Founders
AcceleratorActively deployingSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Seed · 26 people tracked
Also known as Adamo Capital Family Office Llc · Founders Principals
Find your way into Founders
1,630 people in our graph share verified history with the Founders team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Founders, Inc positions itself as the first believer in bold founders working on hard problems in emerging domains, spanning AI, AR/VR, hardware, physical products, content creation, and robotics. Beyond writing the first check, the firm emphasizes giving founders space and community to experiment, fail, and try again, viewing resilience and community over early metrics like revenue or product-market fit. It operates a 42,000 sq ft campus at Fort Mason in San Francisco where builders gather, tinker, and develop future-defining companies. Founders selected through its process are invited to campus, receive a first check, and gain access to its network of top founders.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 27, 2026.
Team · 26 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
Founder mafia
The Founders mafia →23 people who came through Founders went on to found or lead other companies.
+ 11 more
What they invest in
from 38 of 200 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×21Healthtech ×10Developer Tools ×9SaaS ×9Advanced Manufacturing ×6Consumer ×6Enterprise Software ×5Gaming ×5
HQs:United States×27Canada×1Switzerland×1Germany×1United Kingdom×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 23 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×92 founders×83 founders×6
Where their founders studiedfrom 37 founders with education data
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business ×4University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ×4University of California, Berkeley ×3University of Waterloo ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 39 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×19Computer Science ×9Business & Management ×8Life Sciences ×4Medicine ×2Physics ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 37 founders with career history
UC Irvine ×3Apple ×2Clarkson University ×2Harvard University ×2Invitrx Therapeutics ×2Qualcomm ×2Stanford University ×2Twitter ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
8 founders hold a PhD · 3 hold an MBA (of 39 with degree data)
Portfolio companies · showing 197 of 200
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBy year:2026 · 22025 · 62024 · 22022 · 12021 · 52020 · 12018 · 12016 · 12015 · 120 dated
Gym Class is a social gaming platform offering sports games including basketball, baseball, boxing, football, paintball, and soccer across virtual reality and mobile.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerGamingSocialSports TechSan Francisco, US
Justin Hubert(Founder)inPaul Katsen(Founder)inErik(CTO)
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzY CombinatorSoma CapitalTodd and Rahul’s Angel Fund
Gym Class is a social gaming platform featuring sports games like basketball, baseball, boxing, football, paintball, and soccer available on Meta Quest VR and mobile.
ConsumerGamingSocial
Paul(Product Leader)Erik(CTO)
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzSoma CapitalY CombinatorTodd and Rahul’s Angel Fund
Gecko Robotics builds robots equipped with sensors and cameras to inspect industrial structures like boilers for structural defects, replacing dangerous manual inspections at height.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechRoboticsPittsburgh, US
Jake Loosararian(Founder/CEO)inTroy Demmer(Founder/COO)in
BoardGaetano Crupi(Director)inAndrew Davis(Director)in
Board seatTrae Stephens· per SEC Form D · $139.9M raise · filed Jun 2025
Co-investorsAlpha PartnersBase Venture Management, Inc.Drive CapitalFifth Down CapitalFormula VCFriends Family Capital+18 more
RigUp (operating under Workrise) provides vendor management, staffing and payroll, and bid management software for the energy industry in the US and Canada.
EnergyEnterprise SoftwareSaaSAustin, US
Ying Xuan Yong(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Witte(Executive Officer, Director)inWitte Michael(Founder)inSandeep Sampath Jain(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDavid George(Director)in
Board seatNapoleon Ta· per SEC Form D · $300M raise · filed May 2021
Co-investorsBreyer CapitalCarnrite VenturesFounders FundGreat Oaks Venture CapitalJames Beshara Fund137 Ventures+5 more
Zocdoc runs an online marketplace where US patients find in-network doctors and dentists and book in-person or telehealth appointments.
