Equal partnership structure: Every partner has equal ownership and compensation.
• Board seat commitment: Partners take board seats at every investment.
• Concentrated portfolios: Small partnership allows engagement with each company.

Investment approach: Benchmark leads seed and Series A rounds ($5M to $15M) with significant ownership targets (15 percent to 25 percent). The firm focuses on founders with contrarian insights. Partners prioritize founder vision and market timing.

Notable portfolio companies: Uber, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Dropbox, eBay, WeWork, Chainalysis, Nextdoor

Number of portfolio companies: 324

4. Amplify Partners

Amplify Partners focuses on technical founders building infrastructure, AI, developer tools and deep tech. Its partners include former engineers from Google, Netflix and LinkedIn.

Investment focus: Amplify backs technical outliers building infrastructure software, AI applications, developer platforms and database technologies. The firm targets founders solving hard technical problems. Geographic focus centers on the Bay Area with selective investments in other tech hubs.

Why founders choose Amplify:

• Technical expertise: Partners are former engineers who understand complex architectures.
• Infrastructure specialization: The firm specializes in infrastructure and developer tools.
• Technical support: Partners provide architectural guidance and hiring support for senior engineers.
• Founder equity guides: Resources on RSUs, options and employee compensation.

Investment approach: Amplify leads seed rounds ($1M to $3M), targeting 15 percent to 20 percent ownership in infrastructure companies. The firm conducts technical diligence, including architecture reviews. Partners focus on technical moats that compound over time.

Notable portfolio companies: HashiCorp, Docker, MongoDB, Mulesoft, Databricks, dbt Labs, TigerBeetle, Cartesia

Number of portfolio companies: 162

5. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)

Andreessen Horowitz operates a platform-driven venture capital firm with dedicated teams supporting portfolio companies across recruiting, marketing and business development. Founded in 2009, a16z manages over $50 billion across multiple funds and stages. The firm runs Speedrun, an accelerator program for AI companies.

Investment focus: a16z backs founders across AI, crypto, fintech, healthcare, consumer and enterprise software. The firm targets founders building category-defining companies who can benefit from platform resources. Geographic focus spans the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and global markets.

Why founders choose a16z:

• Platform services: Dedicated teams for recruiting, marketing and business development.
• Brand recognition: An a16z investment creates market visibility and can trigger follow-on interest.
• Sector expertise: Partners bring operating experience in AI, crypto, bio and consumer.
• Multi-stage capability: The firm can lead from seed through growth stages.

Investment approach: a16z leads seed rounds ($1M to $5M) and Series A rounds ($10M to $30M) with significant ownership targets. The firm operates multiple funds across stages and sectors. Partners emphasize founder ambition and market opportunity.

Notable portfolio companies: Facebook, Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, GitHub, Instacart, OpenAI, Databricks, Rippling, Retool

Number of portfolio companies: 1,076+ (valued over $10 billion)

6. Accel

Accel operates a global venture capital platform with offices across the US, Europe and India. The firm has backed companies from seed through growth stages and emphasizes a "prepared mind" philosophy, where partners develop sector theses before investing.

Investment focus: Accel backs technical founders building enterprise software, developer tools, consumer products and fintech across global markets. The firm targets companies with product-market fit signals. Geographic reach includes Silicon Valley, London, Bangalore and distributed teams.

Why founders choose Accel:

• Sector focus: Partners develop sector theses and market understanding.
• Multi-stage capability: The firm can lead from seed through Series C.
• Enterprise connections: Relationships with Fortune 500 companies.

Investment approach: Accel leads seed rounds ($2M to $5M) and Series A rounds ($10M to $25M) with 15 percent to 20 percent ownership targets. Partners focus on companies showing early product-market fit and repeatable growth. The firm emphasizes global expansion capability.

Notable portfolio companies: Facebook, Slack, Dropbox, Atlassian, Spotify, UiPath, Brex, Webflow, Notion, Celonis

Number of portfolio companies: 1,173 (valued over $1 billion)

7. Sequoia Capital

Sequoia Capital operates a venture capital firm with over 50 years of backing companies. The firm manages separate funds for seed, early growth and late-stage investments. Sequoia emphasizes helping founders build companies through multiple market cycles.

Investment focus: Sequoia backs founders building across enterprise, consumer, healthcare and fintech. The firm targets companies with the potential to reach $100 million in revenue. Geographic reach includes the US, Europe, India and China through separate funds.

Why founders choose Sequoia:

• Brand recognition: A Sequoia investment signals market credibility.
• Multi-stage support: The firm can lead from seed through IPO.
• Network: Relationships provide customer and talent introductions.
• Operational teams: Teams support recruiting and business development.

Investment approach: Sequoia leads seed rounds ($1M to $3M) and Series A rounds ($10M to $30M) through separate funds. Partners emphasize founder ambition, market size and product-market fit signals. The firm takes concentrated positions.

Notable portfolio companies: Apple, Google, PayPal, Airbnb, Stripe, DoorDash, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Oracle

Number of portfolio companies: 1,057+ (valued over $10 billion)

How to Choose Between Early Stage VC Firms

Your first institutional investor becomes your partner for the next decade. Most founders pick based on brand name or valuation, but those aren't the things that matter when you're six months from running out of money and your head of engineering just quit. Here's what separates investors who deliver from those who just deploy capital.

