Equal Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingNew York · Pre-Seed–Series A · 6 people tracked
Also known as EQUAL VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC
Investment thesis
Seed investor focused exclusively on climate/energy, insurance, retail, and supply chain, using deep sector research and mapping, making concentrated ~$1.5M initial checks and publicly sharing learnings.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 6 people
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What they invest in
from 26 of 37 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×10SaaS ×9Energy ×6Cleantech ×5Climate Tech ×5InsurTech ×5B2B Marketplaces ×4Consumer ×4
HQs:United States×14
Who they back
founder profiles across 14 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×72 founders×43 founders×3
Where their founders studiedfrom 12 founders with education data
Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 14 founders with career history
Gin Lane Media ×2
Investments · 37 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 32025 · 22024 · 22023 · 22022 · 32020 · 113 dated
Isomer builds an AI-powered signals layer that reads unstructured claims communications — emails, letters, attachments, and threads — to surface risk signals and reduce manual inbox triage, routing, and data entry before a claim is formally opened.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareInsurTech
Sean Chou(Co-founder)inSean Casey(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsEmergence CapitalBritish Business Investments
David Energy builds technology to enable electricity grids powered by 100% clean, renewable energy.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyHardwareNew York, US
James McGinniss(Executive Officer, Director)inAhmed Salman(Executive Officer)Brian Maxwell(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsCathay InnovationDesigner FundGreat Oaks Venture CapitalJetstreamLorimer VenturesOceans Ventures+3 more
Chicago, US
Jared Golden(Director)Amish . Tolia(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJohn Cowgill(Director)in
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D · $15M raise · filed Mar 2026
Co-investorsCostanoa Ventures
MVMNT provides freight brokerage software that automates broker workflows to save time.
Logistics & Supply ChainSaaSSales TechChicago, US
Michael Colin(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)
EnergyBoulder, US
Piyush Mathur(Executive Officer, Director)Emily McAteer(Executive Officer, Director)Catherine Zoi(Director)Morgan DeFoort(Director)
BoardNick Grossman(Director)
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D · $15M raise · filed Dec 2024
Co-investorsFMO
Shadow Power deploys, owns, and manages distributed energy resources such as onsite batteries, aggregating and synchronizing them with grid operations to provide flexible, resilient power.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyNew York, US
Michael Ruehlman(Executive Officer, Director)Jeffrey White(Executive Officer, Director)David Mort(Director)
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsCity Light
New York, US
Patrick Ali Javid(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Hesham El-Nahhas(Executive Officer, Promoter)Naysawn Naji(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Board seatRichard Kerby· per SEC Form D · $3.5M raise · filed Mar 2020
Texture builds a connected control system for grid operations, linking the people, data, and decisions used to run the electrical grid.
CleantechEnergySaaS
Board seatRick Zullo· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesVoLo Earth VenturesLerer Hippeau
Marina Del Rey, US
Jessica Chang(Executive Officer, Director)Jesse Forrest(Executive Officer, Director)Matthew Reilly(Executive Officer)
BoardAnna Barber(Director)
Board seatRichard Kerby· per SEC Form D · $17M raise · filed Feb 2022
Bikky provides a data platform for restaurant brands that consolidates customer and store data to help operators understand what drives store performance.
Data & InfrastructureFoodTechMarketing TechSaaSNew York, US
Abhinav Kapur(CEO)in
Co-investorsAtacama VenturesEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Field VenturesFikaGutter CapitalPortfolia+3 more
Block Renovation is a residential and commercial construction platform that connects homeowners and builders with vetted contractors and provides project management, pricing transparency, and buyer protections for renovation and new build projects across the United States.
B2B MarketplacesConstruction TechPropTech
Julie Kheyfets(CEO)
Co-investorsComcast VenturesEntropy Industrial CapitalField VenturesGiant Ventures Global LlpGreen Meadow VenturesLerer Hippeau+5 more
Bluefields is a technology-first insurance platform that builds specialized insurance programs for underserved market niches, combining loss control, program structuring, and proprietary data to accelerate time-to-market and improve underwriting outcomes.
InsurTech
Co-investorsAmerican Family VenturesCrosslink CapitalBlumberg CapitalGradient Ventures
(Re)vive helps fashion and retail brands recover value from returns, damaged goods, and unsellable inventory through tech-enabled grading, cost-controlled refurbishment, and restocking or liquidation via a gated consumer marketplace.
