Redbud VC
Venture capitalActively deployingColumbia · Pre-Seed–Seed · 16 people tracked
Investment thesis
Redbud VC backs founders at the earliest stages—from first check to pre-seed—investing in rare talent building generational, category-defining technology companies regardless of pedigree or introduction path. As a generalist with no industry bias, the firm prioritizes founders 'strengthened by struggle,' believing resilience is the greatest driver of venture returns. Many portfolio founders are first-time entrepreneurs, immigrants, or have Midwest roots. Redbud's operator partners have built billion-dollar companies and provide hands-on support, securing hundreds of introductions to investors, customers, and early hires. The team draws on its own experience building a large company in Columbia, MO with minimal resources.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 16 people
from the firm's website & public directories
Founder mafia
5 people who came through Redbud VC went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 41 of 70 portfolio companiesSaaS ×22AI & Machine Learning ×21Fintech ×10Enterprise Software ×8Consumer ×5Digital Health ×5Healthtech ×5E-commerce ×4
HQs:United States×16Canada×2
Who they back
founder profiles across 8 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×42 founders×33 founders×1
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 70 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 12023 · 47 dated
Rebulk provides software and computer vision technology to track and manage bulk material inventory across industries like agriculture, recycling, and logistics.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSOlathe, US
Warren Wijaya Wang(Founder)inCole Robertson(Founder)in
Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalY CombinatorFCVCKCRise Fund
Asepha provides AI-powered automation solutions for pharmacies to automate routine administrative tasks like patient calls, prescription intake, and prior authorization workflows.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechToronto, CA
Can Uncu(Cofounder)inEunice Wu(Cofounder)in
Co-investorsCore Venture CapitalFront Row VenturesGlasswing VenturesMGV.VCPanache VenturesTechstars+2 more
beehiiv is a publishing platform for creators, publishers, and brands to build and grow newsletters, websites, podcasts, and communities.
Creator EconomyMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaS
Jake Hurd(Cofounder)Tyler Denk(Cofounder)Benjamin Hargett(Cofounder)Jacob Hurd
Co-investors359 CapitalBlue Wire CapitalCollectivConnect VenturesCreator VenturesLightspeed Venture Partners+5 more
Bolster provides construction management software for residential construction, focusing on estimation and digital workflows to modernize how projects are bought, sold, and managed.
Construction TechFintechMarketplacesPropTechSaaSCalgary, CA
Mike Bignold(Founder)in
Co-investorsFUSEY CombinatorCERVIN VENTURESCheyenne VenturesCrosslink CapitalThomvest Ventures+1 more
Celcy makes a smart oven and freezer that automatically prepares meals while the user is away, controlled through a companion app that lets people select and schedule meals remotely.
ConsumerFoodTechHardware
Max Wieder(Co-founder)inEddie Holzinger(Co-founder)
Co-investorsMaryland TEDCOTEDCO
Rebulk is a platform for bulk-materials terminal and transport operations that captures billable events — railcars, trucks, transfers, scale tickets, BOLs, inventory movements, demurrage — onto a single record to support invoicing and inventory visibility.
Enterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS
Co-investorsFlyover CapitalAbstraction Capital
Way is an app that combines intuitive eating with behavior science to help people develop mindful eating habits and change how they think about and interact with food.
ConsumerDigital HealthWellness & Fitness
Fair Warranty provides insurance pricing and risk management solutions for the automotive sector.
Enterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaSSilicon Valley, US
William Betteridge(Founder, CEO)Stephen Bates(Founder, Chief Risk Officer)Will B(Founder)
Co-investorsBlue CollectiveRender CapitalTruStage VenturesAntlerPlug and Play Ventures
Hallway offers a no-code platform to add conversational AI characters (powered by Claude, GPT, or Gemini) to websites and products for customer engagement, lead capture, and user guidance.
AI & Machine LearningSaaS
Co-investorsBasis Set VenturesChapter One
Haxion develops spatial intelligence technology that enables artificial intelligence systems to understand and interact with the physical world, creating persistent environmental memory and advanced reasoning capabilities for embodied AI applications.
AI & Machine LearningDeep Tech
Co-investorsCrosscut VenturesMaC Venture CapitalSilent Ventures
Amby is a relationship management tool that enriches contacts and leads with context and uses a "Move Score" to detect early signals that a contact is likely to move, helping users reach out at the right time.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech
Co-investorsRoble Ventures
HoundDog.ai offers a privacy code scanner and a dataflow context engine built on a static code-analysis engine, tracing 100+ sensitive data types (PII, PHI, auth tokens) across code paths to prevent leaks and automate GDPR data mapping and RoPA documentation.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Amjad Afanah(Founder)
Co-investorsEx/AnteMozilla VenturesPage One VenturesThe E14 FundPropeller Inc.
