Builders + Backers
Funding platformPre-Seed–Series A · 17 people tracked
Find your way into Builders + Backers
2,293 people in our graph share verified history with the Builders + Backers team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Builders + Backers focuses on developing entrepreneurs rather than only startups, arguing that the main obstacles to entrepreneurship are lack of access to capital and to high-caliber startup expertise. It pairs a venture studio process with an AI platform trained on thousands of hours of real founder-to-founder mentorship conversations. Through its Idea Accelerator and venture studio programs, the firm guides early-stage builders across the full journey: discovering problems, ideating, validating assumptions, running real-world experiments, building MVPs, and launching and growing companies. Human Builders in Residence provide targeted feedback at key moments, with AI amplifying rather than replacing human expertise. It has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs across the US.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 16, 2026.
Team · 17 people
from the firm's website & public directories
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Builders + Backers went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 23 of 28 portfolio companiesSaaS ×11AI & Machine Learning ×7Enterprise Software ×7B2B Marketplaces ×4EdTech ×3GovTech ×3Impact & Social Good ×3Logistics & Supply Chain ×3
HQs:United States×18Australia×1Brazil×1Canada×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 22 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×122 founders×53 founders×24+ founders×3
Where their founders studiedfrom 28 founders with education data
Stanford University ×3University of California, Berkeley ×3INSEAD ×2Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×2United States Military Academy at West Point ×2University of Pennsylvania ×2University of Virginia ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 30 founders with career history
OpenAI ×8DeepMind ×2Democratic National Committee ×2Mercury Technologies, Inc. ×2US Army ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
3 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 29 with degree data)
Investments · 28 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12024 · 12023 · 12018 · 14 dated
Anthropic is an AI safety research company that builds reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Dario Amodei(Co-founder & CEO)inDaniela Amodei(Co-founder & President)inTom Brown(Co-founder)inJack Clark(Co-founder & Head of Policy)inJared Kaplan(Co-founder & Chief Science Officer)Chris Olah(Co-founder & Interpretability Research Lead)in
Co-investors3Comma Capital7BC Venture CapitalA.Capital VenturesAccelAlkeon InnovationAllen Institute for AI (AI2) Incubator+85 more
Noda offers an AI platform for commercial real estate owners and operators that monitors building systems around the clock to detect and resolve equipment problems, reduce energy use, and lower maintenance costs.
AI & Machine LearningEnergyPropTechWashington, US
Logan Soya(Executive Officer, Director)Bac Tran(Director)
BoardRevell Horsey(Director)
Co-investorsK Street CapitalMetaProp VenturesThe Westly GroupFifth WallKiddar CapitalMetaProp+1 more
Autonomy is an automotive subscription platform that enables vehicle subscription services as a sustainable business model in automotive retail.
CleantechConsumerMobility & TransportationSaaS
Scott Painter(Founder)inGeorg Bauer(President & Vice Chairman)inFred Weick(Chief Executive Officer)
Co-investorsAngel Collective Opportunity FundCelesta CapitalFJ LabsFlucas VenturesKube VCMoonshots Capital+15 more
Babyscripts provides a maternity care platform with remote patient monitoring, risk screening, and care management services for pregnant and postpartum patients.
Digital HealthFemTechHealthtech
Juan Pablo Segura(Founder)inAnish Sebastian(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsCU Healthcare Innovation FundMemorialCare Innovation FundPhilips VenturesCivilization Ventures Management, LlcIrishAngelsK Street Capital+4 more
BitOasis is a Dubai-based crypto asset exchange and virtual asset broker-dealer serving the Middle East and North Africa.
Ola Doudin(Founder)in
Co-investorsDigital Currency GroupFinbergJabbar Internet GroupMerak CapitalPantera CapitalWamda Capital
Design platform; Blackbird invested when it was just an idea and in every round since.
SocialSurry Hills, Nsw, AU
Melanie Perkins(Co-founder & CEO)inClifford Obrecht(Executive Officer, Director)Cliff Obrecht(Co-founder & COO)inCameron Adams(Co-founder & CPO)inIan LeeJeffrey Story
Co-investors500 GlobalAirTree VenturesAlkeon InnovationAlpha Square GroupAltra VentureAthletic Ventures+39 more
Civitech builds technology infrastructure for political candidates, social causes, and local governments to increase voter registration and engagement.
