Foothill Ventures
Venture capitalLos Altos · Pre-Seed–Series A · 17 people tracked
Investment thesis
Foothill Ventures invests in early-stage technology companies demonstrating technical differentiation and product-level superiority. The firm prioritizes founding team quality and past leadership success, and actively seeks diversity among founders, including immigrant, female, and PhD founders. The fund is particularly interested in cross-disciplinary opportunities where technical innovation emerges from the intersection of multiple fields.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Team · 17 people
from the firm's websiteCo-founder of Answers and former CEO of Auryc with specialized knowledge in optimization and enterprise software. Holds 7 patents and earned a PhD from Tsinghua and University of Connecticut.
Serial entrepreneur who founded three companies and held positions as Managing Director at New Territory Venturers and Managing Partner at Ajinomoto Group Ventures. Educated at Wake Forest and INSEAD.
Co-founder of IGC and iWatt with expertise in biotech and integrated circuits. Holds 50 patents and earned a PhD from Tsinghua and Stanford.
Former Yahoo VP and Turn CTO with expertise in AI and enterprise software. Holds 11 patents and earned a PhD from Tsinghua and University of Minnesota.
UCSF professor and co-founder of ACCB Bio and Pinpoint Genomics with expertise in oncology, therapeutics, diagnostics, and life science tools. Holds 40+ patents and earned degrees from Tsinghua and University of Virginia.
Alibaba Cloud founding chief architect and Yahoo senior principal engineer with expertise in cloud infrastructure, high-performance computing, and AI infrastructure. Earned a PhD from UCSB.
VP Engineering at Netskope and BedRock Systems and co-founder of AssureSec with expertise in cybersecurity and cloud. Holds 20+ filed patents.
Senior technology executive with leadership roles at Yahoo, Microsoft, and WebTV Networks. Co-founder of Streetlight Software with enterprise software expertise and 22 patents.
Co-founder of Dashbase and former engineer at Twitter and LinkedIn with expertise in open source, big data, enterprise software, SaaS, and observability. Holds 6 patents.
Co-founder of Petuum Inc. and Genesis Medtech with expertise in materials science, medtech, and robotics. Holds 9 patents and earned advanced degrees from Tsinghua, Rice, and University of Minnesota.
Google Director and co-founder/CTO of multiple ventures including Leap.ai and Huma with expertise in Web3, fintech, and AI. Holds an MBA and PhD from Southern Methodist University and University of Florida.
PTC SVP of Product and Arena Solutions CTO with expertise in enterprise software, DevOps, and compliance. Educated at Tsinghua and Yale.
Former investment banker at Standard Chartered Bank and JP Morgan with finance and electrical engineering background from USC and Washington University.
Former Application Scientist at ThermoFisher and Senior Principal at Linear Capital with a PhD in biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology from Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Former Amazon and Deeplearning.ai team member with expertise in AI infrastructure. Holds an MS from University of Utah.
Investment team member educated at Tsinghua and Yale with an MBA.
Former digital product manager and healthcare consultant at PwC specializing in data analytics. Holds an MBA from MIT and undergraduate degree from Northwestern.
What they invest in
from 28 of 195 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×16Medical Devices ×7Deep Tech ×6Enterprise Software ×6Hardware ×6SaaS ×6Healthtech ×5Digital Health ×4
HQs:United States×9
Investments · showing 60 of 195
founders shown can be your intro pathNext-generation genetic sequencing using microfluidics for sequencing and molecular diagnostics
Openprise provides a data and AI orchestration platform that automates data work for go-to-market operations teams, enabling advanced segmentation, personalization, and pipeline management. The platform serves enterprise sales and marketing operations professionals who need to streamline manual data tasks.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Ed(Founder)MarioRey
Developer of advanced thermal interface material for CPU, GPU, and XPU
Develops highly automated system to modernize agriculture industry
AI-based software system that leverages machine learning to supercharge wireless connections
Enterprise no-code platform for building customized applications
Designs ultra power efficient extreme performance ADC/DAC/AFE
AM Batteries develops Powder to Electrode dry coating technology for lithium-ion electrode manufacturing, reducing solvent use and energy consumption compared to traditional slurry methods. The technology targets battery manufacturers seeking to lower capital and operating costs while improving production efficiency.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechEnergyMassachusetts, US
Amperesand manufactures medium voltage solid-state transformers for critical power infrastructure, enabling faster deployment of power systems for AI data centers and industrial applications. The company's factory-built platform consolidates multiple electrical components to reduce installation time and space requirements.
Deep TechEnergyHardware
Brian Dow(Chief Executive Officer)Tommy Joyner(Sr. VP of Engineering)Marc Bouchet(Chief of Staff)Andrey Reznik(Chief Financial Officer)
Infrastructure solutions powered by solid-state transformer technology for global electrification
AmpUp develops electric vehicle charging infrastructure solutions for drivers, businesses, and communities. The company builds dependable and accessible charging systems to expand EV adoption and mobility.
Climate TechConsumerEnergyMobility & TransportationSaaSSan Francisco, US
Thomas Sun(Founder)in
Develops sub-1nm 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide materials for logic and memory
Single-call LLM model and inference engine for long-horizon reasoning
Ingestible drug delivery and monitoring technology
AI agents that execute complex, multi-step tasks by autonomously operating cloud-hosted mobile applications
Disruptive automotive radar system using Luneburg lens antenna
Develops automated forklift for loading and unloading
BioEclipse Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology company developing immuno-oncology therapeutics using a proprietary platform that targets the tumor microenvironment through engineered immune cell therapies. The company's approach combines multiple mechanisms of action to eradicate cancer cells and generate durable immune responses against relapse and recurrence.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
World's first high-acuity spherical bionic retina
Developer of AI based Security Cameras
AI-powered mobile robots that autonomously unload boxes in containers and trucks
Develops functional brain map to facilitate brain disorder diagnosis and treatment
Micro-VCSEL optical interconnect technology
Pioneering AI-driven live-cell imaging for cell therapy and regenerative medicine
Provides at-home individualized cardiac rehabilitation program
CertiK is a Web3 security platform that provides smart contract audits, penetration testing, compliance solutions, and real-time project evaluation for blockchain projects and institutions. It serves Web3 developers, exchanges, wallets, and institutions building distributed ledger technologies.
Crypto & Web3Cybersecurity
Sergey Gorbunov(Co-Founder)Alex Wilke(Co-Founder)
Formal verification for blockchain certificate review to protect blockchain integrity
Developer of cloud data protection platform specialized for analytical stores
Transforming understanding and addressing of CNS diseases
Provides AI-powered Python code review to improve performance
CohZero technology delivers coherent performance for data center optical interconnects
AI-driven data privacy management using privacy-enhancing technologies
Fully automated AI-powered coding software
d-Matrix develops AI compute hardware and platforms optimized for generative AI inference, designed to be faster, more energy-efficient, and more accessible than existing solutions.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareSemiconductors
DeepHow creates video-based training and AI-powered standard operating procedure (SOP) verification for frontline operations workers in manufacturing. The platform captures operational knowledge to train both workers and AI systems, helping manufacturers ensure procedure adherence and optimize production.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEdTechNew York City, US
eBPF-powered infrastructure observability platform with high-resolution telemetry
Develops miniaturized neuromodulation device implants to treat chronic disorders
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Foothill Ventures invest at?
- Foothill Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Foothill Ventures focus on?
- Foothill Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Deep Tech, Hardware.
- Where is Foothill Ventures located?
- Foothill Ventures is headquartered in Los Altos, US.
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