Lobster Capital
Venture capitalActively deployingSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Series B
Also known as LOBSTER CAPITAL, LLC
Investment thesis
Lobster Capital backs Y Combinator companies exclusively, drawing on roughly a decade inside the network to identify partners, patterns, and founders before rounds become competitive. Rather than chasing the full demo day list, the firm concentrates on the rare companies showing real customer traction, clear paths to efficient growth and market expansion, and teams with unique insight and relentless execution. It positions itself as a disciplined, single line of access into the top 2% of YC for a select group of limited partners, publishing its research, deal breakdowns, and YC analysis openly. Introductions to become an LP are taken on a rolling basis.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
What they invest in
from 46 of 50 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×31Enterprise Software ×21SaaS ×13Fintech ×10Healthtech ×8Advanced Manufacturing ×7Consumer ×7Data & Infrastructure ×7
HQs:United States×37United Kingdom×2Netherlands×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 40 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×92 founders×233 founders×54+ founders×3
Where their founders studiedfrom 70 founders with education data
University of Oxford ×5University of California, Berkeley ×4Carnegie Mellon University ×3Georgia Institute of Technology ×3The Wharton School ×3University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business ×3A16Z Speedrun ×2Brown University ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 72 founders with career history
Founders ×4Goldman Sachs ×4Google ×3Stanford University ×3Tesla ×3TikTok ×3Bynder ×2Carnegie Mellon University ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
5 founders hold a PhD · 5 hold an MBA (of 70 with degree data)
Investments · 50 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12025 · 23 dated
a0.dev provides a platform that generates React Native projects to accelerate mobile app development for developers.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Seth Setse(Co-Founder)inAyomide Omolewa(Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorTeam Ignite Ventures
Array Labs develops radar technology for aerospace and other leading industries.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDefense TechHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US
Andrew Peterson(Founder)inJose Isaac Robledo(Founder)in
Co-investorsACVC PartnersAera VCClearance Venture PartnersDellin InvestmentsK Street CapitalOlive Tree Capital+10 more
Better Auth is an open-source authentication framework for TypeScript applications that provides composable, plugin-based authentication with support for multiple methods including credential auth, social sign-on, passkeys, and enterprise features.
CybersecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Bereket Engida(Founder)in
Co-investorsChapter OneP1 VenturesPeak XV PartnersRain CapitalSeaplane VenturesTranspose Platform Management+1 more
BioStack provides a platform for bioinformatics and experimental science that integrates biological insights with computational technology.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechData & InfrastructureHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Sanat Mishra(Founder)inParth Patwa(Founder)in
Co-investorsStreamlined VenturesY Combinator
Bluedot provides a payment platform that consolidates charging transactions and expense tracking for electric vehicle owners and fleet operators.
Climate TechFintechSan Francisco, US
Selinay Parlak(Founder)inFerhat Babacan(Founder)in
Co-investorsAutotech VenturesDorm RoomScaleX VenturesY Combinator
CrustData provides real-time company and people data through APIs and integrations, helping users identify early signals of activity within organizations.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSales TechSan Francisco, US
Abhilash Chowdhary(Co-founder and CEO)inManmohit Grewal(Founder)inChris Pisarski(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorA.Capital VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementGeneral CatalystSV Angel
Didit provides identity verification and KYC/KYB infrastructure for organizations worldwide, offering a programmable API with real-time fraud detection, deepfake protection, and support for 48+ languages.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechSan Francisco, US
Alberto Rosas(Founder)inAlejandro Rosas(Founder)inDavid Paschkes(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsY CombinatorOrange CollectiveRebel Fund
FinalDose develops a programmable DNA-targeting molecule designed to recognize and destroy cells carrying specific genetic sequences, with initial applications in oncology across cancer types.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechLondon, GB
Li-Yao Huang(Founder)inSteven Lin(Founder)inJeff Liu(Founder)in
Co-investorsScribble VenturesY CombinatorZAKA VC
Flywheel AI provides remote operation systems for excavators and construction equipment, enabling operators to control multiple machines or sites from a distance while improving site safety and productivity.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningConstruction TechHardwareRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Co-investorsY Combinator
Harper Insure is an insurance broker that uses data analytics and human expertise to match commercial clients with appropriate insurance carriers and coverage.