KeySquare Technologies builds modern technology infrastructure to upgrade the legacy systems of global institutional broker dealers.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechNew York, US
Co-investorsWatertower Ventures Management, Llc
Mattoboard is a browser-based 3D mood board and virtual material sampling platform for interior designers and architects.
AI & Machine LearningPropTechLas Vegas, US
Guy Adam Ailion(Founder)in
Co-investorsCerity Partners VenturesFoundamentalSoundboard Venture FundTechstarsAcrobator VenturesBlue Field Capital+1 more
Mihailo Bozic(Cofounder)Dylan Gibbs(Cofounder)
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse Ventures
OneImaging offers an employer-sponsored medical imaging benefit that connects members to a national network of 4,800+ accredited radiology centers with upfront pricing and care navigation support.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesMiami, US
Elan Adler(Founder)
Co-investorsHeadwater VenturesNecessary VenturesSemperVirens Venture CapitalXRCBalaji SrinivasanSixThirty Ventures+1 more
Pave provides compensation and equity data to help employees understand and compare their pay.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechHR TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Matt Schulman(Founder)inOren Bass(Executive Officer, Director)Salim Lahoud(Director)Aaron Hultgren(Executive Officer, Director)John Geiken(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardAlexander Turkot(Director)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzBessemer Venture PartnersIndex VenturesVillage GlobalY CombinatorCraft Ventures+14 more
Pave provides AI-powered cashflow analytics, attributes, and scores that lenders integrate into their risk models to assess consumer and SMB credit risk.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintech
Co-investorsFairbridge ParkMVP Ventures
Public Grid simplifies access to household energy efficiency actions and connects individuals with their neighbors to collectively reduce emissions and save money.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyFintech
Joe R.(Founder)inRyan Freed(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlpaca VCCorigin VenturesGroundBreak VenturesHamilton VenturesUrban Innovation
Reactiv is a mobile commerce platform that builds native iOS and Android apps and App Clips—instant, no-download native experiences launched from ads, QR codes, or NFC—for commerce brands.
E-commerceRetail TechSaaS
Co-investorsBonfire Ventures
Reelist automates social media recruitment campaigns for hiring teams, sourcing and qualifying candidates from platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, then delivering them directly to ATS systems like Teamtailor.
AdTechHR TechMarketing TechSaaSNorfolk, US
Catherine Schuck(Executive Officer, Director)Sean Worden(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardStephanie Campbell Doran(Director)
Co-investorsCore Venture CapitalTechstarsArtemis Female
Reffie is an AI-powered platform that consolidates rental leads from multiple listing sites and property management systems into a single interface for property managers and leasing teams.
AI & Machine LearningPropTechSaaSLos Angeles, US
Connie Lee(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Daniel Kats(Director, Promoter)
BoardBukie Adebo Umeano(Director)
Co-investorsFour Acres CapitalHawk Hill VenturesService Provider CapitalTechstars
Resolv is a DeFi protocol offering crypto-native dollar products, including USR, a stable dollar instrument backed by diversified crypto yield sources and liquid prime assets, and RLP, a leveraged yield product that acts as an insurance layer.
Crypto & Web3FintechVirgin, US
Fedor C(Founder)
Co-investorsMaven 11EquipmentSharegumi Cryptos Capital (gCC)Team Ignite Ventures
Resolv is a back-office platform for contractors, especially HVAC installers, that finds and files energy rebates, files building and mechanical permits, and registers equipment warranties automatically.
AI & Machine LearningEnergySaaS
Co-investorsPre-Seed to SucceedYellow Rocks!
Truckee, US
Samuel Ruderman(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsEquipmentShareTeam Ignite Ventures
RouteSense builds Pathfinder, a real-time payment routing layer that sits between a merchant's checkout and its payment gateways, directing each transaction to the merchant account most likely to approve it based on live account health.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceFintechSaaS
Co-investorsService Provider Capital
Saferide develops driver assistance technology that retrofits existing vehicles with advanced safety features including automatic emergency braking, lane centering, and adaptive cruise control.
AI & Machine LearningMobility & TransportationSan Francisco, US
Will Bright(Founder)inRobbins Schrader(Executive Officer, Director)Whitney Schrader(Executive Officer, Director)T. Scott Law(Director)
Co-investorsMu Ventures
Synvect uses CRISPR gene knockouts to sterilize mosquito eggs so that only non-biting male mosquitoes emerge, reducing wild mosquito populations to combat nuisance and disease.