Circular EconomyE-commerceRetail Tech
Co-investorsCoalition OperatorsHyphen Capital
Chord provides a unified data layer and AI agents for commerce brands, combining reliable data infrastructure with autonomous tools that operate across the full business stack.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceMarketing Tech
Bryan Mahoney(CEO & Co-Founder)Henry Davis(President & Chairman)
Co-investorsAlleyCorpBright Pixel CapitalIntercept VenturesRidge VenturesAlley Robotics VenturesChingona Ventures+2 more
Chord provides a unified data layer and AI-powered agents for commerce brands to centralize fragmented data across tools and automate operations.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceMarketing Tech
Bryan Mahoney(CEO & Co-Founder)Henry Davis(President & Chairman)in
Co-investorsAct One VenturesGood FriendsHawke VenturesImaginary Venture CapitalWhite Star CapitalM13
Denver, US
James L. Long(Director)Lauren Greene(Director)Jason Greene(Director)Adrian Perez(Director)Tristan D. Willey(Director, Promoter)Mark W. Byrne(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsGenius VenturesInspired CapitalMax Ventures
Equal Parts acquires independent insurance agencies and equips them with AI tools that analyze data to support cross-selling, upselling, customer acquisition, and risk management.
AI & Machine LearningFintechInsurTechAustin, US
Mike Witte(Co-founder)inGraham YennieinMike Mellerin
Co-investorsInspired CapitalMax Ventures
Ghost builds dedicated consumer hardware and software for running personal AI agents on infrastructure the user owns, rather than on cloud providers.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardware
Co-investorsAudaciousBackwards CapitalCathay InnovationL CattertonUnion Square Ventures (USV)
Ghost is an AI-native wholesale distribution platform that connects brands with retailers, letting brands list surplus and wholesale inventory with controls over pricing, channels, and geography while buyers source products from vetted suppliers.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesRetail Tech
Co-investorsCoalition OperatorsEniac VenturesFour Acres CapitalShrug CapitalSinai Capital Partners
Leap builds a platform that enables virtual power plant management by connecting storage, electric vehicle, and smart building systems to grid-support energy programs, helping reduce fossil fuel dependence and integrate renewable energy.
CleantechClimate TechEnergySaaS
Remco van den Elzen(Co-founder)Thomas Folker(Founder)in
Co-investorsPresidio VenturesCongruent VenturesNational Grid PartnersGaruda VenturesLightbankUnion Square Ventures (USV)+6 more
Leap operates a platform that launches and manages retail stores for consumer brands, providing location selection, store design, operations management, and data analytics to reduce expansion risk and cost.
B2B MarketplacesRetail Tech
Co-investorsDnx VenturesHyde Park Venture PartnersMGV.VCSugar Capital
Odyssey unlocks capital for the distributed energy sector in growth markets, enabling clean energy projects to be developed and financed faster.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyFintech
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesBroadscaleEquatorTwelve BelowUnion Square Ventures (USV)AMD Ventures
Pattern is a house of consumer brands offering home products, including waffle towels, sleep technology, and premium silicone kitchen tools.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Nicholas Ling(Founder)inSuze Dowling(Founder)in
Co-investorsKleiner PerkinsNextView VenturesReshapeRSE VenturesToba CapitalV3 Ventures+3 more
SmartHop provides software tools for trucking fleet operators to manage load booking, dispatch, and operations across spot market and contract freight.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSMiami, US
Guillermo Garcia(Founder)inMiguel Sucre(Co-founder)
Co-investorsGreycroftSozo VenturesTechstarsTwo Culture CapitalZenda
Stand uses physics-based simulation, satellite imagery, and field inspection to model per-property natural-peril risk (wildfire, wind, hail, water, and earthquake) and translates it into insurance coverage.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechInsurTech
Dan Preston(Founder)in
Co-investorsConvective CapitalFinancial Venture StudioFjor FoundersInspired CapitalNeotribe VenturesRestive Ventures+1 more
Starday is an AI-enabled innovation partner for food and beverage companies, helping teams prioritize, develop, and launch new products through expert guidance, defined processes, and internal technology.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFoodTech
Lily Burtis(Founder)in
Co-investorsAZ Venture Capital Inc.City LightHannah Grey VenturesPure VenturesVU Venture PartnersSlow Ventures
Suppli offers an accounts receivable and credit management platform designed for building materials suppliers and distributors, helping credit teams manage customer accounts, reduce days sales outstanding (DSO), and simplify collections.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Co-investorsAudaciousDundee Venture CapitalField VenturesGreen Egg Ventures
New York, US
Sanjiv Sanghavi(Executive Officer, Director)inVictor Quinn(Executive Officer)Nicholas Brown(Executive Officer)
BoardRick Zullo(Director)in
Co-investorsLerer HippeauRyze LabsWintermuteAbstract VenturesVoLo Earth Ventures
ThreeFlow Insights provides real-time, in-app market intelligence for benefits brokers and insurance carriers, offering data such as response rates, new business premium by carrier, and close ratios to support revenue planning and partner decisions.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaS
Ryan Sachtjen(CEO, cofounder)inRichard Perrott(COO, cofounder)Shaheeb Roshan(CTO, cofounder)Jose Estrada(Chief Financial Officer)
Co-investorsAccelEmergence Capital Partners9Yards Capital
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.LAField VenturesFikaHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcBanana Capital+4 more
Wrapbook provides production payroll and accounting software for film, television, and commercial production teams.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaS
Cameron Woodward(Founder)inAli Javid(Founder)in
Co-investorsA*Andreessen HorowitzBessemer Venture PartnersField VenturesOne Planet GroupUncork Capital+2 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 companiesPattern · investing.com · Aug 6, 2026
Stand · streetinsider.com · Aug 5, 2026
Texture · jcgt.org · Jul 29, 2026
Bikky · manilatimes.net · Jul 23, 2026
Bluefields Specialty · fortuneindia.com · Jul 17, 2026
Chord · marketbeat.com · Jul 16, 2026
Wrapbook · help.wrapbook.com · Jul 9, 2026
Odyssey · citybiz.co · Jun 29, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Equal Ventures made?
