Necessary Ventures
Venture capitalSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 10 people tracked
Find your way into Necessary Ventures
808 people in our graph share verified history with the Necessary Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Necessary Ventures leads $1-2M pre-seed rounds and also participates as a non-lead investor from pre-seed through pre-IPO. The firm is thesis-driven and invests across a broad set of sectors, technologies, and business models. Beyond capital, it emphasizes helping founders use their missions to attract and retain talent, raise non-dilutive and strategic capital alongside venture funding, and grow through its earned and owned media networks.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 10 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 38 of 42 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×14Healthtech ×13Digital Health ×10Cleantech ×8Climate Tech ×6Deep Tech ×6Enterprise Software ×6Medical Devices ×6
HQs:United States×29United Kingdom×1Nigeria×1Peru×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 28 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×102 founders×103 founders×64+ founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 35 founders with education data
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×4Stanford University ×3University of Cambridge ×3Washington University in St. Louis ×3Dartmouth College ×2The Johns Hopkins University ×2University of California, Berkeley ×2University of Pennsylvania ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 37 founders with career history
Autodesk ×2Formation Bio ×2Rubi Laboratories ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
7 founders hold a PhD · 5 hold an MBA (of 36 with degree data)
Investments · 42 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 12023 · 22022 · 12017 · 17 dated
Vicarious Surgical develops a surgical robot for minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, providing surgeons with 3D visualization and precise control.
Deep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsCambridge, US
Adam Sachs(Co-Founder & President)inSammy Khalifa(Co-Founder & CTO)inStephen From(Chief Executive Officer)inSarah Romano(Chief Financial Officer)inBarry Greene(Co-Founder & CMO)
BoardNeil Devani(Director)in
Co-investorsFlucas Ventures
Akido Labs develops an AI operating system designed for healthcare that leverages machine learning to enable personalized medical diagnostics and care coordination at scale.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechInsurTechLos Angeles, US
Jared Goodner(Founder)inPrashant Samant(Founder)in
BoardAndrew Adams(Director)inJohn Greco(Director)Prasad Jeereddi(Director)Rohit Gupta(Director)
Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)Early Light VenturesGreat Oaks Venture CapitalHealthy VenturesOak HC/FTY Combinator+2 more
AllVoices provides AI-powered case management software for people teams to automate administrative processes and reduce time spent on individual cases.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaSWalnut, US
Claire Schmidt(Director)inBryan Wolff(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardSean Rad(Director)Roger Chen(Director)in
Co-investorsCrosscut VenturesHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcIrishAngelsRogue Womens FundSilverton Partners75 & Sunny
Alyf develops AI-native heart care technology built by physicians to surface hidden cardiac signals and guide clinical action.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthMedical Devices
Los Angeles, US
Ryan Cook(Founder)in
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesAndreessen HorowitzLowercarbon CapitalMenlo Ventures
Beyond Health provides remote patient monitoring, chronic care management, and behavioral health integration services integrated into primary care settings for patients with chronic conditions.
Digital HealthHealthtech
Co-investorsZelda Ventures
Brellium builds compliance software for American healthcare providers, enabling clinicians to manage documentation and regulatory requirements so they can focus on patient care.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechNew York, US
Alexander Le-Tu(Executive Officer, Director)Zach Rosen(Founder)inMax Katzman(Founder)in
BoardHenry Kasa(Director)in
Co-investorsFigure 8 InvestmentsLeft Lane CapitalMenlo VenturesUnpopular VenturesFirst Round Capital
Circularity Fuels manufactures electrified, AI-controlled reactors that convert waste gas streams from industrial facilities into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using renewable energy and advanced Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
CleantechClimate TechEnergy
Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)
Copper makes induction stoves with integrated battery energy storage that enable home electrification without major electrical upgrades.
CleantechClimate TechConsumerHardwareBerkeley, US
Sam Calisch(Founder & CEO)inEric Wilhelm(Founder)in
Co-investorsChrysalixClimacticCollaborative FundDesigner FundMMC VenturesNorwest Venture Partners+4 more
Enso Data provides AI-powered analysis of physiological waveforms, particularly sleep studies, to enable clinical diagnosis and patient monitoring.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesMadison, US
Samuel Rusk(Director)Christopher Fernandez(Executive Officer, Director)inChristopher R. Fernandez(Executive Officer, Director)inJustin Mortara(CEO & President)inMatthew D Dobereiner(Executive Officer)Broderick Hensen(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsColle Capital Partnersgener8torGreat North VenturesHealthX VenturesQuesta CapitalSupermoon Capital+1 more
Farmers Business Network (FBN) operates an agriculture marketplace where farmers buy inputs and supplies directly from manufacturers, access financing and grain marketing programs, and use data insights drawn from a network of over 100,000 member farms.
AgTechB2B MarketplacesFintechSan Mateo, US
Charles Baron(Founder)in
Co-investorsAcre Venture PartnersBow CapitalColle Capital PartnersBlackRockGV (Google Ventures)Kleiner Perkins+1 more
Forage builds payment infrastructure that connects merchants, shoppers, and the U.S. government to enable acceptance of SNAP EBT and EBT Cash payments.
