Designer Fund
Venture capitalSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Series A · 19 people tracked
Investment thesis
Designer Fund invests in and supports founders who value design as a core driver of building enduring companies. Founded by designers, the firm and its extensive network of design-leader advisors provide expertise in applying design to product, brand, and company building. It backs category-defining companies and empowers leaders to improve the world through design, offering tactical support to help portfolio companies grow via its platform and network.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 31, 2026.
Team · 19 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 93 of 149 portfolio companiesSaaS ×36AI & Machine Learning ×33Enterprise Software ×21Developer Tools ×16Climate Tech ×12Healthtech ×12Cleantech ×10Consumer ×9
HQs:United States×51Australia×1Canada×1Finland×1
Investments · 149 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 22022 · 12021 · 32018 · 12016 · 12015 · 19 dated
Ginkgo Bioworks develops autonomous laboratory systems that automate manual benchwork in biotechnology R&D, enabling scientists to conduct experiments through natural language requests rather than manual lab work.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechBoston, US
Jason Kelly(Founder)inAustin Che(Founder)inTom Knight(Founder)inBarry Canton(Founder)inReshma Shetty(Founder)in
BoardReshma Sohoni
Omada Health provides virtual-first, integrated care programs for chronic disease management, delivered as data-driven solutions for employers, health plans, and healthcare organizations.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Andrew DiMichelle(Executive Officer, Director)Adrian James(Executive Officer, Director)Sean Duffy(Executive Officer, Director)Balaji Srinivasan(Director)
BoardJonathan Root(Director)Casper De Clercq(Director)
Netlify is a platform for building, deploying, and scaling modern web applications, serving millions of developers and thousands of enterprises.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mathias Biilmann(Co-founder & CEO)Christian Bach(Co-founder, Chief Strategy and Creative Officer)
Netlify provides a platform for building, deploying, and scaling modern web applications, including corporate sites, e-commerce platforms, and SaaS applications.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEdTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mathias Biilmann(Co-founder & CEO)Christian Bach(Co-founder, Chief Strategy and Creative Officer)
Abstract is a design intelligence platform that gives design teams one space to gather requirements, track and assign work, review designs, handle feedback, and measure design outcomes.
Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
Guidepost operates a global network of Montessori schools offering child-paced, hands-on education for children from birth through senior graduation, with a core focus on early childhood programs for ages 0-6.
ConsumerEdTechSan Francisco, US
Max Ventilla(Executive Officer, Director)Sethi Komal(Executive Officer)
BoardBrian Singerman(Director)
Arcadia is an energy intelligence platform that helps businesses manage utility bills, procure energy, and track sustainability through a single interface.
AI & Machine LearningEnergyEnterprise SoftwareWashington, US
Kiran Bhatraju(Executive Officer)Ryan Nesbitt(Executive Officer)
AtoB provides fleet fuel cards that consolidate fuel, vehicle maintenance, repairs, tolls, and operational expenses for businesses operating private fleets, OTR carriers, or single-vehicle operations.
FintechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSan Francisco, US
Vignan Velivela(Founder and CEO)in
August Health builds software for senior living communities to support caregivers in delivering care.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtech
Justin Schram(Co-founder, Medical Director)Erez Cohen(Co-founder)
HealthtechMinneapolis, US
Christopher Olmanson(Executive Officer, Director)Marissa Pittard(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJon Bassett(Director)
Bezi is an AI agent that operates within Unity to assist game developers with code generation, scene building, debugging, and automation tasks.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsGamingOakland, US
Cecilia Uhr(Director)Julian Park(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardChetan Puttagunta(Director)Susan Liu(Director)
Bird operates a shared electric scooter and e-bike service designed to reduce car trips and emissions in urban environments across multiple continents.
CleantechMobility & TransportationSanta Monica, US
Capitol builds sovereign AI infrastructure for regulated institutions including financial services firms, professional services organizations, and government agencies.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkGovTechWashington, US
Shaun Modi(Founder & CEO)inthomas hallaran(Founder)in
Carbon Engineering is a Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology company, founded in 2009, that develops systems to capture large volumes of CO2 directly from the atmosphere.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechSquamish, CA
Chromatic is a cloud service that tests user interfaces by scanning every possible UI state across browsers to catch visual and functional bugs, with reviewer assignment and discussion resolution for team sign-off.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Climeworks develops Direct Air Capture technology to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air, and through Climeworks Solutions designs and manages carbon removal portfolios that combine engineered and nature-based methods.
CleantechClimate TechDeep Tech
Commure develops software solutions for healthcare providers and administrators to reduce documentation burden, streamline denial management, and improve staff safety infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Diede van Lamoen(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardHemant Taneja(Director)
David Energy builds technology to enable electricity grids powered by 100% clean, renewable energy.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyHardwareNew York, US
James McGinniss(Executive Officer, Director)Ahmed Salman(Executive Officer)Brian Maxwell(Executive Officer, Director)
Delighted is customer feedback software that collects and analyzes feedback across digital experiences, contact centers, chat, email, and social media, using AI to surface themes and automate response workflows for enterprise organizations.
Enterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaS
DICE is a ticketing platform that enables fans to discover and book live events including concerts, festivals, comedy shows, and club nights.
