San Diego is more than just a great place to live; it's a serious city for founders seeking capital. Local venture firms have impressive track records, with players like Qualcomm Ventures funding over 500 startups and Correlation Ventures backing more than 400.

From life science specialists like Domain Associates to newer funds, there is a wide range of investors to consider. To help you get started, we've identified the firms that are actively shaping the local scene.

Below is our list of the best 9 VC firms in San Diego.

Failory's Top 9 Picks

Correlation Ventures uses world-class analytics to act as a fast, reliable co-investor, helping entrepreneurs and other VCs complete financing rounds. Their data-driven model supports companies across all stages and industries, with a portfolio that includes successes like Upstart.

Year Founded2006
FoundersDavid Coats, Trevor Kienzle
Total Funding$360M
Average Check Size$4M
IndustriesAerospace & Space, Biotech, Consumer, Healthcare, Hardware, Energy, Fintech, Industrial, Proptech & Real Estate, SaaS
Investment StageEarly Stage, Late Stage, Seed, Series A, Growth
Nº of Investments410 (7 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits88 (12 IPO'd)
Top Portfolio StartupsZebit, Virsto, Upstart
Contactinfo@correlationvc.com / 650-353-3327

Founders First Capital Partners champions underrepresented entrepreneurs by providing revenue-based funding and business acceleration to companies led by women, minorities, and veterans. They build a supportive ecosystem around these businesses with advisory services, proprietary accelerator programs, and a learning platform designed for growth.

Year Founded2015
FoundersKim Folsom
Investment StageDebt, Early Stage
Nº of Investments4
Nº of Exits
Contactinfo@f1stcp.com / +1 858 264 4102
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3. S32

Founded by GV's former CEO Bill Maris, S32 invests at the frontiers of technology and healthcare, backing companies from seed to late stage. They aim to improve the human condition by accelerating the development of lifesaving medicines and technologies, with a portfolio that includes companies like Coinbase and Crowdstrike.

Year Founded2017
FoundersBill Maris
Investment StageEarly Stage, Late Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments140 (30 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits24 (11 IPO'd)
Contactpress@section32.com
Harpoon Logo

4. Harpoon

Harpoon provides early-stage capital for technology companies, concentrating on the defense, aerospace, and national security industries. The firm has supported the growth of enduring businesses, backing industry leaders like SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril.

Year Founded2018
FoundersLarsen Jensen, William Allen
Investment StageEarly Stage, Late Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments41 (4 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits7

As the investment arm for Qualcomm, they fund companies from seed to late stage that are shaping the mobile technology ecosystem. Beyond capital, they provide founders with access to Qualcomm's deep industry expertise and relationships, having supported major exits like Waze, Fitbit, and Cruise Automation.

Year Founded2000
FoundersPaul E. Jacobs
Investment StageConvertible Note, Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments548 (132 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits144 (28 IPO'd)
Contact+1 858-587-1121

With an exclusive focus on life sciences since 1985, Domain Associates invests in companies across the pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics sectors. They use their deep industry experience and $2 billion in capital to help form and grow ventures from early stages through private equity.

Year Founded1985
FoundersJesse I. Treu
Total Funding$1.2B
IndustriesLife Sciences, Healthcare
Investment StageEarly Stage, Late Stage, Private Equity
Nº of Investments305 (63 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits95 (51 IPO'd)
Top Portfolio StartupsAntios Therapeutics, Exalys, Seraphina Therapeutics
Contactcontact@domainvc.com / 609-683-5656

FusionX Ventures helps build the next generation of cloud-enabled smart machines by investing in early-stage companies. They specifically support startups that fuse hardware, software, and cloud services into products with a recurring revenue model.

Year Founded2015
FoundersScott Dennis
Investment StageConvertible Note, Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments22 (4 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits2

Functioning as a startup studio, Launch Factory develops ventures in-house and then recruits founders to lead them. They provide these entrepreneurs with seed funding, validated technology, and an accelerator program to give them a head start.

Year Founded2018
FoundersJames Hereford
Investment StageEarly Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments4
Nº of Exits
Contactinfo@launchfactory.com / (619) 602-5414

Finistere Ventures backs entrepreneurs in agricultural technology and life sciences, supporting companies from seed to late-stage rounds. With a mission to transform agriculture and enhance food security, they provide portfolio companies with operational expertise and access to a global network of AgTech hubs.

Year Founded2005
FoundersArama Kukutai, Jay Brumfield, Spencer Maughan
Investment StageEarly Stage, Late Stage, Seed
Nº of Investments67 (20 as Lead Investor)
Nº of Exits7
Contactinfo@finistere.com / 858 793 7120