AI & Machine LearningFintechInsurTechSan Francisco, US
Dakotah Rice(Founder)inTushar Nair(Founder)in
Co-investorsDG Daiwa VenturesOlive Tree CapitalOutset CapitalY Combinator10x Founders468 Capital+3 more
Inversion Semiconductor develops next-generation semiconductor lithography equipment based on miniaturized particle accelerators that increase transistor density and improve chip manufacturing precision.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareRoboticsSemiconductorsSan Francisco, US
Rohan Karthik(CEO)inDaniel Vega(CTO)inRohan Shishir Karthik(CEO)inDaniel Ricardo Vega Bermudez(CTO)in
Co-investorsAnorak VenturesEntrepreneur FirstMoonfire VenturesMyAsiaVCTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator+2 more
A service that automatically generates and launches multiple customized landing pages for businesses, tailored to different campaigns and use cases to improve conversion rates and search visibility.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Samraaj Bath(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Ionworks provides a Battery Simulation OS that combines physics-based electrochemical modeling with machine learning for battery R&D.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningCleantechDeep TechEnergySaaS
Valentin Sulzer(Founder)inRob Timms(Founder)inWeilong AiSam CooperFerran Brosa PlanellaRobert Timms(Founder)in
Co-investorsKima VenturesY Combinator
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-investorsFoundersMaC Venture CapitalY Combinator
Juno is an AI health assistant that helps people with chronic illness track symptoms, identify patterns, and create reports for medical appointments, based on university research and user feedback from over 1,000 patients.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Marshall Gould(Founder)inIsaac Tolley(Founder)in
Co-investorsSterling RoadY CombinatorAda VenturesArtesianEntrepreneur First
Keye is an AI-powered due diligence platform that transforms raw deal files and financial data into structured, actionable insights for private equity investors.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechNew York City, US
Rohan Parikh(Founder)inConor Brown(Founder)inLalit Lal(Cofounder, CTO)inPaolo Fornasini(Founder)Rohan Parikh, CFA(Founder)in
Co-investorsDG Daiwa VenturesDunamu & PartnersEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Y CombinatorGeneral Catalyst
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(Founder)inDavid Day(Founder)in
Co-investorsFoundersGarage CapitalY CombinatorZAKA VC
Lyra is an AI-native meeting platform that runs video calls in the browser, transcribes each participant individually, prepares pre-meeting research, and automatically takes post-call actions such as updating CRMs, sending follow-up emails, and notifying teammates.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaSSan Francisco, US
Courtne Marland(Co-Founder & CEO)inHenry Kwon(Co-Founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsFjor FoundersTranspose Platform Management468 CapitalRebel FundY Combinator
MantleBio provides a data management and analytics platform designed for biotech researchers and scientific teams.
BiotechData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Emily Damato(Founder)inMadeline Schade(Founder)in
Co-investorsHawk Hill VenturesThe E14 FundY Combinator
Motives conducts AI-moderated video interviews with real people to gather consumer insights for insights teams.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSLondon, GB
Sean Conley(Founder)inSam Stoll(Founder)in
Co-investorsFailup VenturesOxonian VenturesY Combinator
OneText provides SMS marketing software with text-to-buy functionality, AI-powered product recommendations, and live concierge support for ecommerce brands.
E-commerceFintechMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jonathan Fudem(Founder)inDaniel Brain(Founder)in
Co-investorsSterling RoadY CombinatorCoatue ManagementGood FriendsCiti VenturesKhosla Ventures
Onlook builds developer and design tools that bridge the gap between creative teams and implementation, using AI to enhance the creative process.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Daniel Farrell(Founder)in
Co-investorsDG Daiwa Venturesgener8torLeonis CapitalTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator
Orange Slice automates sales tasks using AI agents that identify prospects, enrich them with data from web research, and execute revenue workflows including CRM syncs and email outreach.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSales TechSan Francisco, US
Vihaar Nandigala(Founder)in
Co-investorsMoxxie VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator1984 Ventures Management, Llc
Programmable CRISPR drug that targets and kills cancer cells by their DNA signature.