FintechGovTechRetail TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Victor E. Fimbres(Co-Founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsActivant CapitalEqual Opportunity Venturesf7 VenturesMouro CapitalMucker CapitalNyca+9 more
Groove provides a virtual bone health program for people with osteoporosis, pairing each member with a physician and a dedicated physical therapist for at-home strength training and monitoring.
Digital HealthHealthtechLongevity
Co-investorsDesigner Fund
Infinite Machine designs and sells electric personal mobility vehicles (branded as "non-cars"), with a showroom in New York City offering test rides.
ConsumerHardwareMobility & TransportationLong Island City, US
Joseph Cohen(Founder)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzAngel Collective Opportunity FundMoth Fund
Insufficient information available.
Santa Clara, US
Dan Andersen(Executive Officer, Director)Alexander Arrow(Director)
BoardNeil Devani(Director)in
Kurios provides training and strategic coaching to help organizations build digital and AI capabilities across teams.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechEnterprise SoftwareLima, PE
Carlos Lau(Founder and CEO)inLuis Ubillas Door(Founder)in
Co-investorsMeridian 75Sprint VcXploration CapitalY Combinator
Magrathea develops a new electrolytic process to produce magnesium metal from seawater and brines, aiming to establish American and Western supply of this defense-critical material currently dominated by China.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechDefense TechNew MaterialsArkansas, US
Alexander Grant(CEO)
Co-investorsAvilaCompoundHyperguapJuniperVoLo Earth VenturesCapricorn Investment Group+3 more
Mending connects patients with direct primary care doctors through a platform designed to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
Digital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechInsurTech
Frank Wu(Founder)inJeff Yuan(Founder)in
Co-investorsFloating PointFPVHummingbird Ventures
Mental is a mobile app that helps men improve their mental well-being through action-oriented tools for managing stress, building discipline, and finding purpose.
Digital HealthMental HealthWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsDesigner FundEvio VCVery Serious Ventures
Modern Health provides mental health support solutions for employers with over 100 employees.
Enterprise SoftwareHealthtechHR TechMental HealthSan Francisco, US
Alyson Watson(Founder/CEO)inErica Johnson(Director)Alyson Friedensohn(Executive Officer, Director)inAlyson (Friedensohn) Watson(Founder)in
Co-investors01 AdvisorsKleiner PerkinsMGV.VCRefactor CapitalY CombinatorFounders Fund
Moov operates an online marketplace for buying and selling used, idle, surplus, and scrap semiconductor manufacturing equipment, serving businesses across categories like front-end, back-end, PCB/SMT, LED, and solar.
Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesLogistics & Supply ChainSemiconductorsAustin, US
Jim O'Reilly(CEO)inJeff Kielty(Managing Director)in
Co-investorsAvenir Growth CapitalNFX
Nevoya is a fully-electric trucking carrier that moves freight for shippers and third-party logistics providers, combining zero-emission vehicles with AI-driven operations.
CleantechClimate TechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationColton, US
Sami Khan(Executive Officer, Director)inThomas Atwood(Founder)in
BoardJohn Verdon(Director)inTom Atwood(Director)in
Co-investorsCool Climate CollectiveFloating PointKeiki CapitalLMNT VenturesLOWERCARBONLowercarbon Capital+4 more
Nomba offers banking and payment processing services to businesses across Africa, with a focus on Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
FintechLagos, NG
Yinka Adewale(Founder/CEO)inPelumi Aboluwarin(Founder/CTO)inAdeyinka Adewale(Founder)in
Co-investors4DX VenturesHelios Digital VenturesY CombinatorBase10 PartnersKhosla VenturesMusha Ventures+3 more
OneImaging coordinates medical imaging appointments across the United States, directing patients to appropriate scan sites based on need and price while connecting patients, providers, and payers.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesMiami, US
Elan Adler(Founder)in
Co-investorsHeadwater VenturesSemperVirens Venture CapitalXRCBalaji SrinivasanRedbud VCSixThirty Ventures+1 more
OutRival is a no-code AI platform that enables non-technical customer experience teams to create and deploy AI solutions including chatbots, voice agents, and workflow automation for customer interactions.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaSMiami, US
Ruben A. Harris(CEO & Co-Founder)inTimur Meyster(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorInitialized CapitalBronze InvestmentsOpen Opportunity FundChingona Ventures
Co-investorsAirTree VenturesAmboy Street VenturesBIOSPRING PARTNERSBonfire VenturesCollide CapitalCongruent Ventures+13 more
Perceptive applies AI and robotics technology to dental practice, helping dentists increase patient capacity.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsBoston, US
Chris Ciriello(Founder)inScott Phillips(Founder)inPhil Getto(CTO)inAlex Furleigh(Chief of Staff)in
Co-investorsAngel Physicians FundDIATSVCY CombinatorKdT Ventures
Plural Everything Inc. is a financial technology company providing private capital market infrastructure and investment management solutions for institutional investors, including broker-dealers, investment banks, family offices, wealth managers, and equity crowdfunding platforms.