ConsumerCreator EconomyMarketplacesMedia & Entertainment
Ever.green offers high-impact renewable energy certificates (RECs) that fund new renewable energy and storage projects, and runs a tech-enabled marketplace to help buyers acquire clean energy tax credits and guide developers through monetization under the Inflation Reduction Act.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyMarketplaces
Felt is a mapping platform that converts geospatial data into high-performance maps for data engineers and developers, built on open standards like MapLibre and Tippecanoe with QGIS integration.
Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsTelluride, US
Tomer Alpert(Manager & Chief Executive Officer)Kearston Grace Everitt(Chief Operating Officer)GRACIE EVERITT(FOUNDER)Sam HashemiinRachel Zackin
Flatfile provides a platform for automating data onboarding, mapping, transformation, and validation using AI-guided workflows.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareDenver, US
AVERY CHASE(Executive Officer, Director)FRANCES SCHWEIP(Director)David Boskovic(Executive Officer, Director)Eric Crane(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardRORY O'DRISCOLL(Director)
Formation helps engineers find career opportunities at technology companies.
EdTechFuture of WorkHR Tech
Foundation was a non-custodial platform for NFT trading and creator monetization.
Creator EconomyCrypto & Web3
Foundation was a non-custodial, onchain NFT platform that let users mint, list, and sell NFTs through smart contracts, with assets held in users' own wallets.
Crypto & Web3
Framer is an AI-powered website builder that enables users to design and develop websites through an integrated design canvas with AI agents.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyDeveloper ToolsAmsterdam
Jorn van Dijk(Executive Officer, Director)Koen Bok(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardHillary Ball(Director)Zhenya Loginov(Director)Alex Clayton(Director)
Groove provides a virtual bone health program for people with osteoporosis, pairing each member with a physician and a dedicated physical therapist for at-home strength training and monitoring.
Digital HealthHealthtechLongevity
Gusto provides payroll processing, employee benefits administration, and HR management tools to businesses, offering integrated software alongside support services for these functions.
Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSan Francisco, US
Josh Reeves(Founder/CEO)inEdward Kim(Founder/Empowering Gusto's Engineering Team)inTomer London(Founder/; Empowering Gusto's Product and Design Teams)in
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioGinkgo BioworksNYSE: DNAOmada HealthNASDAQ: OMDA
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesStripe · techcrunch.com · Jul 20, 2026
Foundation · wellsvillesun.com · Jul 17, 2026
Copper · carboncredits.com · Jul 17, 2026
Omada Health · investing.com · Jul 17, 2026
Notion · finsmes.com · Jul 16, 2026
Formation · intellizence.com · Jul 15, 2026
Commure · fiercehealthcare.com · Jul 6, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Designer Fund invest at?
- Designer Fund invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Designer Fund's typical check size?
- Designer Fund typically writes checks of $100K – $1M.
- What sectors does Designer Fund focus on?
- Designer Fund focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Designer Fund located?
- Designer Fund is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Designer Fund lead rounds?
- Yes, Designer Fund leads investment rounds.
From the blog
visit blog ↗Designer Fund has recently written about AI transforming design work, with designers increasingly building and shipping code alongside traditional design tasks, and about tools that address practical challenges in scaled product development like maintaining design-to-production alignment and enabling AI-powered creative workflows. AI summary
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the team#21: Designer Fund's Ben Blumenfeld on how designers can become successful founders
High Resolution · Ben Blumenfeld
Why Designers Are Moving Into Code | Stephen Haney, Founder of Paper
Designer Fund
The Design Team That's Outnumbered 20-to-1 | How Sierra Designs with AI
Designer Fund
Leif Abraham, CEO of Public: Designing a Serious Investing Platform
Designer Fund
Designer Founder Jonathan Arena on Building at the AI Frontier
Designer Fund
Making of a founder: Julie Zhuo's advice for aspiring designer founders
Designer Fund
Images
Co-investors · 24
Andreessen Horowitz's Strategic Partnerships page describes collaborations that connect its portfolio companies with established institutions to help scale and deploy their technology.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies, with a strong current focus on artificial intelligence.
Index Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs founders across the globe, investing in the people behind ideas from early through later stages.
Gradient is a seed-stage venture fund focused on backing founders building artificial intelligence companies, offering hands-on support as builders and mentors.
Slow Ventures is an early-stage investment firm backing curious founders at the intersection of technology and the edges of science, society, and culture, providing resources, connections, and support to build durable companies.
Afore Capital is a $500M pre-seed venture fund that invests in pre-traction, early-stage companies, leveraging product and investment expertise to support founders from day zero.
Founder Collective is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on seed and pre-seed investments across all sectors.
Uncork Capital is a seed-stage venture firm that backs founders at the earliest stage, before their potential is widely recognized.
Two Sigma Ventures has rebranded and is now known as Deviation Capital; the page directs visitors to the new website.
Unusual Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs enterprise founders from initial insight through market leadership, providing a proprietary playbook for finding product-market fit.
Operator Collective is a venture firm built around a Collective Venture Model, backed by 200+ operator limited partners who are current tech executives and provide portfolio companies with access to enterprise decision-makers, expertise, and networks.
Worklife Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that backs technical founders, often meeting them very early (before they leave their current roles) and helping with the non-technical aspects of company building.
▶12 more co-investors
Hummingbird VenturesUnknown VenturesLiquid VenturesLookout VenturesStellar CapitalSoma CapitalCrosslink CapitalOperator LPFlatiron HealthFreigeist CapitalBasecamp FundAudacious
Firms observed investing alongside Designer Fund, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Designer Fund's recorded portfolio.
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