Panta is an insurance broker that specializes in placing commercial insurance for construction, logistics, and manufacturing firms, including high-hazard work that traditional brokers decline.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechInsurTechSan Francisco, US
Vincent Chen(Founder)inFrank Wang(Founder)in
Co-investorsFjor FoundersLeonis CapitalY Combinator
pap automates the identification and collection of refunds and compensation owed to consumers across retail price drops, flight delays or cancellations, and class-action lawsuits, requiring only email authorization to operate on the user's behalf.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechSan Francisco, US
Kamal Nahas(Co-Founder, CEO)inAnthony Rassi(Co-Founder, COO)inWeijie Wang(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Paratus Health provides voice AI that automates patient communication and administrative tasks for medical practices, handling appointment scheduling, insurance verification, billing, and patient outreach.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech
Co-investorsGoAhead Ventures
Perfectly is an AI-native recruiting agency that automates candidate sourcing, outreach, and coordination for startup hiring teams.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSan Francisco, US
Victor Luo(Founder)inZhuang (Gary) Luo(Founder)inHuimin Xie(Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Perseus Defense builds autonomous defense systems.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDefense TechHardwareRoboticsAustin, US
Jason Cornelius(Co-founder & CEO)inSteve Messinger(Founder)in
Co-investorsBow CapitalOlive Tree CapitalY CombinatorAlumni VenturesRebel Fund
Pocket is a wearable AI device with accompanying app that captures voice conversations and thoughts, then uses AI models to transcribe, summarize, generate action items, and create mind maps.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardwareSan Francisco, US
Akshay Narisetti(Founder)inGabriel Dymowski(Founder)in
Co-investorsAccelBerkeley FrontierTRAC (Third Round Analytics Capital)Y Combinator
PointOne automates administrative and time-tracking tasks for large law firms to improve operational efficiency.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSNew York City, US
Katon Luaces(Co-Founder & CEO)inJeremy Ben-Meir(Co-Founder & CTO)in
Co-investors8VCY CombinatorGeneral CatalystBessemer Venture PartnersScript Capital
RealRoots is a women's community that matches members into small groups of compatible women in their city through a short survey, then organizes guided in-person social experiences and events led by a host.
ConsumerMarketplacesSocial
Co-investorsAtland VenturesAUTHENTIC VENTURESVery Serious VenturesLombardstreet Ventures
Revamp AI provides email marketing personalization and engagement tools for e-commerce businesses, enabling revenue optimization through AI-driven customer communication strategies.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSan Francisco, US
Stephen Campbell(Founder)in
Co-investorsLeverageVCY Combinator
Scalar Field is an AI trading platform that provides market research, backtesting, and trading agents connected to brokerages for execution across equities, options, prediction markets, and pre-IPO securities.
AI & Machine LearningFintech
Amandeep Singh(Founder)inRamakant Yadav(Founder)in
Co-investorsNeer Venture PartnersY Combinator468 Capital
Scanbase designs and implements tailored algorithm solutions for medical diagnostic companies to optimize diagnostic workflows, improve product quality, and reduce costs.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechMedical DevicesLos Angeles, US
Jeffrey Lange(Founder)inSteve Roger(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorRebel FundTRAC (Third Round Analytics Capital)
SellRaze is a mobile app for reselling secondhand items online, letting users create listings from an image, text, or barcode and crosslist them across marketplaces like eBay, Poshmark, Depop, Mercari, and Facebook.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesSan Francisco, US
Jeff Mao(Founder)inTyler Ma(Founder)in
Co-investorsTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator
Solo provides software tools to help debtors respond to debt collection lawsuits and negotiate settlements outside of court.
AI & Machine LearningFintechLegalTechProvo, US
George Simons(Founder)in
Co-investorsCampus Founders FundEvolution VenturesImmeasurableLegalTechTemerity Capital PartnersY Combinator
Sunflower Sober operates a digital community and support group for people pursuing sobriety, enabling peer connection and shared recovery journeys.
ConsumerHealthtechMental HealthSocialSan Francisco, US
Koby Conrad(CEO & Founder)in
Co-investorsHAWKTAILY CombinatorDaybreak VenturesDRONE FUNDSequoia CapitalWakestream Ventures
Sunset helps families locate and manage investment accounts, mutual funds, ETFs, bonds, and other financial assets held by deceased individuals across US brokers and custodians.
