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BACKGROUND CAPITAL

Venture capitalActively deployingoperating company · company profile

Madison · Seed–Series A · 1 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Solo GP with multi‑fund track record operating from Madison, backed by successful founders to create a founder-to-founder network and described as easy to work with.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 5, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
Check
$100K – $250K
HQ
Madison, CA, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2017
Tracked investments
4

Team · 1 people

from public directories

What they invest in

from 4 of 4 portfolio companies

E-commerce ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Consumer ×1Creator Economy ×1Digital Health ×1FoodTech ×1Impact & Social Good ×1Media & Entertainment ×1

HQs:United States×2

Investments · 4 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
Instacartinstacart.comin𝕏NASDAQ: CART

Instacart operates a marketplace connecting grocery retailers with customers who order food and household items for same-day delivery or in-store pickup, serving millions of households across North America through partnerships with over 350 retailers.

ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechSan Francisco, US

Apoorva Mehta(Founder & CEO)inBrandon Leonardo(Founder)inMax Mullen(Founder)in

Co-investorsA*Andreessen HorowitzBling CapitalBright Pixel CapitalCanaan PartnersCoatue Management+28 more

AudioShakeaudioshake.aiin𝕏Aug 2025

AudioShake develops sound separation technology that splits audio into component parts for media, entertainment, and speech workflows.

AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US

Jessica Powell(CEO & Co-Founder)Luke Miner(CTO & Co-Founder)in

BoardAlexander Hartz(Director)in

PartnerRafael Corrales· solo GP

Co-investorsCoho DeeptechDisney AcceleratorOrigin VenturesPrecursor VenturesShine CapitalThomson Reuters Ventures+1 more

Reverireveri.comin

Reveri is a self-hypnosis application that delivers clinically validated relief from pain, stress, and sleeplessness without drugs or appointments.

Digital HealthMental HealthWellness & Fitness

David Spiegel(Co-founder)Dr. David Spiegel(Co-founder)Ariel Poler(Co-founder)

Co-investorsTheVentureCityInreach Ventures

ShoppingGivesshoppinggives.comin𝕏

ShoppingGives provides a social impact platform that enables businesses to integrate charitable giving into their commerce operations, allowing customers to donate at point of purchase or through customizable giving campaigns.

E-commerceImpact & Social GoodSaaS

Ronny Sage(Founder and CEO)in

PartnerRafael Corrales· solo GP

Co-investorsSerena VenturesSummit Peak Ventures20VCCaffeinated CapitalGlobal Founders CapitalSciFi VC+2 more

Exits · 1

IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolio

InstacartNASDAQ: CART

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

What stage does BACKGROUND CAPITAL invest at?
BACKGROUND CAPITAL invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What is BACKGROUND CAPITAL's typical check size?
BACKGROUND CAPITAL typically writes checks of $100K – $250K.
Where is BACKGROUND CAPITAL located?
BACKGROUND CAPITAL is headquartered in Madison, US.
Does BACKGROUND CAPITAL lead rounds?
BACKGROUND CAPITAL typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does BACKGROUND CAPITAL co-invest with?
BACKGROUND CAPITAL most often shares deals with Andreessen Horowitz, Canaan Partners, Felicis Ventures, among 32 tracked co-investors.

Images

BACKGROUND CAPITAL photo

Co-investors · 20

Andreessen Horowitz

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, known for pioneering the platform model with a large team of operators supporting founders across stages.

Both backed · 1
$500K – $50M
FundersClub

FundersClub is an online venture capital firm and startup investing platform that gives accredited investors access to vetted early-stage startups from Silicon Valley and beyond.

Both backed · 1
$250K – $5M
SciFi VC

SciFi is the venture fund of Max and Nellie Levchin, an early-stage generalist firm partnering with founders tackling hard problems, with emphasis on fintech, artificial intelligence, and science.

Both backed · 1
$100K – $1M
Shine Capital

Shine is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs entrepreneurs building iconic businesses.

Both backed · 1
$1M – $10M
Inreach Ventures

InReach Ventures is an early-stage venture firm using its own AI platform to source and back Europe's most promising founders, investing at MVP stage with signs of user engagement.

Both backed · 1
$615K – $2.5M
General Catalyst

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.

$30M
Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed is a global venture capital firm that has spent over two decades backing innovative companies as an early and first investor.

$1.7M – $87M
Benchmark

Benchmark is a venture capital firm with offices in San Francisco and Woodside that invests in early-stage startups.

$100K – $30M
Forerunner Ventures

Forerunner Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs companies redefining consumer behavior, health, commerce, fintech, and AI-native products.

$1M – $20M
Accel-KKR

Accel-KKR is an investor in enterprise software companies that has operated for 25 years, providing resources and expertise to help companies advance.

Amplify Partners

Amplify Partners is a venture capital firm that backs technical founders — engineers, researchers, and scientists — building companies across AI/ML, data infrastructure, developer tools, and life sciences.

$500K – $5M
Soma Capital

Soma Capital is a venture capital firm that partners early with founders, emphasizing close relationships and running a fellows program for those just getting started.

$100K – $300K
8 more co-investors

AccompliceWorklife VenturesBedrockMosaic VenturesFuture Perfect VenturesLifeX VenturesAudaciousBase Case Capital

Firms observed investing alongside BACKGROUND CAPITAL, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with BACKGROUND CAPITAL's recorded portfolio.

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