Fundraising FoxSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Seed · 10 people tracked
Also known as Ash Rust · SendHub · Sterling Road 3
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Investment thesis
Sterling Road backs founders at the earliest stage, often before a deck is polished or a round is closing. It typically makes an initial $50k 'day one' investment and pairs this capital with regular coaching sessions aimed at helping teams launch and grow quickly, specializing in taking companies from zero to one. The firm doubles down on teams that show progress, frequently investing in every subsequent round and maintaining relationships over many years. Its approach centers on backing people rather than pitches, supporting companies from idea through to IPO.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
Team · 10 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 105 of 116 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×65Enterprise Software ×42SaaS ×34Data & Infrastructure ×17Developer Tools ×17Healthtech ×16Fintech ×15Advanced Manufacturing ×13
HQs:United States×64United Kingdom×11Brazil×1Canada×1Germany×1France×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 65 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×112 founders×293 founders×184+ founders×7
Where their founders studiedfrom 108 founders with education data
University of California, Berkeley ×9Stanford University ×7University of Oxford ×7Imperial College London ×6University of Cambridge ×6Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×5Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×5UCLA ×5
What their founders studiedfrom 115 founders with field-of-study data
Computer Science ×49Engineering ×29Economics ×18Business & Management ×16Life Sciences ×6Mathematics & Statistics ×6Finance & Accounting ×5Physics ×3
Where their founders worked beforefrom 118 founders with career history
Apple ×6Google ×6Microsoft ×6Goldman Sachs ×4McKinsey & Company ×4Stanford University ×4Bain & Company ×3Tesla ×3
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
13 founders hold a PhD · 16 hold an MBA (of 120 with degree data)
Investments · 116 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22024 · 32023 · 32022 · 52021 · 72020 · 12019 · 12016 · 12014 · 124 dated
Serve Robotics builds autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, including its robot "Saymo", designed to make short-distance deliveries such as food.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsRedwood City, US
Ali Kashani(Founder)inEuan Abraham(Executive Officer)inBrian Read(Executive Officer)inTouraj Parang(Executive Officer, Director)inAli Pourdad(Director)April Pannell(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsGood AI CapitalGraph VenturesGreat Circle VenturesIndustrious VenturesLong Journey VenturesNextwave [X] Partners+10 more
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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-investorsY CombinatorCoatue ManagementGood FriendsLobster CapitalPioneerCiti Ventures+2 more
9 Mothers builds counter-drone defense systems that enable rapid deployment of point defense at infantry-mobile scale.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDefense TechHardwareIoTAustin, US
Russell Smith(CEO)inRoman Khomenko(Founder)inBogdan Pyzh(COO)inMadison Stanfield(Recruiter)Zania Oller(Recruiter)Sheridan Ray(Recruiter)
Co-investorsY CombinatorDaft CapitalPioneerRedbud Trail GroupStreamlined VenturesTheory Forge Ventures
Abel provides independent reviews of UK money management apps and budgeting tools, helping users in their 20s to 40s evaluate financial apps through hands-on testing and transparent reporting of fees, features, and safety practices.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechLegalTechMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US
Sean Safahi(Founder)inChenyu Li(Founder)inDaniel Francis(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorAndreessen HorowitzCalm VenturesCamford CapitalGeneral CatalystOrange Collective+1 more
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Amper is a production monitoring and intelligence platform that uses IoT sensors to track machines, operators, and jobs in real time, helping manufacturers identify hidden capacity and reduce downtime.
Advanced ManufacturingIoTSaaSChicago, US
Akshat Thirani(Founder & CEO)inStephen Bell(Director)Sachin Lal(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsConvergeCorazon CapitalLewis & Clark Ventures1517Advancit CapitalConvergence Ventures+7 more
Applied Electrodynamics is building WaveSight, a hardware sensing product designed to see through walls and detect objects otherwise not visible.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSan Francisco, US
Bilgehan Avser(CEO)inBrian Huppi(Founder)inPaul Leutheuser(Founder)inGeorge McLean(Founder)in
Co-investorsScribble VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementY CombinatorZero IndexBlast.ClubEight Capital+10 more
AquaShield provides non-invasive water leak detection sensors that install on existing building pipes to monitor flow patterns in real-time and identify leaks before they cause damage.
