K5 Ventures
AcceleratorIrvine · Pre-Seed–Series A · 12 people tracked
Investment thesis
K5 Ventures focuses on the emerging AI-native enterprise, backing companies that move beyond isolated AI experiments to reimagine end-to-end business processes, decision-making, and customer engagement through artificial intelligence. The firm believes AI's greatest potential lies in augmenting and empowering human capabilities rather than replacing them. It seeks to invest in AI-driven innovations that boost human creativity, productivity, and decision-making while creating value for businesses and society. Particular emphasis is placed on AI-native companies and vertical AI applications that address industry-specific challenges and improve operational efficiency.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 2, 2026.
Team · 12 people
from the firm's website
Entrepreneur and investor with 25+ years of product experience and 12 years advising startups, focused on machine learning, robotics, and predictive intelligence. Founder of the AI For Good movement and co-chair at the Global Partnership on AI for Responsible AI.
Telecommunications entrepreneur who founded Office Telephone Management in 1983, sold to Intermedia Communications in 1995. Member of Tech Coast Angels and Investors Circle and active in mentoring and startup investing.
Oversees organizations spanning venture capital, private capital, business advisory, and philanthropy, and has held operational, investment, and advisory roles in technology companies since 2002.
Clinical surgeon, medical innovator, and executive holding 32 medical device patents. Former senior faculty at Duke University School of Medicine and General Manager, later Chief Medical Director, at Edwards Lifesciences.
Electrical engineer who became Chief Engineer of Borg Warner's Electronics Division and later founded Electrical Power Engineering (EPE), a leading UPS manufacturer sold to Group Schneider in 1990.
Serial entrepreneur with 20 years in IT who co-founded and led Merchant Service Group LLC, a multilingual payment company. Alumnus of Harvard Business School and Cornell MBA, named to the OC Register's 2014 Forty under 40.
Active investor and former VP of Network Engineering at Gaikai (SCE). Previously worked at OnLive, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo, specializing in large-scale networking architectures.
Executive focused on new technologies and startups, with degrees from Occidental, Caltech, and the Anderson School. Part of the Gaikai executive team developing game-streaming technology, and previously a hedge fund founding partner and president of Automotive Technologies International.
Attorney and executive with 40+ years of legal and management experience, specializing in domestic and international M&A. Serves on several public and private company boards and holds a JD from Harvard Law School.
Entrepreneur and investor experienced in hardware and media ventures. Founded FX-Motion Inc, a robotic camera systems leader acquired by Ross Video in 2011, and was considered for a Scientific Academy Award in 2003.
Joined K5 in 2013 as an associate and head of investor and portfolio relations, continuing as a Venture Partner. Holds an MBA in finance from the University of Cambridge and has advised programs for Fortune 500, startup, and nonprofit organizations.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does K5 Ventures invest at?
- K5 Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is K5 Ventures's typical check size?
- K5 Ventures typically writes checks of $25K – $25K.
- What sectors does K5 Ventures focus on?
- K5 Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Crypto & Web3, Enterprise Software.
- Where is K5 Ventures located?
- K5 Ventures is headquartered in Irvine, US.
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