GoAhead Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingMenlo Park Β· Pre-SeedβSeries A Β· 3 people tracked
Also known as GOAHEAD MAGE COMPANY, L.L.C.
Investment thesis
GoAhead Ventures positions itself as a counterculture to traditional VC, emphasizing speed and direct access to decision-makers. Startups submit a one-way video pitch reviewed by all three managing partners, and the process runs about six days from submission to a potential offer. The firm invests in people rather than polished business scripts and provides signable SAFEs without term sheets, avoiding drawn-out timelines and the requirement to have a lead investor. It offers typical checks of $500K-$1M and maintains an always-on approach with sub-24-hour response times.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team Β· 3 people
from public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 66 of 126 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning Γ25SaaS Γ22Enterprise Software Γ15Healthtech Γ11Deep Tech Γ9Hardware Γ9Fintech Γ7Biotech Γ6
HQs:United StatesΓ28CanadaΓ2IndiaΓ2IsraelΓ1JapanΓ1ThailandΓ1
Investments Β· 126 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathNew York, US
David Friedl(Director)Justin Allan Holmes(Executive Officer, Director)Clancey Stahr(Director)
Board seatClancey StahrΒ· per SEC Form D
Popular Pays is an influencer marketing and creator management platform that connects brands with creators for campaign development and execution.
Creator EconomyEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSChicago, US
Corbett Drummey(Founder/CEO)inSteven Wanderski(Founder/Full Stack Web Developer)inClancey Stahr(Director)Peter Dolan(Director)
Board seatClancey StahrΒ· per SEC Form D
Aptos Orbital develops a hardware device that integrates computing, communications, and cloud connectivity for satellites and spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareSpace TechMountain View, US
Aurelius Systems manufactures equipment for America's defense sector.
Advanced ManufacturingDefense TechSan Francisco, US
John Marmaduke(Executive Officer, Director)Michael LaFramboise(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardPaige Craig(Director)
Bigleaf provides intelligent software for internet connectivity, automatically resolving networking issues in real time to keep organizations connected to cloud-based tools.
Cloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBeaverton, US
JOHN DESMOND(Director)BRUCE CHATTERLEY(Director)JEFF BURCHETT(Executive Officer)JOEL MULKEY(Executive Officer, Director)
Corvus Robotics builds autonomous drones that perform warehouse inventory scanning and material handling automation for large enterprises across North America.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningIoTLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Jackie Wu(Founder/CEO)inKabir Mohammed(Director)inMohammed Kabir(Director)
BoardArthur Chow(Director)Shripriya Mahesh(Director)
Tel Aviv, IL
Base (formerly Crowdvocate) is an AI-powered customer marketing platform that manages customer references, advocacy programs, communities, upsell/expansion, and lifecycle engagement in one workspace.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
DigiSparsh is a healthcare lending company that provides financing across the healthcare value chain, including patient financing at 0% interest, reimbursement loans, insurance receivable financing, and supplier financing.
Digital HealthFintechHealthtechMumbai, IN
Dimension Labs builds AI systems to understand human language, specifically extracting meaning from conversations including intention, emotion, and intent.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Empirical offers a predictive hiring platform that uses machine-learning algorithms and custom pre-hiring assessments to analyze recruiting data and employee performance, helping companies identify and select candidates most likely to succeed and stay.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
General Control develops multiplexed epigenetic editorsβprogrammable therapies that simultaneously control multiple genes to address complex diseases like Alzheimer's and sarcopenia.
BiotechDeep Tech
Goblins is a math education platform that assigns curriculum- and state-aligned practice problems and provides step-by-step help to students, capturing their working process to generate error-analysis summaries and intervention recommendations for teachers.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS
HackerRank is an AI-driven hiring and assessment platform that focuses on responsible AI development with emphasis on bias detection, data privacy, and fairness in hiring processes.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEdTechEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSan Francisco, US
Vivek Ravisankar(Founder/CEO)inHarishankaran(Founder)
IntraPosition provides an indoor real-time location system (RTLS) based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, using time-of-flight measurement rather than signal strength.
HardwareHealthtechIoT
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does GoAhead Ventures invest at?
- GoAhead Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is GoAhead Ventures's typical check size?
- GoAhead Ventures typically writes checks of $500K β $1M.
- What sectors does GoAhead Ventures focus on?
- GoAhead Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Data & Infrastructure, Defense Tech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Hardware, Healthtech, Media & Entertainment, Medical Devices, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is GoAhead Ventures located?
- GoAhead Ventures is headquartered in Menlo Park, US.
- Does GoAhead Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, GoAhead Ventures leads investment rounds.
Co-investors Β· 8
Acrew Capital is a venture capital firm that emphasizes a team-based approach to investing, offering portfolio companies access to its full team.
Rocketship.vc is a data-driven venture capital firm that uses data science and a large database of startup activity to identify and invest in promising companies globally.
1984 Ventures backs software products that developers and their agents love, focusing on developer tooling. The firm's team identifies as developers who use devtools daily.
Cyfrin is a blockchain security firm that provides smart contract audits, incident response, formal verification, and penetration testing services to secure on-chain finance protocols and institutions.
Newlin Ventures is an early-stage venture firm backing founders at pre-seed, seed and Series A across North and South America.
New Climate Ventures (NCV) is an early-stage investor backing startups focused on the future of how energy and goods are produced, powered, and consumed, offering operational, investment, and network support to founders.
Firms observed investing alongside GoAhead Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with GoAhead Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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