Banana Capital
Venture capitalActively deployingSeattle · Pre-Seed–Seed · 2 people tracked
Also known as BANANA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
Investment thesis
Banana Capital invests up to $250k in pre-seed and seed rounds, often as a first or largest investor. It backs resilient, obsessed founders building category-defining products with defensible distribution, clear revenue prospects, and signs of large markets. Historical and future interest areas include consumer software, health, fintech, gaming, media, housing, dev tools, B2B software, and deeper tech, with particular themes around improving food, affordable housing, more efficient government, and how AI reshapes how businesses are built and operated. Investment is primarily in the US, with occasional deals in Europe and parts of Asia.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 22 of 23 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×10SaaS ×8Developer Tools ×5Consumer ×4Enterprise Software ×4Cloud Computing ×3Cybersecurity ×3Fintech ×3
HQs:United States×11Australia×1
Investments · 23 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22023 · 13 dated
HealthtechYardlsley, US
Kethleen Widmer(Executive Officer, Director)Barry Bruno(Executive Officer, Director)Benedicte LeMarie(Director)
BoardWalid Abboud(Director)Ludmilla Le Marie(Director)
Board seatTurner Novak· per SEC Form D · $6M raise · filed Feb 2025
Paris-based social app company founded by ex-Zenly leaders, building friend-focused iOS apps including ID, Bump and Sugar.
Co-investors359 CapitalAbstract VenturesCoatue ManagementAlven
Artie provides a data replication platform built on change data capture (CDC) technology, enabling real-time data movement with sub-minute latency and zero data loss.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jacqueline Cheong(Founder)inRobin Tang(Founder)inRobin(Co-Founder & CTO)
Co-investorsStandard CapitalCalano VenturesCanaan PartnersFJ LabsGeneral CatalystIA Seed Ventures+6 more
BeReal is a social media platform where users share unfiltered photos using a front-and-back camera format during daily two-minute windows.
Social
Co-investorsAccelCoatue ManagementKima VenturesTq Ventures LlcAndreessen HorowitzDST Global
Bun is an all-in-one JavaScript, TypeScript, and JSX toolkit that includes a runtime, bundler, test runner, and package manager, aiming for full Node.js compatibility.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper Tools
Candor provides AI-powered agents that help defense and deeptech companies identify and pursue government funding opportunities, compressing the application process from weeks to days.
AI & Machine LearningGovTechSan Francisco, US
Marcus Zimmerman(Founder)inEthne Laude(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorGlobal Founders Capital
Candor provides a data loss prevention (DLP) platform that uses AI to detect insider risks by analyzing user behavior and data movement patterns, surfacing only genuine security threats to organizations.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Adarsh Ambati(CEO/Co-Founder)inAnsh Gupta(Co-Founder)inAditya Iyengar(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorGlobal Founders Capital
Chainguard provides minimal, zero-CVE container images built from source with full build-time SBOMs, code signatures, and FIPS-validated cryptography to help vendors meet PCI DSS and other security compliance requirements.
Cloud ComputingCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Matt Moore(Founder)inDan Lorenc(Founder)inVille Aikas(Founder)in
Co-investors137 VenturesAlpha PartnersAmplify PartnersIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Kleiner PerkinsLightspeed Venture Partners+8 more
Flex is a financial platform for internationally operating business owners that combines global banking with local-currency accounts and cross-border payments, stablecoin-based dollar accounts, a business rewards card with no credit check, and revenue-based financing.
FintechSaaS
Co-investorsCarnrite VenturesCompanyon VenturesFlorida FundersLiam HorneMS&AD VenturesRestive Ventures+3 more
Forage builds payment infrastructure that connects merchants, shoppers, and the U.S. government to enable acceptance of SNAP EBT and EBT Cash payments.
