San Mateo remains a central hub for founders looking to raise capital. Some of the industry's most established investors are here, with firms like Redpoint and Benchmark having backed over 1,500 companies between them.
Beyond the well-known names, there are many other funds focused on everything from early-stage deep tech to enterprise software. We've gathered the most promising firms for founders to get to know.
Below is our list of the best 20 VC firms in San Mateo.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Draper Associates backs visionary founders at the earliest stages, investing globally in companies aiming to transform entire industries. Their portfolio includes foundational technology companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, Coinbase, and Robinhood, reflecting a strategy of supporting ambitious, high-growth ventures.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Tim Draper |
| Total Funding | $230M |
| Industries | Government Technology, Life Sciences, Biotech, Food & Beverage, Crypto & Blockchain, Education, Energy, Fintech, Healthcare, Mobility, Legal, Aerospace & Space |
| Investment Stage | Crowdfunding, Early Stage, Non Equity Assistance, Private Equity, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 436 (123 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 73 (7 IPO'd) |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Phantom Neuro, UnumID, sHMOODY |
| Contact | plans@draper.vc |
2. Benchmark
With a unique structure of five equal partners offering hands-on support, Benchmark backs early-stage entrepreneurs in mobile, marketplaces, and enterprise software. They have helped build some of the most recognizable names in tech, including Uber, Snapchat, Twitter, and eBay.
| Year Founded | 1995 |
| Founders | Andy Rachleff, Bob Kagle, Kevin Harvey |
| Total Funding | $2.5B |
| Average Check Size | $15M |
| Industries | Cybersecurity, Hardware, Social, Marketplace, Cloud, Consumer, DTC, Infrastructure, SaaS |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Post-Ipo, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 727 (244 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 197 (51 IPO'd) |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Twitter, Wework, Snap Inc |
Sierra Ventures invests in early-stage startups that are creating the next generation of enterprise and emerging technologies. Building on a portfolio that includes Intuit and Teradata, they offer founders access to a deep network of corporate executives and industry experts.
| Year Founded | 1982 |
| Founders | Peter Wendell |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 435 (146 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 95 (8 IPO'd) |
| Contact | info@sierraventures.com / 650.854.1000 |
4. Redpoint
Since 1999, Redpoint has backed founders from seed to growth stages, helping them build companies that create new markets and reshape existing ones. Their track record includes helping launch companies like DraftKings, Sonos, and Zendesk across consumer, fintech, and infrastructure sectors.
| Year Founded | 1999 |
| Founders | Brad Jones, Geoff Yang, John Walecka, Timothy Haley, Tom Dyal, Travis Bryant |
| Total Funding | $4.5B |
| Average Check Size | $10M |
| Industries | Crypto & Blockchain, Consumer, Fintech, Healthcare, Infrastructure |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C |
| Nº of Investments | 819 (255 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 175 (35 IPO'd) |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Zendesk, Draftkings, Sonos |
| Contact | 1 650-926-5600 |
5. Defy.vc
Defy provides seed funding to entrepreneurs with high-potential ideas, focusing on the conviction and talent of the founding team. The firm works closely with founders, offering hands-on support during the crucial growth phase that follows an initial investment.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Neil Sequeira, Phebe Chen Tran, Trae Vassallo |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 113 (43 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 15 (1 IPO'd) |
| Contact | hello@defy.vc / 650 530 0193 |
Forgepoint Capital partners with early-stage entrepreneurs to build transformative cybersecurity and infrastructure software companies. They bring the largest sector-focused investment team and an advisory council of nearly 100 industry leaders to support founders building the next generation of digital security.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Alberto Yepez, Donald Dixon |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 72 (42 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 17 (3 IPO'd) |
| Contact | tloh@forgepointcap.com / +1 650 289 4455 |
7. DNX Ventures
DNX Ventures backs early-stage B2B startups, helping them secure initial customers and validate their product-market fit. Since 2011, the firm has used its deep connections with corporate executives to build over 100 partnerships between its startups and Fortune 500 companies.
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Mitch Kitamura, Q Motiwala, Tetsujiro Nakagaki |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 294 (85 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 42 (8 IPO'd) |
| Contact | hello@dnx.vc / (858) 449-4173 |
Ballistic Ventures directs its capital and enthusiasm toward early-stage cybersecurity entrepreneurs. The firm provides founders with the collective experience and network of a team composed entirely of security experts.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Barmak Meftah, Derek Smith, Jake Seid, Kevin Mandia, Roger Thornton, Ted Schlein |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 68 (21 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 8 (2 IPO'd) |
| Contact | info@ballisticventures.com |
BlueRun Ventures invests in companies from seed to late stage, with a focus on information technology, mobile, and consumer tech. They helped build foundational companies like PayPal and Waze, guiding them to successful acquisitions.
| Year Founded | 1998 |
| Founders | John Malloy |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 219 (69 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 42 (6 IPO'd) |
| Contact | ventures@brv.com / +1 650 462 7252 |
10. Boost VC
Focusing on deep tech, Boost VC provides pre-seed and seed funding to founders building the future in sectors like aerospace, crypto, and biotech. They lead the first investment round of $2M or less, giving ambitious startups the capital needed to launch.
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Adam Draper, Brayton Williams |
| Total Funding | $85.2M |
| Average Check Size | $500k |
| Industries | Aerospace & Space, Energy, Climate & Sustainability, Robotics, Crypto & Blockchain, Biotech, AR & VR |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed, Pre-Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 333 (48 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 37 (3 IPO'd) |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Source Energy Company, GGs.io, ImYoo |
| Contact | info@boost.vc |
10 Additional San Mateo VC Firms Worth Pitching
Our top picks are just the beginning of what San Mateo's funding scene has to offer. The next group of firms has collectively backed over 500 startups and guided more than 100 to an exit.
There are many more investors doing important work in the area. Here’s a look at the other venture capital firms funding what's next in San Mateo.
| VC Firm | Year Founded | Nº Investments | Nº Exits |
|---|---|---|---|
 Phoenix Venture Partners | 2010 | 48 | 7 |
 +ND Capital | 2002 | 64 | 12 |
 Inventus Capital Partners | 2007 | 58 | 14 |
 OneValley | 2012 | 12 | 1 |
 Emergent Ventures | 2016 | 78 | 6 |
 Transform Capital | 2019 | 27 | 4 |
 Wildcat Venture Partners | 2015 | 39 | 12 |
 Learn Capital | 2009 | 165 | 32 |
 Cyber Mentor Fund | 2018 | 37 | 13 |
 Coupa Ventures | 2006 | 5 | — |