Speed to Decision and Term Sheet

Decision speed tells you something about conviction, but it's not as simple as "faster is better." The best VCs demonstrate conviction in different ways:

• Fast movers: Some firms can move from first meeting to term sheet in under three weeks when they see something they believe in. Experienced founders report that VCs don't need more than three weeks to decide whether to invest.
• Relationship builders: Other investors prefer spending several months getting to know you before writing a check. This isn't always a bad sign: sustained engagement over time can reveal how an investor thinks and whether you actually want to work with them.

Speed matters most when you're in a competitive round or need to move quickly to hire. But the investors who take time to build relationships often show up more consistently when things get hard.

Stage Focus and Check Size Alignment

Your funding needs should match firms that specialize in your stage. A mid-tier VC with clear conviction and relevant experience will outperform a top-tier brand that treats you like just another company in their portfolio. The benchmarks below reflect 2024 to 2025 market conditions:

• Pre-seed: Typical rounds range from $500K to $900K with a $7.5 million median cap for SAFEs under $250K.
• Seed: Rounds generally fall between $1M to $4M with a $16 million median pre-money valuation.
• Series A: Rounds typically range from $8M to $18M with a $40 million median pre-money valuation.

AI companies typically command 50 percent to 100 percent premiums above these benchmarks due to higher perceived market opportunity and technical barriers. When evaluating whether check sizes match your needs, ask VCs directly about their most recent investments at your stage and request specific metrics from companies in your industry.

Leading Rounds vs Following Social Proof

Lead investors commit to funding your round and set the terms. They typically take board seats and larger ownership stakes, which means they have real incentive to stay engaged beyond the initial check. Follow-on investors write smaller checks without board seats and often use the lead's participation as their primary diligence — they're betting on the lead's judgment more than on you.

When you're evaluating term sheets, focus on the lead investor's track record. The brand names following on matter less than you think.

Industry Specialization and Portfolio Fit

VCs with sector expertise ask better questions and provide more relevant introductions. When evaluating sector fit, request introductions to five or more portfolio founders in adjacent spaces, including at least one from a struggling company.

During these reference calls, you should demand specific examples of people introduced and outcomes achieved rather than generic answers about platform resources.

Founder-First Philosophy and Long-Term Partnership

You want investors who treat you as a partner, not as a line item in their portfolio. The way to figure this out is through reference checks, specifically with founders whose companies struggled. How investors behave when your metrics are down reveals far more than how they act when everything's working.

Quality investors care more about your learning velocity than your current numbers. They ask what you discovered in the last month and how quickly you're adapting. Bad investors just want to know if you hit the quarterly targets they care about for their own fund reporting.

Track Record and Reference Quality

Numbers reveal how VCs actually perform beyond marketing claims. When checking references, look for three key patterns:

• Follow-on funding rate: Good VCs see 60 to 70 percent of their portfolio successfully raise the next round. This tells you whether the investor actually helps companies make progress or just writes checks.
• Crisis behavior: Call founders from the middle of the portfolio, not just the obvious winners. That's where you learn how investors respond when metrics decline or you need to pivot.
• Response patterns: Ask about response time when something urgent comes up. Ask about the quality of customer and talent introductions. Ask if they'd take money from this investor again.

These patterns emerge consistently across reference calls and separate investors who deliver from those who just deploy capital.

Value-Add Beyond Capital

During evaluation, specific commitments count more than general platform descriptions. Ask potential investors to walk through the last several companies they backed and what specific help they provided beyond capital. Strong answers include names of customers introduced, executives recruited and guidance during pivots, while vague answers about being available signal limited actual involvement.

The right investor match shapes how quickly you raise, the terms you get and whether the partnership survives difficult moments.

Moving Forward with Your Investor Search

The seven firms above represent different approaches to early-stage investing, from CRV's 24-hour decision speed to First Round's community focus to a16z's platform model. But finding the right partner comes down to more than brand recognition. Founders who evaluate decision-making speed, sector expertise and the individual partner’s working style build stronger relationships that survive difficult moments.

CRV has backed founders at the earliest stages for 55 years, leading seed and Series A rounds for companies like DoorDash, Mercury and Vercel. If you're an early-stage technical founder looking for funding, reach out to CRV today.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Early Stage VC Funding

What's the best early stage VC?

The best early-stage VC depends on your needs. CRV excels for technical founders who value 24-hour decisions and direct partner engagement, while First Round suits community-focused founders and a16z works for platform-driven founders. Evaluate based on decision speed, sector expertise and actual partner involvement.

What makes an early stage VC firm the best choice for founders?

The best early-stage VCs move with conviction, take board seats and work directly with founders rather than delegating. Look for decision speed (like 24-hour term sheets), consistent partner engagement and follow-on commitment over firm brand recognition.

What is the difference between pre-seed and seed funding?

Pre-seed supports concept validation and MVP development, typically raising $500K to $900K at a $7.5 million median valuation cap. Seed comes after initial validation, targeting product-market fit with $1M to $4M rounds at a $16M median pre-money valuation.

How long does it take to get a term sheet from an early stage VC?

Seed deals typically move from the first meeting to a signed term sheet in two to six weeks when founders have momentum. Some VCs like CRV can move in 24 hours when they see strong founder-market fit, while others require months of partner meetings and committee approvals.

What percentage of equity do early-stage VCs typically take?

Seed rounds result in 16 to 21 percent dilution for tech companies, with lead investors typically taking 10 percent to 15 percent. Series A investors typically take 18 percent to 20 percent dilution overall, with lead investors acquiring 15 percent to 20 percent individually and securing a board seat.

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