OpenAI Startup Fund
Corporate VCActively deployingSan Francisco · Seed–Series A · 2 people tracked
Also known as Open AI Startup Fund · OPENAI STARTUP FUND MANAGEMENT, LLC
Investment thesis
As OpenAI's venture arm, they run Converge, a highly selective five-week program for exceptional engineers, designers, researchers, and product builders using AI to reimagine products and industries.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 11 of 12 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×9Enterprise Software ×5SaaS ×4Biotech ×2Fintech ×2Circular Economy ×1Consumer ×1Creator Economy ×1
HQs:United States×6United Kingdom×1
Investments · 12 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 62023 · 12022 · 18 dated
Harvey provides domain-specific AI products for legal and professional services firms, enabling contract analysis, due diligence, compliance, and litigation tasks.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLegalTech
Winston Weinberg(Co-founder & CEO)inGabe Pereyra(Founder)inGabriel Pereyra(Co-founder & President)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzKleiner PerkinsArtisanal VenturesCaesar VenturesCoatue ManagementConviction+15 more
1X is an AI and robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid robots for home and industrial use.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardwareRoboticsPalo Alto, US
Bernt Øyvind Børnich(CEO)Bernt Børnich(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlliance VCAlliance VentureEQT VenturesSamsung NextSandwaterSkagerak Capital+8 more
Adaptive Security provides security awareness training, phishing attack simulation, and email security solutions designed to defend against AI-powered attacks, deepfakes, and social engineering threats.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareNew York, US
Brian Long(Founder & CEO)inAndrew Jones(Founder)in
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesAndreessen HorowitzEniac VenturesK5 GlobalScribble VenturesBain Capital Ventures+4 more
Develops edible, natural coatings and feed additives to extend the shelf life of perishable foods such as fish, seafood, meat, fruits and vegetables, and to improve poultry and aquaculture farm productivity.
BiotechCircular EconomyFoodTechNew Materials
Co-investorsADB VenturesFounders FundLux Capital
Class Companion is an AI-powered teaching platform that generates assignments, gives students instant feedback and scores, and provides an AI tutor for real-time, differentiated coaching.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS
Avery Pan(Founder)in
Co-investorsBrainstorm VenturesIndex Ventures
Descript is a video creation and editing platform that enables marketing and product teams to produce and update video content quickly using text-based editing.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSSan Francisco, US
Andrew Mason(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardAlex Rampell(Director)inNabeel Hyatt(Director)inKundan Kumar(Director)
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzAtelierHubSpot VenturesRedpoint VenturesTodd and Rahul’s Angel FundSpark Capital
Endex builds custom AI models integrated into Excel for financial workflows, offering cell-reference tracing, repeatable templates, data extraction from financial documents, and cited outputs from internal and external sources.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintech
Co-investorsDorm Room
Kick is an AI-powered platform that automates bookkeeping and accounting tasks for small business owners.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS
Conrad Wadowskiin
Co-investorsFelicis VenturesLigature VCGeneral CatalystGV (Google Ventures)Venture Kick
San Francisco, US
Andrew Hsu(Director, Promoter)Connor Zwick(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Colton Gyulay(Executive Officer)Alex Berkenkamp(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsKhosla Ventures
Unify provides AI agents that handle routine business tasks across communications, sales, operations, and engineering by executing pre-built workflows or custom automation.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSLondon, GB
Daniel Lenton(Founder)in
Co-investorsA.Capital VenturesAbstraction CapitalBattery VenturesJ12 VenturesLeonis CapitalLunar Ventures+9 more
Valthos develops AI systems to identify biological threats and design medical countermeasures in real time for biodefense applications.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDefense TechNew York, US
Kathleen McMahon(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardTess Van Stekelenburg(Director)in
Co-investorsLux CapitalFounders Fund
Worktrace enables teams to build and deploy AI agents with zero setup required.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Deepak Vasisht(Founder)inAngela Jiang(Founder)in
Co-investors8VCIllinois VenturesZero Shot
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Harvey · itbrief.asia · Jul 17, 2026
Unify · m.economictimes.com · Jul 15, 2026
Kick · tech.eu · Jul 3, 2026
Worktrace Ai · globalventuring.com · Jun 22, 2026
Adaptive Security · prnewswire.com · Jun 9, 2026
Valthos · finance.yahoo.com · Oct 29, 2025
1X Technologies · techstartups.com · Sep 24, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does OpenAI Startup Fund invest at?
- OpenAI Startup Fund invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is OpenAI Startup Fund's typical check size?
- OpenAI Startup Fund typically writes checks of $1M.
- What sectors does OpenAI Startup Fund focus on?
- OpenAI Startup Fund focuses on AI & Machine Learning, EdTech, Energy, Healthtech, LegalTech, Media & Entertainment, SaaS.
- Where is OpenAI Startup Fund located?
- OpenAI Startup Fund is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does OpenAI Startup Fund lead rounds?
- Yes, OpenAI Startup Fund leads investment rounds.
Images
Co-investors · 12
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, known for pioneering the platform model with a large team of operators supporting founders across stages.
GV (Google Ventures) is a venture capital firm that has invested in artificial intelligence and machine learning since its early days, building a global portfolio of more than 100 AI companies across infrastructure, life sciences, and applications.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies.
BCV Labs is the platform and hands-on support arm of Bain Capital Ventures, providing portfolio founders with go-to-market strategy, brand development, hiring assistance, and customer introductions.
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that backs founders across technology and life sciences, from early stage through growth.
Accel is a venture capital firm that partners with exceptional teams, positioning itself as a first partner to founders globally.
DST Global is a global internet-focused investment firm that backs fast-growing, high-value internet companies. It does not solicit or accept retail investors.
Oak HC/FT is a growth equity firm that partners with founders building companies in healthcare and financial services, leveraging sector expertise and networks.
Buckley Ventures is a venture capital firm that makes concentrated early-stage investments in internet, software, and frontier technology companies.
Firms observed investing alongside OpenAI Startup Fund, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with OpenAI Startup Fund's recorded portfolio.
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