- Equal Ventures has 27 tracked investments, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Equal Ventures invest at?
- Equal Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Equal Ventures's typical check size?
- Equal Ventures typically writes checks of $1M – $2M.
- What sectors does Equal Ventures focus on?
- Equal Ventures focuses on Climate Tech, Consumer, E-commerce, Energy, InsurTech, Logistics & Supply Chain, Retail Tech.
- Where is Equal Ventures located?
- Equal Ventures is headquartered in New York, US.
- Does Equal Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Equal Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does Equal Ventures co-invest with?
- Equal Ventures most often shares deals with Field Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Lerer Hippeau, among 78 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamAI Revolution ft. Equal Ventures Founder & Managing Partner Rick Zullo
Grace Gong · Rick Zullo
Rick Zullo, Equal Ventures MP on Vertical SaaS, Energy & Logistics
Grace Gong · Rick Zullo
The Secrets to Scaling Startups with Rick Zullo of Equal Ventures
Five to Fifty Podcast · Rick Zullo
Rick Zullo on Building Equal Ventures, Why Traction is Overrated, Advice for Emerging Managers
The Peel with Turner Novak · Rick Zullo
#116 - Consultative VC, Developing Networks for Your PortCos, & More w/ Rick Zullo (Equal Ventures)
Silas Mähner · Rick Zullo
Taking Concentrated Bets - Richard Kerby, GP, Equal Ventures - VC10X Podcast
VC10X with Prashant Choubey · Richard Kerby
Images
Co-investors · 33
Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City that invests at the edge of large markets undergoing transformation from technological and societal pressures.
Costanoa Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs a select group of founders solving large, difficult problems, positioning itself as a long-term, operationally engaged partner from a company's earliest days through later milestones.
Fika Ventures is an operator-first seed fund where co-founders Eva Ho and TX Zhuo leverage their startup operating experience to provide deeply embedded support to B2B founders through weekly working sessions and hands-on help with hiring, pricing, and go-to-market rather than pursuing a high-volume portfolio model. The firm deliberately backs "non-central casting" founders—optimizing for responsiveness, grit, and execution over pedigree—while focusing on B2B companies using data and AI to solve systemic workflow problems across industries like fintech, vertical SaaS, and healthcare.
Accel is a venture capital firm that partners with exceptional teams, positioning itself as a first partner to founders globally.
Eniac Ventures partners with early-stage founders, backing companies from 0 to 1.
Slow Ventures is a generalist early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2011, with offices in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, investing in the earliest rounds of companies across many sectors.
Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies and provides operational support to portfolio companies. The firm was founded by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, entrepreneurs behind Groupon, Mediaocean, InnerWorkings, Echo Global Logistics, and Uptake.
Hyde Park Venture Partners (HPVP) is an early-stage venture fund investing in AI, software, and tech-enabled services companies connected to the Midwest, Toronto, or the Southeast.
Jetstream is a San Francisco-based venture fund run by Tommy Leep that backs startups at the pre-seed stage. It emphasizes quick decisions and helps portfolio founders with customer introductions, strategy, and raising follow-on rounds through its community of founders and investors. Its investments include companies in areas such as disaster recovery, fintech, health, and EV charging.
Gutter Capital is a venture fund co-founded by a former WeWork executive who sold his company for $220M and a computer scientist turned professional gambler who built software to predict athlete performance, with both partners having invested their own exit proceeds and gambling winnings into over 100 angel investments before raising their institutional fund. The fund focuses on "advancing the American experiment" through investments in affordability, economic mobility, and sustainability, while operating with an unusually hands-on, blue-collar approach that treats portfolio support—especially recruiting—as a core systematized product rather than occasional help.
Version One Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that backs mission-driven founders building technology companies with generational potential, often committing from day one before a category is clear.
Sozo Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in technology-enabled companies and supports their global expansion, particularly into markets such as Japan.
▶21 more co-investors
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)GV (Google Ventures)FJ LabsBoxGroupEverywhere VenturesB Capital GroupPlug and Play VenturesScale Venture Partners8VCGoodwater CapitalCausalTribeca Venture PartnersWildcat Venture PartnersCoinFundBrand Foundry VenturesBlue Owl CapitalAZ-VCPaladin Capital GroupAlkeon CapitalR136 VenturesTeachers' Venture Growth
Firms observed investing alongside Equal Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Equal Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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