FintechGovTechRetail TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Victor E. Fimbres(Co-Founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsActivant CapitalEqual Opportunity Venturesf7 VenturesMouro CapitalMucker CapitalNecessary Ventures+9 more
Hanover Park is an AI-native fund administrator that combines automated services with software for investment firms, handling tasks such as bill processing, evidence collection, investment updates, LP responses, and KPI reconciliation.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaSNew York City, US
Chris Hladczuk(Founder)
Co-investorsBackwards CapitalHarpoon VenturesSteel AtlasSusa Ventures
Howie automates meeting scheduling through email and text conversations, reducing back-and-forth coordination by finding available times, creating booking links, and following up on pending confirmations.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaS
Co-investorsRoo Capital
Inngest is an execution layer for agents and workflows that helps engineers build and optimize event-driven workflows without manual retry logic or queue management.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsRoyal Oak, US
Tony Holdstock-Brown(CEO & Founder)Dan Farrelly(CTO & Founder)inDaniel Farrelly(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJamin Ball(Director)Dan Cahana(Director)in
Co-investorsAfore CapitalAndreessen HorowitzMotive ForceNotable CapitalPreston-Werner VenturesAltimeter Capital+1 more
Liveblocks provides APIs and infrastructure for building real-time collaborative tools, enabling multiplayer functionality for creative and productivity applications.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSaaSSan Francisco, US
Guillaume Salles(Co-founder & Engineer)Steven Fabre(Co-founder & Product Designer)in
Co-investorsAtlassian Venturesboldstart venturesKima Ventures
Mindset Health develops digital health programs using hypnotherapy and mind-body medicine to help patients manage gastrointestinal disorders and improve health outcomes.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesMental HealthWellness & FitnessMelbourne, AU
Alex Naoumidis(Co-founder & Co-CEO)inChris Naoumidis(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlberts Impact VenturesFifty YearsKing River CapitalPerennial PartnersTenmileY Combinator+1 more
NEWME is a fashion retailer offering women's apparel including denim, tops, dresses, co-ords, jumpsuits, and winterwear through its app and online store.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Sumit Jasoria(Founder)in
Co-investorsAccelAfore CapitalEntrepreneur Ventures2am VCAccel IndiaAll In Capital+1 more
Overtime creates and operates new sports leagues and media IP — including OTE and OT Select in basketball and OT7 and OT Nationals in football — while producing over 150 weekly pieces of original sports content for its global audience of next-generation fans and athletes.
ConsumerMedia & EntertainmentSports TechBrooklyn, US
Daniel Porter(Executive Officer, Director)Zachary Weiner(Founder)inZack Weiner(Founder)in
Co-investors359 CapitalAndreessen HorowitzBezos ExpeditionsBlack CapitalSpark CapitalWinslow Capital+14 more
GOALS is a competitive football (soccer) video game focused on skill-based gameplay, covering match moments from kick-offs to goal celebrations.
GamingSports Tech
Primer operates a network of microschools blending human instruction with technology to personalize learning for K-12 students, addressing education gaps in math and reading.
EdTechMiami, US
Ryan Delk(Co-Founder and CEO)
Co-investorsCubit CapitalEarl Grey CapitalElevate VenturesExpaHyperguapJetstream+4 more
ScienceIO offers an AI platform for interpreting healthcare data, including a product that converts unstructured medical text into structured data via an API and maps it to millions of medical concepts.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtech
Will Manidis(Founder, CEO)Gaurav Kaushik(Founder, President)
Co-investorsEarl Grey CapitalSwell PartnersToba CapitalLachy GroomQuiet CapitalSection 32+5 more
Secureframe provides a compliance automation platform that helps enterprises maintain security and compliance posture with common controls mapping across multiple frameworks.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Shrav Mehta(Cofounder)
Co-investorsAngel Collective Opportunity FundContraryGradient VenturesKleiner PerkinsLorimer VenturesOptum Ventures+1 more
Upwards operates a technology-driven marketplace that connects families with childcare providers and partners with government entities to offer subsidized care.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Jessica Chang(Co-founder)Jesse(Co-founder)Matt(Co-founder)
Co-investorsAlpha EdisonAmplify.LAEqual VenturesField VenturesFikaHalogen Ventures Management Company Llc+4 more
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Overtime · finance.yahoo.com · Aug 22, 2026
Amo · quiverquant.com · Aug 19, 2026
BeReal · influencers-time.com · Jul 17, 2026
Chainguard · cryptobriefing.com · Jul 16, 2026
Flexbase · techfundingnews.com · Jul 14, 2026
Artie · ycombinator.com · Jun 9, 2026
Forage · pulse2.com · Jun 8, 2026
Primer · finance.yahoo.com · May 22, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Banana Capital invest at?