FintechLegalTechSaaSSalt Lake City, US
Stephen Walter(Founder)inKaela Worthen(Founder)in
Co-investorsUrban InnovationY Combinator
Sync provides AI lipsync software that lets video creators record content once and then digitally modify their mouth movements and speech in post-production, eliminating the need for multiple takes or re-recordings.
Enterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Prady Modukuru(Founder)inPrajwal K R(Founder & Chief Scientist)inRudrabha Mukhopadhyay(Founder)inPavan Reddy(Founder)in
Co-investorsMento vcY Combinator
Synphony provides AI and robotics software for building and deploying robotic systems in real-world environments, serving robotics teams and operators who need to integrate autonomous systems into physical workflows.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Sean Wu(Founder)inLucas Amlicke(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Tella is an all-in-one screen recording and video creation platform that enables teams to produce, edit, and share videos without switching between multiple applications.
Creator EconomyEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSAmsterdam, NL
Grant Shaddick(Founder)inMichiel Westerbeek(Founder)in
Co-investorsMento vcY CombinatorAltaIR CapitalGradient Ventures
An AI entity that independently launches and operates internet-based businesses without human intervention.
Enterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Human Thomas(Founder)in
Co-investorsDG Daiwa VenturesY Combinator
VideoGen builds an AI-powered video creation platform that applies industrial automation to video production, making video creation accessible to a broader audience.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyEnterprise SoftwareMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US
Anton Koenig(Founder)inDavid Grossman(Founder)in
Co-investorsMento vcMyAsiaVCPi CampusStrategxy Ventures LLCY Combinator
Creating genre-defining multiplayer VR games.
Co-investorsAnorak VenturesMakers FundSoma CapitalY Combinator
Voxel Energy designs and deploys data centers using modular prefabricated systems with on-site power generation and storage, reducing construction timelines from years to months.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingConstruction TechEnergyHardware
Casey Spencer(Founder)inMax Pfeiffer(Founder)inEvan Schmidt(Founder)in
Co-investorsScript CapitalY Combinator
YouLearn is an AI tutor that turns learning materials such as PDFs, YouTube videos, slides, and recorded lectures into notes, summaries, interactive chats, quizzes, and podcasts.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerEdTech
Co-investorsY Combinator468 Capital
ZeroEntropy develops specialized machine learning models for search and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, offering rerankers, embeddings, and fine-tuned models for production AI systems.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Ghita Houir Alami(Founder)inNicholas Pipitone(Founder)in
Co-investorsEntrepreneur FirstY CombinatorInitialized CapitalKima Ventures
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioBetter Authacq. by Vercel
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Sunset · channelnewsasia.com · Jul 17, 2026
Juno · nutraingredients.com · Jul 17, 2026
Better Auth · followict.news · Jul 17, 2026
Scalar Field · ycombinator.com · Jul 16, 2026
Pocket · tribuneindia.com · Jul 15, 2026
Revamp · saferhighways.co.uk · Jul 15, 2026
Sunflower · mundus-agri.eu · Jul 15, 2026
Solo · calcalistech.com · Jul 14, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Lobster Capital made?
- Lobster Capital has 50 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Lobster Capital invest at?
- Lobster Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What sectors does Lobster Capital focus on?
- Lobster Capital focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Lobster Capital located?
- Lobster Capital is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Lobster Capital lead rounds?
- Lobster Capital typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Lobster Capital co-invest with?
- Lobster Capital most often shares deals with Y Combinator, Transpose Platform Management, DG Daiwa Ventures, among 68 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelWill AI kill every SaaS company? | Dalton Caldwell
Gabriel Jarrosson | Lobster Capital
Will AI Replace Investors?
Gabriel Jarrosson | Lobster Capital
How to Live in the Future
Gabriel Jarrosson | Lobster Capital
The $700B AI Boom VCs Can’t Touch
Gabriel Jarrosson | Lobster Capital
Inside a YC startup Building With 16 Coding Agents
Gabriel Jarrosson | Lobster Capital
Sam Altman Is Betting on a One-Person Billion-Dollar Company
Lobster Capital
Images
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