Santa Clara is a core part of Silicon Valley, and its funding environment is a direct reflection of that. Here, you'll find the venture arms of major tech companies investing alongside smaller, more focused funds.
Firms like Intel Capital have backed well over 1,600 companies and seen more than 500 exits. Others, like Better Capital, have built portfolios with more than 170 investments in early-stage startups.
Below is our list of the best 10 VC firms in Santa Clara.
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Buy It For $97 $297 →As the venture capital arm of NVIDIA, NVentures funds early-stage companies at the forefront of technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence. The firm supports founders developing groundbreaking AI by offering them access to NVIDIA's deep technical expertise and global ecosystem.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | — |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 63 (21 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | — |
As a micro venture firm, Better Capital invests in early-stage and seed companies that prioritize profitability and delivering value. Through their operating portfolio, Better Labs, the firm also creates and funds its own product businesses.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Vaibhav Domkundwar |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 170 (53 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 10 |
| Contact | (952) 758-2304 |
U First Capital builds and manages dedicated investment funds for corporations through its Venture Capital as a Service model. They connect these corporate partners with early-stage startups and university technologies to help them achieve specific strategic and financial goals.
As Intel's global investment organization, they provide capital to startups in deep tech sectors including AI, 5G, autonomy, and silicon manufacturing. This support has helped launch category-defining companies such as DocuSign and Razer.
| Year Founded | 1991 |
| Founders | Dave Johnson, Les Vadasz, Peter Levin |
| Total Funding | $12.5B |
| Average Check Size | $50M |
| Industries | Cloud, AR & VR, Gaming, Hardware, Manufacturing |
| Investment Stage | Convertible Note, Early Stage, Late Stage, Post-Ipo, Private Equity, Seed, Series A |
| Nº of Investments | 1612 (565 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 520 (91 IPO'd) |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Razer, Animoca Brands, Docusign |
| Contact | Intel.Capital@intel.com |
As the venture capital arm of the LG Group, LG Technology Ventures invests in early-stage companies across information technology, automotive, manufacturing, and life sciences. They help portfolio companies succeed by creating strategic partnerships with the various businesses within the LG Group.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Koo In-Hwoi |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Post-Ipo, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 72 (18 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 10 (3 IPO'd) |
| Contact | contact@lgtechventures.com / 1-669-212-6190 |
As the venture capital arm of nanomanufacturing leader Applied Materials, Applied Ventures invests in early-stage deep technology companies. Their strategic funding helps accelerate startups in fields like semiconductors and life sciences, developing technologies that complement the parent company's core business.
| Year Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Anand Kamannavar |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 99 (25 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 19 (5 IPO'd) |
| Contact | applied_ventures@amat.com / 408-563-5300 |
Heuristic Capital backs early-stage hardware companies. Drawing on personal startup experience, they help founders navigate the hurdles of prototyping, financing, and manufacturing.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Michael Liao |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 24 (1 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 5 (1 IPO'd) |
| Contact | rickywang@lab360.com |
ServiceNow Ventures invests in companies building next-generation enterprise software solutions. They support startups at both early and late stages, providing capital and strategic guidance to help them succeed in the enterprise market.
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | — |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Late Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 23 (7 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
| Contact | (408) 501-8550 |
Venture Capital College of America provides training programs for entrepreneurs who want to enter the venture capital industry. Its applied education model uses leading members of the VC industry as faculty, delivering programs that reflect current market conditions and professional standards.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | — |
| Investment Stage | — |
| Nº of Investments | — |
| Nº of Exits | — |
| Contact | info@usavcc.com |
Oriza Ventures invests in early-stage US technology companies, backing passionate founders with disruptive ideas. Drawing from their own entrepreneurial backgrounds, the partners provide mentorship and access to a unique cross-border network spanning China and Silicon Valley.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Alex Liang, John Yu |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 47 (1 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 5 |