IoTPropTechSan Francisco, US
Paul Beckers(CEO)inMarguerite Benoist(CTO)in
Co-investorsY Combinator12X VCNPU VenturesS2S Ventures20VCBlast.Club+5 more
Aster provides patient management software and agentic AI voice tools for healthcare providers.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech
Co-investorsCake VenturesCornerstone VCEverywhere VenturesOctopus VenturesCambrian VenturesIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)+2 more
Atlas Grid provides data contextualization and access services.
Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Oleg Kostour(CEO)inAram Aghababyan(Founder)inAnton Krutiansky(Founder)in
Co-investorsDniproGarage CapitalSurgePoint AngelTenacity Capital GlobalY CombinatorAndreessen Horowitz+6 more
Ato Marine builds floating offshore platforms for high-performance computing and AI data centers, using standalone power generation and closed seawater cooling for location-agnostic deployment.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechData & InfrastructureEnergyBoston, US
Emile Germonpre(CTO)inDimitris Koutentakis(CEO)in
Co-investorsLyra Capital Pty LtdScribble VenturesSurgePoint AngelY CombinatorZero IndexAlumni Ventures+24 more
Aviro builds training environments and simulated spaces for long-horizon agents and frontier AI models to learn complex navigation and tool use.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Aarush Kukreja(Founder)inAyush Karupakula(COO)inAryan Nair
Co-investorsY CombinatorTranspose Platform ManagementNetwork VCTeam Ignite
Gather is a platform that helps marketing and growth teams create primary-research-backed content designed to rank in answer engines and generative search (GEO/AEO), and to connect that content visibility to business outcomes.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mayank Mehta(Co-founder & CEO)Anand(Co-founder & CTO)
Co-investorsMenlo VenturesRidge VenturesTrue VenturesTaurus Ventures
Botco.ai builds generative AI agents using a Retrieval-Augmented Generation framework to automate tasks such as adverse event reporting, patient referrals, clinical support, and CRM workflows.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Kyle Vogt(Executive Officer, Director)Rebecca Clyde(Co-Founder & CEO)inChris Maeda(Founder)inAnu Shukla(Co-Founder & Executive Chairman)in
BoardNabeel Hyatt(Director)inDaniel Gross(Director)
Co-investorsGoogle for Startups Accelerator MexicoPHX VenturesVamosVenturesSpark Capital
Brainbase provides an AI agent cloud platform that enables companies to build and deploy AI agents in production across any model or infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Gokhan Egri(Founder)inMichael Liu(Chief of Staff)Abhinav Tumu(Founding Software Engineer)Matthew Koen(Founding Software Engineer)
Co-investors500 Emerging EuropeFormus CapitalPioneerY CombinatorAlpha EdisonBessemer Venture Partners+10 more
Breinify is a personalization platform that enables B2C and D2C brands to deploy AI-powered customer experiences across web, email, SMS, and other channels.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Co-investorsAmino CapitalCXO FundStreamlined VenturesGolden SeedsGutbrain VenturesStartup Capital Ventures
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Breinify offers an AI personalization platform that lets B2C and D2C marketers launch and test coordinated experiences across web, email, SMS, app, and API without heavy engineering involvement.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechRetail Tech
Diane Keng(CEO & Cofounder)inPhilipp Meisen(CTO & Cofounder)inNathan Loveless(Chief Revenue Officer)inTyrell Martin(Chief of Staff)in
Co-investorsBronco VenturesCleo CapitalGolden SeedsGutbrain VenturesAmino CapitalCXO Fund+2 more
Browser Use provides AI-powered browser automation infrastructure with anti-detection capabilities, CAPTCHA solving, and custom LLMs designed for web-based agent tasks at scale.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Magnus Müller(CEO)inGregor Zunic(CTO)inMagnus Muller Gregor Zunic(Founder)
Co-investorsA.Capital VenturesEight CapitalFelicis VenturesFjor FoundersLombardstreet VenturesOrange Collective+16 more
Chow Central operates a delivery-focused food service in Nigeria that serves meals quickly at lower cost than traditional restaurants by operating within concentrated local areas.