EnergyFintechSan Francisco, US
Spencer Marr(President & Co-founder)Adam Silver(Founder)inAlexander Fong(Founder)in
Co-investorsParadigm
An affiliate-style review site that evaluates offshore online gambling ("pokies") platforms for Australian players, ranking them on licence validity, AUD payment support (POLi and PayID), RTP transparency, and withdrawal speeds.
GamingHealthtechMedia & EntertainmentSt. Louis, US
James Patrick Howard(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardTimothy Vernon Ratto(Director)
Co-investorsiSelect FundMeridian Street CapitalMucker Capital
ReadoutAI offers AI tools that automatically analyze clinical trial data, running statistics and generating tables, graphs, and written summaries of the findings.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtech
Co-investorsMeridian Street Capital
Recursion applies computational and data-driven approaches to biological science, aiming to accelerate drug discovery and develop new treatments.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechData & InfrastructureDeep TechMedical DevicesSalt Lake City, US
Chris Gibson(Co-founder, Chairman of the Board)in
Co-investorsLux CapitalDCVC (Data Collective)Air Street CapitalAmplify PartnersCRV (Charles River Ventures)Felicis Ventures+2 more
Relief helps consumers reduce debt on credit cards, personal loans, collections debt, and past-due medical debt by negotiating balance reductions with creditors.
Fintech
Co-investorsNava VenturesInterplay Ventures Early Stage Management LlcThe Fund
Rubi uses enzymes to capture CO2 and convert it into cellulose, producing textile materials through a carbon-negative process that avoids extraction and biodegrades at end-of-life.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechClimate TechNew MaterialsAlameda, US
Neeka Mashouf(Executive Officer, Director)inLeila Mashouf(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardDaria Hosseinyoun(Director)Rohini Finch(Director)
Co-investorsAxial VCCapitalXClimacticCollaborative FundDarco CapitalTalis Capital
Rubi develops biotechnology solutions for sustainable manufacturing in the fashion and textiles industry.
BiotechCleantechClimate TechNew MaterialsSan Francisco, US
Neeka Mashouf(Co-founder)inLeila Mashouf(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsAP VenturesClimacticCollaborative FundDarco CapitalJuniper
Terra Energy develops and installs residential solar energy systems for homeowners in Mexico and the United States.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyMiami, US
Jaime Martinez(Founder and CEO)in
The Path is an AI therapy and AI coaching app that combines neuroscience research on rumination with Tony Robbins' coaching frameworks to challenge users rather than validate them, with real-time risk scoring that escalates to human help such as 988 or licensed therapists.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthMental HealthWellness & Fitness
Tony Robbins(Co-Founder)Dr. Anson Whitmer(CEO & Co-Founder)Tyler Sheaffer(CTO & Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsPrime Movers LabDesigner Fund
Unlearn develops AI-powered digital twins and data analytics tools to optimize clinical trial design and execution for pharmaceutical companies.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Charles Fisher(Founder & CEO)inAaron Smith(Founder)in
Co-investors8VCAlumni VenturesBasecamp FundDCVC (Data Collective)Eisai Innovation, Inc.Flucas Ventures+5 more
Valen designs drugs using computational biology and experimental data generation.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechDaly City, US
Verustruct develops robotic construction systems for building affordable and sustainable housing.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechConstruction TechDeep TechRoboticsNew Haven, US
Nick Callegari(Founder & CEO)in
Wayve develops embodied AI technology to enable autonomous vehicle systems for assisted and automated driving.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareMobility & TransportationRoboticsLondon, GB
Alex Kendall(Co-Founder & CEO)inAmar Shah(Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsBalderton CapitalBritish Business BankIcehouse VenturesSoftBank GroupSoftBank Vision FundTeachers' Venture Growth+17 more
Zócalo Health is a primary care group providing social and clinical care to Latino communities through in-person community health workers, virtual physicians, and behavioral health specialists.
Digital HealthHealthtechKenmore, US
Erik Cardenas(Founder)inMariza Hardin(Founder)Mariza H(Founder)
BoardRoland Fryer(Director)
Co-investorsAble PartnersVamosVenturesVirtue VenturesSpringbank
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioVicarious SurgicalOTC: RBOT
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Readout · statnews.com · Aug 13, 2026
Copper · carboncredits.com · Jul 17, 2026
Brellium · insights.euclid.vc · Jul 15, 2026
AllVoices · intelligence360.news · Jul 14, 2026
Wayve · secondarylink.com · Jul 2, 2026
OutRival, Inc. · ycombinator.com · Jun 26, 2026
EnsoData · dreamit.com · Jun 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Necessary Ventures made?
- Necessary Ventures has 40 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Necessary Ventures invest at?
- Necessary Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Necessary Ventures's typical check size?
- Necessary Ventures typically writes checks of $1M – $2M.
- What sectors does Necessary Ventures focus on?
- Necessary Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Deep Tech, Digital Health, EdTech, Fintech, Healthtech, Medical Devices, Robotics, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Necessary Ventures located?
- Necessary Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Necessary Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Necessary Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does Necessary Ventures co-invest with?
- Necessary Ventures most often shares deals with Y Combinator, DCVC (Data Collective), Designer Fund, among 133 tracked co-investors.
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