BiotechClimate TechHealthtech
The Renatural sells premium wigs designed to look and feel like natural hair, available in three textures and multiple tones.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Co-investorsHoaQHumba VenturesIngeborg InvestmentsRareBreed VenturesWatchfire Ventures
The Residency enables and accelerates high-potential young people, offering programs and coaching aimed at those pursuing alternatives to the traditional college path, including aspiring founders.
EdTechFuture of Work
Nick Linck(Founder)Peter D'Ambrosio(Co-founder)
Co-investorsBetaworks
Transend provides embedded B2B financing that lets suppliers offer their buyers instant credit at the point of sale, while the supplier is paid upfront and Transend handles underwriting, capital, servicing, and regulatory compliance.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS
Trestle is a vendor management platform that gives construction and preconstruction teams real-time visibility into vendor capacity, contract exposure, qualifications, and performance in one place.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Co-investorsCamber CreekFortySix Venture CapitalLegalTechMetaPropMetaProp VenturesAlumni Ventures+2 more
Trially uses AI and data science to match patients with clinical trials and accelerate trial recruitment.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesKansas City, US
Kyle McAllister(CEO & Founder)inTrevor Welch(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardThad Langford(Director)in
Co-investorsAlpaca VCCorigin VenturesFlyover CapitalThe CouncilGaingelsLooking Glass Capital
Vega is a platform for schools to manage space, scheduling, ticketing, and events, with tools like a series creator for sports seasons and shows, QR-code ticketing, conflict detection, and school-branded event pages.
EdTechSaaS
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesThe Residency · markets.businessinsider.com · Aug 4, 2026
Trestle · altss.com · Jun 3, 2026
Resolv · trysignalbase.com · May 5, 2026
Rebulk · startlandnews.com · Mar 23, 2026
beehiiv · reuters.com · Jan 20, 2026
Pave · finsmes.com · Oct 27, 2025
OneImaging · pulse2.com · Oct 15, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Redbud VC made?
- Redbud VC has 36 tracked investments, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Redbud VC invest at?
- Redbud VC invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Redbud VC's typical check size?
- Redbud VC typically writes checks of $50K – $150K.
- What sectors does Redbud VC focus on?
- Redbud VC focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Redbud VC located?
- Redbud VC is headquartered in Columbia, US.
- Does Redbud VC lead rounds?
- Yes, Redbud VC leads investment rounds.
- Who does Redbud VC co-invest with?
- Redbud VC most often shares deals with Techstars, Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, among 40 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamBrett Calhoun | Redbud VC
Fun Raising with VC Sheet · Brett Calhoun
Episode 49: "It's a Volume Game" | Redbud VC's Brett Calhoun
The Diligent Observer · Brett Calhoun
Images
Co-investors · 5
Lerer Hippeau is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs founders across sectors, emphasizing investing in companies before they gain wider recognition.
MetaProp is a venture capital firm focused on the proptech sector, dedicating its resources to support portfolio founders and their teams as they grow their businesses.
Hustle Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests quickly in startups, offering capital along with educational programs and mentorship. It also runs an angel investing community that lets members invest alongside the fund.
Polygon is a blockchain platform positioned as infrastructure for global payments and money movement, enabling assets to move onchain at scale. It offers an open stack for accessing the onchain economy and is powered by its native token $POL.
Firms observed investing alongside Redbud VC, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Redbud VC's recorded portfolio.
Similar investors
4DI Ventures was co-founded by repeat tech operator and ESET Southern Africa founder Justin Stanford, giving it unusually deep cybersecurity and software operating experience rather than a purely financial background, and originated from Stanford's own angel-investing experiments that directly led to both the firm's creation and the launch of the Silicon Cape Initiative. The firm explicitly describes its style as "nurture capital" with intensive, hands-on engagement, and Stanford is vocal about avoiding the "unicorn at all costs" mentality in African tech, instead emphasizing sustainable market readiness and fundamentals in a more conservative, durability-focused investment approach.
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.
AirTree Ventures runs Pathfinders, a free four-week in-person program in Sydney for young builders (high-school graduates up to age 23) to work on a real product, access the AirTree team and founders, and build a peer network.
August Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in a small number of companies, providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs building their businesses.
.jpeg){kind=logo}
B Capital is a global investment firm backing early to late-stage technology innovators across technology, healthcare, and energy & resilience sectors.