New York, US
Cyrus Massoumi(Executive Officer, Director)Oliver Kharraz(Executive Officer, Director)inNick (Nikhil) Ganju(Founder)inNetta Samroengraja(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardDavid Weiden(Director)in
Board seatKen Howery· per SEC Form D · $1.5M raise · filed Apr 2015
Co-investorsBlue CollectiveDisruptive VenturesFounders FundFrancisco PartnersJumpStart EquityKhosla Ventures+5 more
Afriex provides a remittance service enabling immigrants to transfer money to over 25 countries at low costs with rapid settlement.
FintechSan Francisco, US
Tope Alabi(Founder)inJohn Obirije(Founder)in
Co-investorsAdaverseBrightstone Venture CapitalDragonflyMetastableOpen Opportunity FundPrecursor Ventures+4 more
Augmenta develops software that uses computational design and AI to automate building design, targeting the construction and engineering industry.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechDeep TechSaaS
Francesco Iorio(Founder)in
Co-investorsFerguson VenturesHazelview VenturesPrelude VenturesSuffolk TechnologiesA16Z SpeedrunEclipse+2 more
Aurelius Systems builds Archimedes, an autonomous counter-UAS laser system that combines high-power directed energy, optical sensors, and AI to detect, track, and neutralize aerial drone threats without an operator.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDefense TechHardwareSan Francisco, US
John Marmaduke(Executive Officer, Director)Michael LaFramboise(CEO and co-founder)in
BoardPaige Craig(Director)
Co-investors640 OxfordBlack FlagBlue Ivy VenturesDecisive PointDraper AssociatesGeneral Catalyst+4 more
.png)
BenchFlow is a data lab that builds stateful environments — with services, files, tools, verifiers, traces, and replay — for training and evaluating AI agents on real computer workflows rather than static prompts.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Xiangyi Li(Founder)in
Co-investorsEastlink Capital PartnersTranspose Platform Management
bondu is an AI-powered, screen-free companion toy for children ages 4–8 that holds spoken conversations, tells interactive stories, plays games, and supports daily routines while remembering past interactions.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardware
Co-investorsSamsung NextBoost VCMakers FundSamsung Ventures
Comfy is an open-source tool for building repeatable visual AI workflows by chaining multiple AI models together.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Yoland Y.(Founder)inYaozhong Yan(Executive Officer, Director)Junhan Huang(Director)
BoardChristopher Paik(Director)Yannik Marek(Director)
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesCraft VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementChemistryCursor CapitalESSENCE VC+2 more
Coplay is an AI agent that installs directly inside the Unity editor to help game developers complete engine tasks such as scripting, scene setup, and fixes using natural language.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsGaming
Co-investorsFailup Ventures
Entelexo develops engineered exosome therapeutics for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis.
BiotechHealthtechIrvine, US
MILAD RIAZIFAR(Founder)inTodd Schurr(Founder)inCameron Taylor(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Headlight provides mental health services in the Western U.S., offering therapy and medication management delivered by licensed clinicians through a care coordination model that emphasizes personalized matching and integrated care.
Digital HealthHealthtechMental HealthWalnut, US
Dr. Manish ShethJason Shen(Executive Officer, Director)Wayne Gerard(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsMatrixMultiplier CapitalPACE Healthcare CapitalEPIC VENTURES
Hoxton Farms grows cultivated fat, a biomanufactured ingredient for food companies to use in plant-based and alternative meat products.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechFoodTechLondon, GB
Vítor Espírito Santo(Chief Scientific Officer)in
Co-investorsBackedCollaborative FundEarth Venture CapitalFine Structures VenturesForm VenturesGlobal Brain+4 more
Joon is a mobile app that helps children ages 6-12 build executive functioning and positive habits through gamified task management, targeting parents seeking to reduce behavioral friction around chores, homework, and daily routines.
ConsumerHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Isaac Eaves(Founder)inBrad Brenner(Founder)inKevin Bunarjo(Founder)in
Co-investorsLobster CapitalMaC Venture CapitalY Combinator
Personal portfolio site of a founder-engineer whose primary venture, Clusy, is an agent-native notebook for machine learning and data science where users describe an experiment and an agent locates data, writes and runs the code.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Julin(Co-Founder & CEO, Clusy Inc.)
Kontist offers a bank account and financial management service designed specifically for freelancers and small businesses in Germany, helping them organize finances according to self-employed needs.
FintechSaaSBerlin, DE
Chris Plantener(Founder)in
Co-investorsLiquidity CapitalMars Growth Capital
Lucid Bots designs and manufactures commercial robotics and drones for exterior cleaning and building maintenance in the construction and facilities management industries.
Advanced ManufacturingConstruction TechHardwareRoboticsCharlotte, US
Andrew Ashur(Founder)in
Co-investorsG Vision CapitalMPG FundTriangle TweenerY CombinatorCubit CapitalIDEA Fund Partners
LunaBill provides AI automation software for hospital billing teams to manage denied claims and patient revenue cycles.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Suhail Parry(Cofounder and CEO)inDavid Day(Cofounder and CTO)in
Co-investorsGarage CapitalLobster CapitalY CombinatorZAKA VC
Motley builds data infrastructure for AI agents that automate business reporting and analysis.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareZürich, CH
Egor Kraev(Founder)in
Co-investorsKima VenturesRTP Global
Musicfy is an AI music creation platform that lets users generate songs using their own voice or copyright-free AI voice models, convert text to music, and remaster tracks with parody voices.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment
Orangewood develops industrial robots for bin picking, visual inspection, powder coating, bartending, and spray painting tasks.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Abhinav Das(Founder)inAkash Bansal(Founder)inAditya Bhatia(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator7percent Ventures
HyperWrite is an AI writing assistant available as a Chrome extension that provides autocomplete, web search, and citation capabilities to help users write, edit, and refine text.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaSMelville, US
Jason Kuperberg(Cofounder)inMatt Shumer(Cofounder)inJosh BickettinMiles Feldstein(Director)
Co-investorsMadrona Venture GroupNew York Venture Partners
Pally is a personal assistant that lives in iMessage and connects to multiple communication and productivity tools to automatically organize information from emails, messages, calendars, and documents.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSSan Francisco, US
Haz Hubble(Founder)inWyatt Lansford(Co-founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsY Combinator468 Capital
Pirouette develops OnePush, a fully automatic hidden-needle auto-injector platform paired with drug programs across chronic and rescue care indications.
Advanced ManufacturingBiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesBoston, US
Conor Cullinane(Founder)inMatthew Kane(Founder)inElijah Kapas(Founder)in
BoardPARINAZ MOTAMEDY(Director)inJOSEPH NEMMERS(Director)
Co-investorsY CombinatorGaingelsHelium-3 VenturesSafar Partners
__Twitter.png)
Pleo provides smart company cards with individual spending limits and automated expense management, giving admins a real-time overview of purchases and tools to flag or freeze cards.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Jeppe Rindom(Co-founder & CEO)inNiccolo Perra(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsAlkeon InnovationCoatue ManagementIsomer CapitalKinnevikStripesAlkeon Capital+4 more
Promakhos Therapeutics develops immunomodulatory therapies to restore immune system balance and reduce chronic inflammation in diseases like Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis.
BiotechHealthtechBoston, US
Katerina Chatzi(Founder)inJasper Edgar Neggers(Founder)inAIKATERINI CHATZI(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsMetaplanetY CombinatorZAKA VC
Rork Max is an AI-powered platform that enables developers to build and ship native iOS applications and games through conversational AI, with support for creating multiplayer games with physics simulations.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsGamingSaaS
Daniel Dhawan(Founder)in
Co-investorsChapter OneLeft Lane CapitalMento vcPeak XV PartnersSarah SmithA16Z Speedrun+4 more
.png)
Scenario is a creative AI platform that lets teams train custom models on their own art and brand style, then access 600+ image, video, 3D, and audio models to generate on-brand assets.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomySaaSSan Francisco, US
Hervé Nivon(Founder)in
Co-investorsDecasonicPlay VenturesAndreessen HorowitzAnorak VenturesGraph VenturesThe Venture Reality Fund
thirdweb provides a developer platform for building web3 applications, offering tools for creating and managing tokens, bridging and swapping across blockchain networks, and wallet infrastructure.