ConsumerFoodTechLagos, NG
Tosin Onafuye(Founder)inChristopher Obasi(Founder)inAdeyemi Onafuye(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorDFS Lab FrontierHeirloomHi2 Global Venture FundHoaQVentures Platform
Clarm Atlas is a no-code platform that enables business teams to build and deploy autonomous AI agents from approved internal sources, tools, and compliance rules for operational workflows.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSan Francisco, US
Marcus Storm-Mollard(CEO)inAlex Usher
Co-investorsY CombinatorFounder Capital
Cloud Poker Night runs live-dealer poker tournaments as virtual and hybrid corporate events, using real dealers and cards for team-building and client engagement.
Future of WorkGamingMedia & Entertainment
Co-investorsChampion Hill Ventures
Coop makes the Smart Coop, an automated backyard chicken coop with an AI system (EggsteinAI) that detects predators, dual 1080p live-streaming cameras, an automatic sunrise/sunset door, and app-based controls and alerts.
ConsumerHardwareIoT
Co-investorsChamaeleonChampion Hill VenturesDraper AssociatesFundamental Ventures
Cred Protocol provides credit scoring, credit reporting, and real-time monitoring APIs for on-chain wallet addresses across multiple blockchain networks, serving DeFi protocols and Web3 applications.
Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureFintech
Co-investorsDigital Currency GroupVery Serious Ventures
CTGT develops a governance layer for AI systems that enables direct intervention at the neural network representation level to ensure reliable, policy-aligned AI behavior for enterprises.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Cyril Gorlla(CEO)inTrevor Tuttle(CTO)inAndrew Noonan(Vice President Eng)Ethan Yang(Hiring Manager)Taylor Berghane(Recruiter)Siddarth Mamidanna(Researcher)
Co-investorsDeepwater Asset ManagementGradient VenturesKeshif VenturesLoup VenturesStartXTranspose Platform Management+8 more
A team communication and collaboration platform that provides monitoring of communication performance through call logs and messaging statistics, along with built-in messaging features for workplace teams.
Cloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSLondon, GB
Nick Browne(Founder)inEdward Clayton(Founder)inLeo Bartle(Founder)inAli Clark(Founding Engineer)Richard Gibson(Engineer)Matt March(Engineer)
Co-investorsAmino CapitalFjor FoundersGarage CapitalY CombinatorAgrolimen VenturesAsymmetry Ventures+6 more
Dispatch develops heat shields for spacecraft reentry and cargo return, enabling high-frequency satellite operations at lower cost.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US
Payton Case(CEO)inAndrew Mello(CTO)inDanny Nemer(President)inJia Hao Lim(Founder)Sonia Jin(Founder)Stav Braun(Founder)
Co-investorsY CombinatorAdverb VenturesAlumni VenturesAndreessen HorowitzAntlerBrewer Lane Ventures+25 more
Downlink provides an API platform that optimizes large language model performance by increasing throughput, reducing latency, and improving accuracy.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Co-investorsY CombinatorAndreessen HorowitzEverywhere VenturesSHL CapitalVolo Ventures
DrSwarm builds AI agents that automate healthcare operations such as appointment scheduling, claims and billing, and patient communication for clinics and small health systems.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSaaS
Michael Nusimow(Founder)
Co-investorsPioneer
EGO is a personal context layer and "AI passport" that stores a user's preferences, history, relationships, and identity so it travels across the AI apps and assistants they use, letting people avoid reintroducing themselves each time.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardwareSan Francisco, US
David Khachaturov(CTO)inErin McGurk(CEO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorAV CapitalBlast.ClubDTA Capital Advisors, LLCGoodwater CapitalMetsu Capital
Elyos provides AI agents designed for trades and field service businesses, automating customer service, scheduling, sales, and administrative tasks.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSLondon, GB
Adrian Johnston(Founder)inPhilippa Brown(Founder)inPanos Stravopodis(CTO)in
Co-investorsBlackbird VenturesCollaborative FundEndgame CapitalPi LabsY Combinator468 Capital+10 more
Empower Sleep offers virtual sleep care, connecting patients with sleep doctors for online provider visits, at-home sleep testing, and personalized treatment plans based on continuous sleep tracking data.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Sahil Chopra(Founder)inSagar Chopra(Founder)in
Co-investorsDorm RoomThe MBA Fund
Exosat designs and builds low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations for sovereign operators, offering direct-to-cell, IoT, and broadband connectivity.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareIoTSpace TechSingapore, SG
Co-investorsRedbud Trail GroupTranspose Platform ManagementY CombinatorZero Index007 Venture Partners57O Investments+33 more
Federato offers Product Studio, a tool for insurers to define and manage insurance products—rating, forms, endorsements, and eligibility rules—in a single data schema with versioned definitions and audit history.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechInsurTechSaaSMenlo Park, US
William Ross(Founder)inWilliam Steenbergen(Founder)inGuru Vasudeva(SVP & CIO)Adriana Cisneros(Head of Underwriting)Will Ross(Founder)Will Ross William Steenbergen(Founder)
Co-investorsCaffeinated CapitalClocktower VenturesEmergence Capital PartnersPear VC
Fitbod is a mobile app that generates personalized strength and resistance training workouts based on a user's goals, fitness level, and available equipment, using a proprietary algorithm applying progressive overload and recovery tracking.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerSports TechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Allen Chen(Founder)inJesse Venticinque(Founder)in
BoardJason Calacanis(Director)in
Co-investorsAllied Venture PartnersHorseplay VenturesLAUNCHPear VCTechNexus Venture Collaborative
Five to Nine offers a platform for planning and managing workplace events and programs, including event creation, communications, budget tracking, and analytics.
Future of WorkHR TechSaaSChicago, US
Denise Umubyeyi(Co-founder)inJasmine Shells(Co-founder & CEO)inHeather Hiles(Director)
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesCleveland AvenueDorm RoomLofty VenturesBlack OperatorWestbound Equity Partners
Flex provides telehealth consultations with licensed clinicians to determine eligibility for HSA/FSA-qualified health products and services for customers with various medical conditions.
Digital HealthFintechHealthtechMarketplaces
Sam O'Keefe(Founder)inMiguel Toledo(Founder)inNikada Kaba(Founder)Sam O'Keefe Miguel Toledo(Founder)Shragie Lichtenstein(Founder)Won Chung(Founder)
Co-investorsCameron VenturesCore Venture CapitalFirst Round CapitalHarvest Venture PartnersRethink ImpactY Combinator+25 more
Foresight Mental Health provides mental health care services, including therapy and psychiatry.
Digital HealthHealthtechMental Health
Matthew Milford(Founder)inChuck Kruger(Chief Executive Officer)Jed Donahue(Chief Financial Officer)Tricia Duncan(Chief People Officer)
Co-investorsAsymmetry VenturesFirst Generation CapitalJAZZ Venture PartnersLombardstreet Ventures
Frenzy AI is an AI-powered platform for Shopify merchants that handles site search, collection pages, and product filtering with personalization features.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceRetail TechSaaS
Co-investorsBeresford Ventures
GRU Space develops technology for human habitation on the Moon and Mars.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechSpace TechSan Francisco, US
Skyler Chan(CEO)inKevin Cannon(Founding Member of Technical Staff)inBritt Tucker(Founder)Gary Chan(Admin)
Co-investorsDragonfruit (US)Entropy Industrial CapitalGarage CapitalTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator
Gather is a content platform that helps marketing teams create primary-research-backed content designed to rank in answer engines and generative search results.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mayank Mehta(CEO)inAnand(CTO)
Co-investorsTrue VenturesMenlo VenturesRidge Ventures
Glidian offers an all-payor prior authorization platform that lets healthcare providers submit and track insurance authorizations through direct payor integrations, supported by a team of prior authorization specialists.
Digital HealthHealthtechSaaS
Co-investorsBantam GroupCounterpart VenturesFikaGaruda VenturesTau Ventures
Groundfloor operates physical community spaces in San Francisco where people can work and socialize, designed to facilitate natural community building beyond traditional networking events.
ConsumerFuture of WorkPropTechSan Francisco, US
Jamie(Co-Founder)Jermaine(Co-Founder)Trim(Co-Founder)
Co-investors2048 VenturesOccoquan CapitalIrishAngels
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Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSToronto, CA
Rob Hunter(Chairman)inJef Chedeville(CTO)inEvan Lodge(COO, and Head of Product)inJack Forbes(Freelance Web Developer)Derek Williamson(CEO)Ali Yousaf(Head of Product)
Co-investorsCostella KirschForefront VentureFundersClubRed Forest CapitalWalnut Venture AssociatesY Combinator+4 more
Holloway offers an online reading platform, the Holloway Reader, that presents books with inline definitions of key terms, margin commentary, highlighting, and search.
ConsumerMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US
Joshua Levy(Founder)
Co-investorsIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Quiet Capitalxfactor ventures
Hydra provides analytics query execution for Postgres databases with separated compute resources, automatic scaling, and built-in caching, designed for time series and event data workloads across multiple deployment environments.
Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Joseph Sciarrino(Founder)inJD Dance
Co-investorsLightstone VenturesY Combinator10X Capital10x FoundersAntlerComcast Ventures+12 more
Hydra develops Brokkr, an operating system that enables independent data centers to operate AI Factories by providing shared infrastructure, customer access, and monetization tools on a unified network.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingMiami, US
Aaron Ginn(Founder)inAriel Deschapell(Founder)inGarrett Johnson(Founder)in
BoardSteve Jang(Director)in
Co-investorsAccelerator VenturesComcast VenturesDeepwater Asset ManagementDisruptive VenturesGraph VenturesHustle Fund+12 more
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(CTO)inIsaac Tolley(CEO)in
Co-investorsLobster CapitalTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator20VCAda VenturesAera VC+11 more
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Knoetic provides an AI-powered platform for Chief People Officers, combining a curated community of people leaders with AI agents that automate HR workflows and provide personalized insights from anonymized patterns of 3,000+ CPOs.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR Tech
Joseph Q.(Founder)inJoseph Quan(Founder)
Co-investorsAccelContraryDig Ventures Management LimitedDorm RoomMenlo VenturesPear VC+1 more
Kyte was an on-demand car rental startup that delivered and picked up rental vehicles at customers' locations, aiming eventually to support teleoperated and autonomous vehicle delivery.
Co-investorsAmplo VenturesCalifornia Innovation FundFJ LabsFlucas VenturesFundersClubRosecliff Ventures+6 more
Kyte is a point-of-sale system designed for small businesses to manage sales across multiple channels including physical stores and online platforms.
E-commerceRetail TechSaaSSão Paulo, BR
Guilherme Galesi Hernandez(Founder)in
Co-investorsCaravela CapitalDN CapitalHoney Island CapitalPark West Asset ManagementUnpopular Ventures
Leda provides self-administered DNA testing kits and related services for individuals who have experienced sexual assault, aiming to improve evidence collection and support for survivors.
HealthtechImpact & Social GoodBrooklyn, US
Liesel Vaidya(Executive Officer, Director)inMadison Campbell(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investors2B.VCCalm/Storm VCHelmHypothesisStone Mountain VenturesThe Innovation Space+2 more
LEVRA provides an online learning platform with personalized skill development modules for professional development, offering CPD-accredited training content delivered through videos, podcasts, and exercises.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechFuture of WorkHardwareHR Tech
Emily(Co-founder)Bartek(Co-founder)
Lightsprint is an AI-native platform where developers, product managers, and designers plan, build, and ship software together using parallel cloud agents.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Ben Ong(CEO)inBenedict Chan(Founder)inHeng Hong Lee(Founder)in
Co-investorsTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator645 VenturesBatch VenturesFjor FoundersFounder Capital+2 more
Loula connects families with doula care services covered by insurance, including Medi-Cal and commercial health plans.
