Fundraising FoxFirst Row Partners
Venture capitalSeattle · Pre-Seed · 4 people tracked
Find your way into First Row Partners
Sign up to see every warm intro you have to First Row Partners
- Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the First Row Partners team. We find them for you
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
- Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone
Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.
Investment thesis
First Row Partners is a pre-seed specialist venture firm that backs founders where technology grants new capabilities to emerging brand builders, content creators, and storytellers who combine expertise with imagination. Its investment approach is arts-based, and the portfolio centers on two themes: technology that elevates human expression and technology that merges media and commerce. Since 2020, the firm's founding partners have invested in more than 20 pre-seed startups across the United States and Canada.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 5, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 26 of 33 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×19SaaS ×15Enterprise Software ×8Marketing Tech ×6Fintech ×4Data & Infrastructure ×3Developer Tools ×3Future of Work ×3
HQs:United States×12United Kingdom×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 21 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×152 founders×53 founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 24 founders with education data
Stanford University ×2UCLA ×2University of Washington ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 20 founders with field-of-study data
Business & Management ×5Computer Science ×5Engineering ×4Finance & Accounting ×2Social Sciences ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 26 founders with career history
Goldstar Events ×2Google ×2Microsoft ×2Tiny Pulse ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
2 founders hold a PhD (of 23 with degree data)
Investments · 33 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12024 · 22023 · 12022 · 22021 · 17 dated
ApertureDB provides a database platform that unifies multimodal AI data, combining vector search and knowledge graph technologies to help teams build generative AI applications, agents, and RAG workflows.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsCupertino, US
Luis Remis(Founder)inVishakha Gupta(Founder)inVishakha Gupta Luis Remis(Founder)
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesGenerationshipGraph VenturesInterwoven VenturesRoot Ventures Manager, LlcTq Ventures Llc+1 more
Aquifer Motion builds facial-capture and animation software that turns phone-recorded performances into cinematic 3D animation.
Austin, US
Co-investorsGeekdomGurtin VenturesLDV CapitalTechstarsWXR FundWedbush Ventures
Atlas is a customer support platform that helps startups deliver white-glove support and manage customer relationships to reduce churn.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jon O'Bryan(Founder)inRahul Asati(Founder)inArpit Maheshwari(Founder)Avi Singh(Founder)inCarlo Dela Rosa(Founder)Christian Mochen(Founder)
Co-investorsSoma CapitalY Combinator6th Man VenturesAccelALLVPCathay Innovation+18 more
A workspace of the future platform co-founded by former Fintual alumni.
Gianina Rossi(Founder)in
Co-investorsHi Ventures2048 VenturesAccelAlso CapitalBlackRockGreycroft+1 more
_imresizer.png)
Calendly is a scheduling platform that integrates with Microsoft Teams to automatically generate and include Teams video conferencing links in calendar events.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
Tope Awotona(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesAtlanta Tech VillageBasecamp FundCoatue ManagementCVX VenturesEHA Impact Ventures+20 more
Candid Wholesale offers a software platform that helps brands and retailers set up, manage, and grow their wholesale business online, serving companies from small boutiques to established brands.
B2B MarketplacesE-commerceRetail TechSaaSPortland, US
Avery Bloom(Founder)in
Co-investorsAmplify.LALong Way VenturesToba Capital8VCCascade Seed FundDraft Ventures Llc+4 more
Count is a data collaboration tool with an AI analyst that lets teams ask questions about their business, investigate patterns across data systems, and align on decisions in a single workflow.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureSaaS
Oliver Hughes(Founder)inOliver Pike(Founder)
Co-investorsLocalGlobeTheVentureCityData Tech
COUNT is building an AI-native accounting operating system that automates bookkeeping tasks such as categorization, reconciliations, and month-end close.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS
Chris Smith(CEO & Co-Founder)inDerek Harn(Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsCreative HQ — The IncubatorData TechLocalGlobe
Dathic uses data science and machine learning to help consumer packaged goods brands understand and engage with the diverse population of US shoppers.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMarketing TechRetail Tech
Laura Rocha(Founder)inJosé Daniel Ramirez(Co-founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsNYU Innovation Venture FundThe Fund
Esteam builds an AI-powered reading tool, Esteam Reader, that uses speech recognition and generative AI to assess reading and create personalized stories and assessments for children.