- Banana Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Banana Capital's typical check size?
- Banana Capital typically writes checks of $1 – $250K.
- What sectors does Banana Capital focus on?
- Banana Capital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Deep Tech, Developer Tools, Enterprise Software, Fintech, FoodTech, Gaming, GovTech, Healthtech, Media & Entertainment, PropTech, SaaS.
- Where is Banana Capital located?
- Banana Capital is headquartered in Seattle, US.
- Does Banana Capital lead rounds?
- Yes, Banana Capital leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamturner novak / banana capital
Slice Podcast · Turner Novak
Turner Novak, Founder & Solo GP, Banana Capital "Early stage venture capital firm"
Fondo · Turner Novak
Turner Novak: Building Banana Capital and a Following That Compounds
The Rise w/ Alex Klein · Turner Novak
Going Bananas with Turner Novak, Founder of Banana Capital
INDIE · Turner Novak
Turner Novak, founder of Banana Capital, talks VC investing and the power of meme accounts
ADSN · Turner Novak
Turner Novak: Founder of Banana Capital
Relentless · Turner Novak
Co-investors · 105
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.
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General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that backs founders across technology and life sciences, from early stage through growth.
Spark Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders, known for early investments including leading Twitter's Series B in 2008.
Earl Grey Capital is an early-stage venture fund founded by operators who previously built Clearbit, an API-first data company acquired by HubSpot in 2023.
Shrug Capital started as a viral joke tweet that became a $3M venture fund, blending elite Silicon Valley investors with celebrities like Tony Hawk and The Chainsmokers to create an unusually strong bridge between tech and entertainment culture. The fund backs companies with "effortless sharing" potential that are culturally resonant enough to explain enthusiastically to non-tech friends, while the partners act as obsessive fans who tattoo portfolio logos and turn their personal lives into marketing campaigns for their companies.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies.
Lightspeed is a global venture capital firm that has spent over two decades backing innovative companies as an early and first investor.
Notable Capital is a venture capital firm that has partnered with founders for over two decades, backing companies from the earliest stages through to exit.
Greycroft is a venture capital firm that partners with founders across multiple industries and geographies, investing in software, sustainability, and consumer brands.
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.
Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund is an early-stage investment vehicle run by founders Todd Goldberg and Rahul Vohra, who write $300k-$500k checks into early-stage startups and help with product/market fit, go-to-market, and future fundraising.
▶93 more co-investors
Vibe CapitalFuel CapitalStandard Capitalboldstart venturesFikaContraryEXPONENT FOUNDERS CAPITALAlvenMantis CapitalFounders FundCraft VenturesKhosla VenturesGreylock PartnersTechstarsIndex VenturesAlumni VenturesBenchmarkBain Capital VenturesUberEverywhere VenturesDCVC (Data Collective)AtomicoSapphire VenturesStreamlined VenturesOffline VenturesSlow VenturesPioneerPrecursor VenturesStellar CapitalAdditionFloodgateMeritech Capital PartnersResolute VenturesQED InvestorsBuckley Ventures Management Company LlcPoint NineNot Boring CapitalGoodwater Capital2048 VenturesEQT Ventures75 & SunnyCostanoa VenturesCoinbase VenturesCausalWorklife VenturesKearny JacksonPelion Venture PartnersLOI VentureFreigeist CapitalWork-BenchLobby CapitalClimate CapitalMischief305 VenturesMakers FundRally Ventures Management, LlcPlaidS32Adjacent Ventures LlcTrust FundColor CapitalBBG VenturesTMVWndrCoStripePIPELINE CAPITAL PARTNERSMoving CapitalFemale FoundersArriveAlpine VenturesDVCAllen Institute for Artificial Intelligence Incubator (AI2)Cambrian VenturesANIMO VenturesMarket One CapitalPositive Sum CapitalHorizonCoughdrop CapitalNorthside VenturesSeven Seven SixJungle VenturesMPG FundInformation Venture PartnersFOG VenturesDouble DownPanache VenturesHonest GameKeymakerOptimist VenturesTitletownTechSocially FinancedCoVentureIndus Valley Capital
Firms observed investing alongside Banana Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Banana Capital's recorded portfolio.
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