Crypto & Web3Developer Tools
Co-investorsBitDAODraft Ventures LlcHaun VenturesMantle NetworkShrug CapitalCoinbase Ventures+5 more
Trexo develops a robotic device that enables children with cerebral palsy and other mobility disabilities to walk independently at home.
HealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsToronto, CA
Manmeet Maggu(Founder/CEO)inRahul Udasi(Founder)in
Co-investorsGeekdomkineo financeSocial StartsTechstarsUCeed FundsY Combinator
Vena Vitals develops a noninvasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring device using patented sensor technology placed on the skin over an artery.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesIrvine, US
Ray Liu(Founder)inMichelle Khine(Founder)inJosh Kim(Founder)in
Co-investorsPi CampusSamsung NextY CombinatorMorado Ventures
Yummy Future builds automated robotic café systems and software for beverage service in public venues.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningConsumerFoodTechHardwareRoboticsChampaign, US
Jack Cui(Founder)inGarrett Yan(Founder)in
Co-investorsKnockout CapitalY CombinatorSoma Capital
Zeit Medical develops a wearable headband with AI-powered sensors that detects strokes in real time and automatically alerts emergency services, targeting patients at high risk for stroke who may be asleep or unable to call for help themselves.
HealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Orestis Vardoulis(Founder)inUrs Naber(Founder)in
Co-investorsCitta CapitalY CombinatorAxial VCGaingelsSeedToBTamar Capital
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
CareportalVarda Space Industries, Inc.3E8 RoboticsAdaptyv BioAdaurisAgentSparkAlakazamAnaraAnytopicArgosArianaArtificial BrainsAstralAtelier MissorAtlasAtoAtom LimbsAudioreadAxial Composites industriesBetterbrainBitsBlobtownBlockratizeBlueberryBonfireBoondoggleBoxtreeBudbreakbuildspaceBuoyantCatalyxCausalCavallaClayton FarmsClear GeneClovaColossusComfy WorkflowsComp AICompilerCypherockDataleapDeepTrustDeftDigital MetalDoradoDreamParkEngold IoEnjambEnso BiosciencesEpisode IntelligenceEverythingelse AiEyecandyFluidFlux AIGabberGatherGenie MobilityGeppetto AIGGWPGuardianHaloHaylaHeliosHelloOfficeHerdCycleHeroic StoryheyclickyHuddle01HupHurupayInerxiaInferenceInferenceIndexInteractionLabsIONJungleKayyoKendalkisukeKontigoLayerupLevels FyiLexicaLifeSimLumaaMacro AuditsMagic FlowMagical ToysMakerModsMatchdayMatrix BioMecAgentMediarMemoMicroFactoryMillion VictoriesMinibaMonidMyrNebulaNeurosityNexavisionNull HypothesisOMGrabOperandOrbORB AI IncOthershipPamirParaformParsePieLineplayscapePloidPointer GgPolysynthPSVIEWQuo LabsRadify MetalsRallyReady Player MeRed Team InteractiveRekRemorooRemoteChessRootsShapesSimon SaysSMASHSENDSoBriefSorceSpindlStarlight LabsStratusSume LabsSuperworkerSync LabsSyncereTangibleTarteelThalassa RoboticsThe Privacy and Sovereignty CompanyThermopylae AerospaceTraceTrass GamesTrepoUltramailUNBRKNUnweaveVendoViVimeWeb TransposeWomboWompZeet
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 companies
Rork · unite.ai · Sep 6, 2026
Blockratize · cryptotimes.io · Aug 20, 2026
Aurelius Systems · intelligence360.news · Aug 19, 2026
Augmenta · betakit.com · Aug 19, 2026
Motley · fool.com · Aug 15, 2026
Kontist · trysignalbase.com · Jul 18, 2026
Pally · impartialreporter.com · Jul 6, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Founders made?