AI & Machine LearningEdTech
Jennifer Wong(Founder)in
Co-investorsAI FundBoutique Venture PartnersMagnify Ventures
Ettos is a Medellín-based e-commerce company positioning itself as an online beauty store for Latin America.
Co-investors2048 Ventures
Scribble provides AI-powered clinical documentation software for home health agencies, capturing bedside information to automate OASIS forms and reduce administrative burden on clinicians.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtech
Sandeep(Founder and CEO)
Harmony Intelligence provides AI agents, managed by human security experts, that continuously test web apps, APIs, MCPs, and Chrome extensions for exploitable vulnerabilities.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecuritySaaS
Soroush J. Pour(Founder)in
Co-investorsAirTree VenturesInterface Fund
Humanly builds conversational AI and automated interviewing technology for high-volume hiring, helping organizations qualify candidates and conduct structured interviews at scale.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSSeattle, US
Andrew Gardner(Founder)inPrem Kumar(Founder)inBryan Leptich(Founder)inJason Silver(Vice President, Partner Talent Strategy)Liza Phongsavath(Recruiting Partner)Monique Mendoza(Recruiting Lead)
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesBranded Strategic HospitalityChaos VenturesConvergeDrive CapitalGrowth Factory Ventures+14 more
Impacked operates an online marketplace that lets brands search, sample, quote, and buy packaging components directly from vetted manufacturers, with a focus on cosmetic, personal care, and sustainable packaging.
B2B MarketplacesCircular EconomyNew MaterialsNew York, US
Natasha Trueman(Cofounder)Lisa-Marie Assenza(Founder)inDAVID WAXMAN(Director)
Co-investors2048 VenturesFJ LabsSpringTime VenturesTenOneTen VenturesOneValley VenturesQuiet Capital
Kickplan provides monetization infrastructure that abstracts payment details from applications and lets growth and product teams build and test pricing, packaging, and usage-based billing models without backend changes.
Developer ToolsFintechSaaSSales Tech
Robert Graff(Founder)inWill Clarkin
Co-investorsLong Way VenturesCascade Seed Fund
Liftoff Gives is the corporate philanthropy and employee giving program of Liftoff, offering in-person and skills-based volunteering, employee-inspired giving, and donation matching across the company's global offices.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningHR TechImpact & Social GoodMarketing TechRedwood City, US
Phil Crosby(Co-founder & Executive Product Advisor)inJeremy Bondy(Chief Executive Officer)inEleanor Morgan(Founder)Harry Robertson(Co-founder & Executive Technical Advisor)Mark Ellis(Founder)Susan Rickard Hansen(General Counsel)
Co-investorsBaseline VenturesBlackstoneCity LightCore Ventures GroupDesigner FundForerunner Ventures+2 more
.jpeg){kind=logo}
Liftoff is a hiring and networking platform that uses AI together with human insight to connect people with job opportunities through trusted professional relationships.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Eleanor Morgan(Founder)in
Co-investorsCity LightDesigner FundForerunner VenturesTactile VenturesTorch CapitalBlackstone
LocalAway is a platform for managing creator partnerships and influencer marketing campaigns at scale.
Creator EconomyMarketing TechSaaSAustin, US
Lukas Peter(Founder)in
Co-investorsGraham Walker VentureLair East LabsTechstars
Milk Video is a platform for creating and distributing short-form video content, allowing marketers to quickly collect and produce customer testimonials, employee testimonies, and expert commentary.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechNew York City, US
Ross Cranwell(Founder)inLeonard Bogdonoff(Founder)in
Co-investorsGV (Google Ventures)Y CombinatorAltaclub VCAltaIR CapitalAmino CapitalAmplify Partners+5 more
-2.png)
Mpathic provides red-teaming and model safety evaluation services for conversational AI systems, using a curated network of over 5,000 licensed U.S.-based clinical experts including psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to surface harms, test for bias and misinformation, and design evaluation frameworks.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareMental Health
Co-investorsGraham Walker VentureIdeashipIlluminate VenturesNext Frontier CapitalPortland Seed FundVerissimo Ventures+2 more
Mars (formerly Pocket) is an accounting firm for consumer packaged goods brands, providing full-service bookkeeping, revenue reconciliation across channels, true landed COGS and margin-per-SKU tracking, deduction reconciliation, and fractional CFO services.
ConsumerFintechSaaS
Peter Zhu(Partner)inOm Agarwal(Partner)inSergio Peterson(Head of Engineering)
Co-investorsDG Ventures, Inc.GV (Google Ventures)Navis Capital PartnersTranspose Platform ManagementATOORO FUND
Digital health company offering app-based musculoskeletal pain prevention and recovery programs for employers.
Ashley Hunt(Founder)in
Co-investorsValar Ventures Llc
Prisms develops VR/AR learning experiences for middle school math and science education, with a focus on teacher professional development and classroom outcomes.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechHardwareSan Francisco, US
Anurupa Ganguly(Founder)in
BoardJeffrey Jordan(Director)
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzScout FundWXR FundAnorak VenturesAvalanche VC
Runic is a marketing intelligence platform that uses AI to analyze unstructured customer feedback, generate recommendations such as copy and content strategy suggestions, and produce custom reports.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Co-investorsBantam Group
Thread was an AI-powered personal styling service that combined artificial intelligence with expert stylists to provide clothing recommendations for men and women.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerE-commerceMarketing TechLondon, GB
Kieran O'Neill(CEO)inBen Phillips(CTO)inIan Rosenberger(Founder)Lee Kimball(Founder)Mark Alayev(Founder)Matt Linn(Founder)
Co-investorsBalderton CapitalBeringeaY CombinatorDraper TriangleH&M CO:LABHeadline+3 more
Thread provides AI "guides" that run customer onboarding and sales-to-customer-success handoffs on a per-account basis, pursuing goals across text, email, and voice while verifying each step against the customer's CRM, data warehouse, or product telemetry.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSales Tech
Justin Vandehey(Founder)in
Co-investorsOregon Venture FundGreycroftHeadlinePortage VenturesUpper90
Variata builds AI testing agents that navigate web and mobile apps like real users to surface issues before release.
Co-investorsUntapped Capital
Velt provides collaboration features that integrate into applications and Microsoft Teams, enabling real-time commenting, notifications, and data synchronization through webhooks.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSSan Francisco, US
Rakesh Goyal(Founder)inSolene Oudet
Co-investorsY CombinatorAmino CapitalSpider Capital
WaveAI is a team of researchers developing generative AI for music.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyDeep TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaS
Maya Ackerman(Founder)in
Co-investors500 Global
WealthMore is a wealth management platform that combines human advisors with AI to provide personalized financial guidance and portfolio management for people who cannot afford traditional wealth advisors.
AI & Machine LearningFintech
Mical Jeanlys-White(Founder and CEO)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzEmmeline VenturesBen Franklin Technology PartnersThe BFM Fund
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Logoi
Exits · 3
3 acquisitions · showing 1Threadacq. by Marks & Spencer
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesCalendly · en.wikipedia.org · Aug 26, 2026
Velt · ycombinator.com · Apr 7, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has First Row Partners made?
- First Row Partners has 33 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does First Row Partners invest at?
- First Row Partners invests at the Pre-Seed stage.
- What sectors does First Row Partners focus on?
- First Row Partners focuses on Consumer, Creator Economy, E-commerce, Media & Entertainment, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is First Row Partners located?
- First Row Partners is headquartered in Seattle, US.
- Does First Row Partners lead rounds?
- First Row Partners typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does First Row Partners co-invest with?
- First Row Partners most often shares deals with WXR Fund, Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, among 78 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamImages
Co-investors · 1
PWV (Preston-Werner Ventures) provides early-stage capital to technology founders building the future, investing through PWV Fund I and the PWV Rolling Fund.
Firms observed investing alongside First Row Partners, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with First Row Partners's recorded portfolio.
Similar investors
Monashees is a Latin American venture capital firm backing technology-driven founders building category-defining companies from the region for global markets.
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that writes pre-seed checks and is backed by a community of founder and operator LPs.
Crush Ventures is an early-stage investment firm backing companies building technology and brands aimed at influencing pop culture, leveraging the resources and talent network of Crush Music.
MPG Fund is an early-stage venture investor backing technology startups.
Kombo Ventures is a diversified holding company that launches, operates, and invests in consumer brands, technology, and entertainment. The firm co-founded three direct-to-consumer brands projected to generate over $100 million in combined revenue in 2021, and operates a talent management division supporting creators and artists in building their businesses.