Enterprise SoftwareGovTechSaaSSan Antonio, US
Jeremy Smith(CEO and Co-founder)inDan Graham(Director)Stephanie Fisher(Executive Officer)inErin Fahy(Chief Technology Officer of Issuer)inSarah Jackel(Executive Officer)
BoardTamer Mokhtar(Director)
Co-investorsAIN VenturesHigher Ground LabsMercury FundScout VenturesScout VenturesGaingels
Digiphy offers a connected packaging and contextual storytelling platform that uses QR codes and page building to enable brands to communicate product origin, traceability, and sustainability information directly to consumers.
AI & Machine LearningCircular EconomyMarketing TechRetail TechLos Angeles, US
Sarah Wagman Ellenbogen(Co-Founder & CEO)inSarah ((Founder)
Co-investorsLightShed VenturesTechstarsM13GROOVE CAPITALAlumni VenturesCapitalize VC+2 more
Dorsata builds clinical workflow software for healthcare providers, delivering point-of-care tools and content (including ACOG guidelines) that translate provider best-practices into structured workflows.
Digital HealthHealthtechSaaSArlington, US
Mark Kolb(Former CEO & Founder of Taratec)inDavid S. Fairbrothers(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardMiles Reidy(Director)inPeter Hotz(Director)
Co-investorsMotley Fool VenturesQED InvestorsGore Range Capital
Goodworld provides software for organizations and businesses to run fundraising, volunteering, and sustainability campaigns, including campaign pages, online events, and a CRM managed from one dashboard.
Enterprise SoftwareImpact & Social GoodSaaSWashington, Dc, US
DALE PFEIFER(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsAstiaNycaNyca Partners
GrubMarket is a food tech company operating a B2B and B2C marketplace in the U.S. and Canada, offering both wholesale produce delivery at discounted prices and AI-powered SaaS software solutions for food supply chain businesses including inventory management, warehouse operations, and eCommerce platforms.
B2B MarketplacesE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mike Xu(Founder/CEO, , President)in
Co-investorsBascom VenturesBattery VenturesCastor Ventures (an Alumni Ventures Fund)Celtic House Asia PartnersDisruptive VenturesEQUIAM+23 more
Guild operates a global education benefits platform that connects employees to a curated learning marketplace, 1:1 coaching, and analytics so employers can develop talent, fill critical roles, and build internal mobility.
EdTechFuture of WorkHR TechDenver, US
Brittany Stich(Founder)inGREG SIEGEL(Executive Officer)RACHEL ROMER CARLSON(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)NATALIE MCCULLOUGH(Executive Officer)PAUL FREEDMAN(Executive Officer)LEIGHANNE LEVENSALER(Director)
Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersCowboy VenturesFelicis VenturesGSV VenturesICONIQNew Ground Ventures+13 more
HopSkipDrive operates a marketplace and software platform connecting students and other individuals needing support to vetted caregivers for transportation, while providing school districts with tools like RouteWise AI to optimize their transportation operations.
B2B MarketplacesEdTechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationSaaSLos Angeles, US
Carolyn Yashari Becher(Executive Officer)inJoanna McFarland(Executive Officer, Director)inJanelle McGlothlin(Executive Officer)in
BoardGreg Bettinelli(Director)in
Co-investors1843 CapitalBascom VenturesEnergy Impact PartnersFirstMark CapitalGreycroftHalogen Ventures Management Company Llc+7 more
Iconic is a platform that partners with museums, artists, and cultural institutions to create and distribute digital and physical art collectibles to global audiences.
B2B MarketplacesCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment
Aluan Wang
Co-investorsBoot64 VenturesInnovation CatalystAF VenturesCultivation CapitalStout Street Capital
Blake Hall(Founder)in
Co-investorsCapitalGFortify VenturesK Street CapitalMoonshots CapitalOssian CapitalRed Swan Ventures+4 more
Boston, US
Christopher Lustrino(Executive Officer, Director)Venkatachalam Sankaranarayanan, Jr.(Executive Officer)Sean O'Reilly(Executive Officer)James Bordewick, Jr.(Executive Officer)Andrew Gordon(Executive Officer)Howard Schneider(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsGlobal Millennial CapitalOyster Ventures
Mercury is an investor database listing venture capital investors and their sector focus areas.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSector Agnostic
Immad Akhund(Founder & CEO)inJason Zhang(Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer)inMax Tagher(Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer)in
Co-investors500 GlobalAndreessen HorowitzAngel Collective Opportunity FundBetter Tomorrow VenturesChapter OneClocktower Ventures+38 more
MPOWER Financing provides loans and financial support to international students pursuing education in the United States and Canada, using a credit model based on future potential rather than credit history.