- Founders has 200 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 13 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Founders invest at?
- Founders invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Founders's typical check size?
- Founders typically writes checks of $250K.
- What sectors does Founders focus on?
- Founders focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Creator Economy, Crypto & Web3, Deep Tech, Developer Tools, Enterprise Software, Gaming, Hardware, Robotics, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Founders located?
- Founders is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Founders lead rounds?
- Yes, Founders leads investment rounds.
- Who does Founders co-invest with?
- Founders most often shares deals with Y Combinator, Lobster Capital, ZAKA VC, among 55 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelhow to create an infinite context window
Founders, Inc.
he built a new type of electric vehicle
Founders, Inc.
He invented a "microfactory"
Founders, Inc.
he built self driving fork lifts
Founders, Inc.
Canopy Festival - 24 Teams Live from Fort Mason
Founders, Inc.
they made an AI model that finds tumors
Founders, Inc.
Images
Co-investors · 21
Soma Capital is a venture capital firm that partners early with founders, emphasizing close relationships and running a fellows program for those just getting started.
Gaingels is a large venture investor that co-invests alongside lead VCs in companies committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, while advocating for LGBTQ+ representation and equity of access in venture capital.
Makers Fund is a global venture capital firm focused on games and interactive entertainment, backing early-stage founders.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture capital firm that co-invests alongside lead VCs in startups, backing founders with capital and access to a large investor and operator community.
Founder Collective is a seed and pre-seed stage venture capital firm that invests across sectors, describing itself as sector agnostic and anti-thematic.
DST Global is a global internet-focused investment firm that backs fast-growing, high-value internet companies. It does not solicit or accept retail investors.
Pioneer Fund is a venture capital firm investing in the top Y Combinator startups.
Goodwater Capital is a consumer technology investment firm backing entrepreneurs building companies across sectors such as housing, healthcare, food delivery, financial services, education, entertainment, and transportation.
BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform focused on gaming, interactive media, and related technologies, backing companies building at the convergence of physical and digital worlds (which it calls Synthetic Reality).
TQ Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm whose team invests from first principles and commits deeply to the founders it backs.
Unusual Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs enterprise and infrastructure founders from initial insight through market leadership, providing a proprietary playbook for finding product-market fit.
Work-Bench is a New York City-based seed-stage venture fund backing early-stage founders building enterprise, SaaS, and infrastructure software, with hands-on go-to-market support.
▶9 more co-investors
Nyca Partnersfoobar.vcPreston-Werner VenturesCurious CapitalG20 VenturesMoonfire VenturesMysten LabsBackend CapitalGamegroove Capital
Firms observed investing alongside Founders, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Founders's recorded portfolio.
Similar investors
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm, backed by a community of founders and operators as LPs, that writes early checks (including pre-seed) into startups across many sectors and geographies.
MPG Fund is an early-stage venture investor backing technology startups.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture capital firm that co-invests alongside lead VCs in startups, backing founders with capital and access to a large investor and operator community.
OMERS Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in founders globally, with investment teams based in New York, Palo Alto, and Toronto.
Flucas Ventures is a solo GP fund led by Ashley Flucas, who simultaneously serves as COO of Summit Ventures while personally investing in 250-275+ startups and deploying over $75M through a syndicate of 2,000+ LPs in less than two years. The fund operates with true stage, sector, and geography agnosticism while democratizing access to top-tier venture deals by inviting diverse, nontraditional LPs to co-invest alongside marquee firms like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz.