New York · Pre-Seed–Seed · 4 people tracked
Also known as MAX VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC · Max Ventures New World
Investment thesis
Max Ventures positions itself as a day-zero, pre-seed investor running a concentrated strategy that deploys a meaningful share of its fund (typically 2-5%) in the initial round to stay tightly aligned with founders. Initial checks are usually $1.0-1.5M. The firm aims to be the best partner during a company's first 24 months and blends investing with hands-on incubation, having co-founded eight companies internally since 2017. It deliberately keeps its fund size fitted to this strategy, contrasting itself with larger institutionalized funds, and emphasizes that its partners own the fund and focus on long-term company outcomes.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 10 of 13 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×5SaaS ×4Consumer ×3Fintech ×3FoodTech ×3Healthtech ×3PropTech ×2AgTech ×1
HQs:United States×7South Korea×1
Investments · 13 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12025 · 32024 · 12020 · 16 dated
New York, US
Christian Ponder(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardIsaiah Kacyvenski(Director)in
Board seatJoseph Ryan DarnellJoseph Darnell· per SEC Form D · $2.2M raise · filed Jun 2024
Co-investorsWill Ventures
Barnwell Bio runs a biosurveillance platform that analyzes environmental samples such as waste streams to detect pathogen trends and provide animal health data.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechFoodTechNew York, US
Casey McGinley(Executive Officer, Director)inMichael Rhys(Executive Officer, Director)inJake Byrnes(Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsAg Ventures AllianceAgLaunch AcceleratorDorm RoomTwelve Below
Denver, US
James L. Long(Director)Lauren Greene(Director)Jason Greene(Director)Adrian Perez(Director)Tristan D. Willey(Director, Promoter)Mark W. Byrne(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsEqual VenturesGenius VenturesInspired Capital
Equal Parts acquires independent insurance agencies and equips them with AI tools that analyze data to support cross-selling, upselling, customer acquisition, and risk management.
AI & Machine LearningFintechInsurTechAustin, US
Mike Witte(Co-founder)inGraham YennieinMike Mellerin
Co-investorsInspired CapitalEqual Ventures
Heja is a team management app that lets coaches and sports teams schedule practices, games and activities, track player availability, and handle team messaging and carpool organization in one place.
ConsumerSaaSSports Tech
Co-investorsBonnier CapitalLuminar VenturesPeakInbox Capital
Hello (株式会社ハロー) develops AI-based restaurant services, including AutoReserve, an AI-powered restaurant reservation site, and Respo, an all-in-one platform for restaurants offering booking ledgers, POS, and self-ordering.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechFoodTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
James Proud(Executive Officer, Director)播口 友紀(代表取締役 CEO)杉本 風斗(取締役 CTO)
BoardDaniel Rose(Director)田中 和希(社外取締役)
Co-investorsZ Venture Capital8VCBling CapitalFirstLook PartnersREMUS CapitalScale Venture Partners
HelloPatient provides administrative and patient engagement software for healthcare providers to reduce administrative burden and improve patient experience.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechSaaS
Co-investors8VCAdapt VenturesBling CapitalScale Venture PartnersFirstLook PartnersREMUS Capital
HealthtechNew York, US
Ran Shaul(Executive Officer)Allon Bloch(Executive Officer, Director)inAshok Balakrishnan(Executive Officer)Chen Yehudai(Executive Officer)Yaron Savoray(Executive Officer)Adam Singolda(Director)
Co-investorsComcast VenturesLerer HippeauMangrove Capital PartnersNotable CapitalPrimary Venture PartnersValor Equity Partners+5 more
K-Health is a Korean health news and medical information platform that publishes articles about diseases, medical treatments, healthcare policy, and wellness topics for general readers and patients.
HealthtechMedia & Entertainment
Allon Bloch(Founder)in
Co-investorsNotable Capital14WBoxGroupComcast VenturesLerer HippeauMangrove Capital Partners
Grand Rapids, US
Andrew Heuerman(Manager)
Co-investorsTarget Global8VCBling CapitalFirstLook PartnersOak HC/FTREMUS Capital+2 more
Properly provides vacation rental management tools and services for hosts, including self-service platforms and full property management operations across 45+ countries.
PropTechSaaS
Co-investorsAsset Management CompanyMachina VenturesAlleyCorpBain Capital VenturesFJ LabsGolden Ventures+2 more
Stillers Soda makes carbonated soft drinks marketed as all-natural, low-calorie versions of classic soda flavors.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech
Ben Stiller
Co-investorsCosmic Venture PartnersGood FriendsRed Swan Ventures
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 companiesPatient · pymnts.com · Aug 17, 2026
K Health · thechenabtimes.com · Aug 11, 2026
K Health · thechenabtimes.com · Aug 11, 2026
Heja · help.heja.io · Apr 8, 2026
Equal Parts · lifeinsuranceinternational.com · Feb 11, 2026
Hello · finance.yahoo.com · Oct 1, 2025
Hello Patient · mobihealthnews.com · Sep 8, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Max Ventures invest at?
- Max Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Max Ventures's typical check size?
- Max Ventures typically writes checks of $1M – $1.5M.
- What sectors does Max Ventures focus on?
- Max Ventures focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Max Ventures located?
- Max Ventures is headquartered in New York, US.
- Does Max Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Max Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamMatthew Weinberg: Max Ventures Partner, Backing Digital Health & SaaS Startups
Grace Gong · Matthew Weinberg
How to get your startup funded by the government? w/ Matthew Weinberg, Partner at Max Ventures
VC10X with Prashant Choubey · Matthew Weinberg
Evolving E Summit 2019: Ryan Darnell, Max Ventures | Nasdaq
Ryan Darnell · nasdaq.com
Co-investors · 26
Scale Venture Partners is an early-stage investor that backs AI companies, supporting them as they evolve from founder-led growth into a scalable go-to-market operation.
8VC is a venture capital firm investing across logistics, life sciences, healthcare, IT infrastructure, and government/defense, guided by its Smart Enterprise thesis focused on data integration and platform network effects.
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General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies focused on technology, mobile, and clean energy sectors, including biotechnology applications. The firm provides capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs developing breakthrough technologies across multiple markets.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a venture capital firm that invests in and provides long-term support to founders building new companies.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture firm that gives accredited individual investors access to professionally managed, diversified venture portfolios by co-investing alongside leading lead VC firms. It offers annual funds, syndicate deal-by-deal investing, and various investor clubs.
Unknown Ventures is a venture studio based in Austin that provides funding and operational support to early-stage startups at the pre-seed to Series A stage. The firm backs founders seeking to create innovative solutions that improve human experience.
Atomico is an international venture capital firm that invests in growth-stage technology companies across multiple geographies. The firm focuses on scaling disruptive technology businesses globally.
Great Oaks Venture Capital is a New York-based early-stage investor that partners with founders at the earliest stages of company building across the United States.
Eniac Ventures partners with early-stage founders, backing companies from 0 to 1.
Slow Ventures is an early-stage investment firm backing curious founders at the intersection of technology and the edges of science, society, and culture, providing resources, connections, and support to build durable companies.
Lux Capital is a venture capital firm that backs founders building transformative deep technologies, having been among the first investors in category-defining companies across AI, robotics, biotech, defense, and infrastructure.
▶14 more co-investors
DN Capital75 & SunnySocial StartsEclipse VenturesOMERS VenturesTorch CapitalTMVArkitekt VenturesNorrsken VCFrialeThird PrimeScript CapitalCharge VCSurface Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Max Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Max Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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