EdTechFintechImpact & Social GoodWashington, US
Co-investorsDreamit VenturesETS Strategic CapitalFresco CapitalK Street CapitalVARIVCommunity Investment Management+2 more
Pacaso enables fractional co-ownership of luxury second homes, allowing owners to purchase shares in vacation properties rather than owning entire homes individually.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerMarketplacesPropTechCalifornia, US
Austin Allison(CEO)inDavid J. Willbrand(CLO)inCharles Tanner(Managing Officer)Nina Tran(Chief Financial Officer)in
BoardDan Levitan(Director)inLara Cumberland(Director)
Co-investorsAcrew CapitalBeyond CapitalCrosscut VenturesFlucas VenturesGreycroftMaveron+7 more
An AI-powered answer engine providing accurate, trusted, and real-time answers to questions.
San Francisco, US
Andrew D. Konwinski(Executive Officer, Director)Dzianis Yarats(Director)Aravind Srinivas Lakshminarayanan(Director, Executive Officer)Aravind Srinivas(Co-founder & CEO)inDenis Yarats(Co-founder & CTO)
BoardPeter Sonsini(Director)
Co-investors359 Capital7BC Venture CapitalAccelAdvaita CapitalAIX VenturesArrington Capital+49 more
Shippify is a logistics company that provides technology-driven last-mile, middle-mile, crossdocking, ship-from-store, and dedicated delivery operations for businesses.
Enterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSBelo Horizonte, Mg, BR
Miguel Torres Espinosa(Executive Officer, Director)Luis Elicio Loaiza(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsBuenTrip Ventures
SOAR AI Studio is a human-centered AI company building products on a proprietary multi-agent AI platform that turns conversations, meetings, and documents into usable insight while retaining memory of a user's work and preferences.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
Paul Allen(Founder)in
Co-investors3Lines Venture Capital
Statt is an AI-powered policy intelligence platform that helps government affairs, legal, and regulatory teams monitor legislative and regulatory developments, analyze their impact, and produce decision-ready work products.
AI & Machine LearningGovTechSilver Spring, US
Steve Glickman(Founder)in
BoardAndrew Platt(Director)Aasim Hasan(Director)in
Co-investorsMoneta VenturesNext Coast VenturesNextGen Venture Partners
SureBright enables merchants to integrate product protection plans into their checkout process, generating incremental revenue while reducing customer acquisition costs through embedded insurance offerings.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceInsurTechRetail TechSaaS
Swiftly provides a data platform for public transit agencies to track vehicle locations, generate real-time passenger information and arrival predictions, and analyze historical operations data.
Data & InfrastructureGovTechMobility & Transportation
Co-investorsJMI EquitySHAKTIWind VentureRenewal Funds
Co-investorsAHL Venture Partners
Upskill develops the Skylight augmented reality platform providing digital workflow applications that connect frontline workers with data through smart glasses and handheld mobile devices, focused on industrial manufacturing, inspection, and audit use cases.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareTysons Corner, US
Co-investorsCisco Investments
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesPerplexity · cryptonews.com · Aug 20, 2026
Anthropic · Reuters · Aug 15, 2026
Guild · massivelyop.com · Jul 27, 2026
Mercury · marketbeat.com · Jul 18, 2026
MPOWER Financing · galvnews.com · Mar 17, 2026
GrubMarket · igrownews.com · Feb 3, 2026
Statt · statt.com · Jan 20, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Builders + Backers made?
- Builders + Backers has 28 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Builders + Backers invest at?
- Builders + Backers invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Builders + Backers focus on?
- Builders + Backers focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Crypto & Web3, Data & Infrastructure, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Future of Work, Healthtech, InsurTech, Marketplaces, Media & Entertainment, SaaS, Sector Agnostic, Social.
- Who does Builders + Backers co-invest with?
- Builders + Backers most often shares deals with Flucas Ventures, K Street Capital, Moonshots Capital, among 212 tracked co-investors.
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