FemTechHealthtechImpact & Social GoodNew York City, US
Lindsey Redd(Founder)inChine IkoroRuth Hawkins(Chief of Staff)
Co-investorsBBG VenturesMeridian Street CapitalWellington ManagementY CombinatorAntlerDiagram Collective+3 more
Lumari builds an AI-native software platform that automates procurement and sourcing operations for supply chain management.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSan Francisco, US
Eshani Mehta(CEO)inSam Lamba(CTO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorAgrolimen VenturesEight CapitalKonvoy VenturesLondon Venture PartnersMatador Fund+2 more
Luminal provides AI model compilation and inference optimization software that compiles models into optimized native code for GPUs and ASICs, delivering 2-3x faster inference performance compared to traditional runtime inference engines.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Joe Fioti(CEO)inMatthew Gunton(CTO)inJake Stevens(Founder)in
Co-investorsFelicis VenturesSaga VenturesSpot VCY CombinatorAlbum VCAlex Lee+18 more
Menda Health develops digital health solutions grounded in modern pain science, working with board-certified physicians and specialists to address chronic pain conditions like back pain, sciatica, and migraines.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness
ArunKartik
Co-investorsJude Gomila
Menza is an AI-powered operations platform for ecommerce and DTC brands that automates business workflows across advertising, inventory, customer service, and data analysis.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDirect to ConsumerE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareLondon, GB
Qasim Munye(Founder)inMariam Ahmed(Founder)inSubaan Qasim(Founding Engineer)
Co-investorsY CombinatorAcacia Venture Capital PartnersStart Equity VenturesTeam IgniteTop Harvest Capital
Metofico builds a no-code platform for analyzing large and complex datasets in life science research, allowing scientists without programming expertise to extract insights from neuroscience, behavioral tracking, and other experimental data.
Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSLondon, GB
Mehdi Boudjadja(CEO)inSalah Boudjadja(CTO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorEight Capital
Metreecs provides data science and AI-driven insights to businesses, leveraging client data, external factors, and business trends to help companies operate more efficiently and profitably.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareParis, FR
Martin Dimitrov(COO)inElie Dufeu(CTO)inThibaut Pellegrin(CEO)in
Co-investorsInvestorXKima VenturesMonte Carlo CapitalPerpetual VCSonorcapY Combinator+6 more
Minimal AI provides AI agents for e-commerce customer support automation, capable of resolving up to 90% of support tickets across multiple channels without requiring hiring.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareSaaSAmsterdam, NL
Niek Hogenboom(CEO)inTitus Ex(CTO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorMaiora Rebel VenturesEight CapitalOurCrowdRebel FundSeraph Group+3 more
Mundo AI creates a multilingual dataset library to address the scarcity of high-quality training data in languages other than English for AI model development.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Jason Liao(CEO)inNaijide Anwaer(Founder)inGarreth Lee(Founder)inKenneth Wu(Founder)in
Co-investorsAugment VenturesGreatPoint VenturesY Combinator
Nanograb develops gene therapy delivery systems using artificial intelligence to identify peptide-nanoparticle combinations that transport genetic medicines to targeted cells and tissues.
BiotechHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Debesh Mandal(Founder)inChristopher Lau(Founder)inShanil Panara(Founder)inStefano Angioletti-Uberti
Co-investorsRecode VenturesY CombinatorAgrolimen VenturesBlueYard CapitalSandhill (ex Stonks)
Nori Robotics manufactures household robots that autonomously handle domestic tasks like cleaning, organizing, and food preparation.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareRoboticsNew York City, US
Antonio Sitong Li(CTO)inDave Zohrob(Founder)inDave Zohrob Harish Agarwal(Founder)Harish Agarwal(Founder)inHarish Agrawal(Founder)
Co-investorsY CombinatorBrave CapitalE8 AngelsGaingelsGreat Wave VenturesPioneer+2 more
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Nova Credit aggregates global credit bureau data, bank transaction data, and payroll information to help lenders assess borrowers and provide fairer access to credit for underserved populations including international newcomers, gig workers, and others traditionally excluded from the financial system.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechNew York City, US
Misha Esipov(CEO)inLoek Janssen(Advisor at large)inNicky Goulimis(Founder)Catherine Jue(Implementation R\u0026D)inAnnie Shin(Engineering Manager)Michael Vobejda(Software Engineering Intern)
Co-investorsGeneral CatalystKleiner PerkinsA-Rod CorpAvid VenturesBallistic VenturesBetter Tomorrow Ventures+25 more
novl is an AI-powered project management system for architecture and civil engineering firms.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechSaaS
Hassan Aljanabi(Founder)in
Co-investorsSuffolk Technologies
Nuanced provides a desktop application where AI agents assist software developers by converting preliminary concepts into detailed specifications and maintaining involvement throughout the build process.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Ayman Nadeem(CEO)inDylan John Drover
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesY CombinatorEight CapitalKleiner PerkinsLIONHEART VENTURESMaven Ventures+2 more
Opalite builds language interpretation technology for healthcare, enabling real-time communication between physicians and patients across language barriers.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Cathleen Kuo(CEO)inAlex Mehregan(CTO)in
Co-investorsY Combinator007 Venture PartnersBlast.ClubCoyote VenturesDent CapitalIngenerate Labs+6 more
Oqoqo is an experimentation platform for testing and evaluating agentic AI workflows in production-like, isolated sandbox environments.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Renzo Viale(Founder)in
Co-investorsBee PartnersNuMundo Ventures
Parley builds AI software for immigration law firms that automates visa petition drafting, reference letter generation, and evidence collection.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Philip Smart(CEO)inIan Edwards(CTO)inJackson Perry(Founder)in
Co-investorsPreston-Werner VenturesY CombinatorBroadshade InvestmentsDecacorn CapitalGoodwater CapitalProCap Velocity
PeopleReign develops AI-powered technology using natural language processing and machine learning to automate routine business processes for enterprise employees.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHR TechSan Jose, US
Dan Turchin(CEO)in
BoardJonathan Perl(Director)in
Co-investorsAcadian Ventures Management, LlcBoulder VenturesJC2 VenturesMighty CapitalMoxxie Ventures
Phare develops AI-powered home safety devices that detect fires and carbon monoxide using advanced sensors and machine learning to reduce false alarms and missed detections.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareHealthtechPropTechLondon, GB
Arnau Donate(Executive Officer, Director)Daniel McBride(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsBritish Design FundClearance Venture PartnersTechstars
Plexe provides infrastructure for deploying machine learning models to production, serving millions of inferences daily.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareLondon, GB
Vaibhav Dubey(CEO)inMarcello De Bernardi(CTO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorMyAsiaVCOxonian VenturesStrategxy Ventures LLCTranspose Platform ManagementImToken Ventures+4 more
Precip provides hyper-local rainfall measurement and forecasting using AI, delivering up-to-the-hour precipitation data at 1km resolution without requiring physical weather stations.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate TechData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareAnn Arbor, US
Jesse Vollmar(CEO)inMichael Asher(CTO)inSam Pierce Lolla
Co-investorsPioneerVirta VenturesY CombinatorBasis Set VenturesCapitalize VCDot Slash Capital+3 more
Proximitty builds AI agents to automate commercial lending workflows for banks, including document ingestion, financial analysis, covenant monitoring, and loan servicing for C&I, CRE, and SBA loans.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSan Francisco, US
Wye Yew Ho(CEO)inZi Zhang(CTO)in
Co-investorsCohen CircleY CombinatorBlast.ClubCRV (Charles River Ventures)Sandwith Ventures, LLCSeraph Group+5 more
Pulse operates a marketplace where C-suite technology executives share knowledge and insights with each other and with software vendors.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkMarketplacesSan Francisco, US
Mayank Mehta(CEO)inAnand Thaker(Technical /CTO)inEdul Patel(Chief Editor)in
Co-investorsAV8 VenturesFarvatn VentureFJ LabsPlanet 9 CapitalTrue VenturesY Combinator+6 more
Puzzle builds a modern accounting system for startups and small-to-medium businesses, delivering real-time financial intelligence by reconstructing core ledger and data infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Sasha Orloff(Founder)inJohn Cwikla(Founder)in
BoardHEMANT TANEJA(Director)in
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesBORN CAPITAL CFOTECHFelicis VenturesFjor FoundersFOG VenturesGeneral Catalyst+11 more
Puzzle is a crypto wallet for the Aleo blockchain, available on iOS, Android, and Chrome, that includes a native Arcade offering earning opportunities to users.
Crypto & Web3Fintech
Co-investorsBain Capital CryptoFelicis VenturesGeneral CatalystKapor CapitalS32
Quanto is a sales, marketing, and onboarding platform for accounting and bookkeeping firms that finds and qualifies ideal clients, books discovery calls, and onboards them into QuickBooks.
FintechSaaSSales Tech
Co-investorsFlair VenturesGood News VenturesScale Shift Ventures
Risely is an agentic AI platform designed for higher education institutions that orchestrates AI agents to optimize campus operations, support student retention, and revenue generation.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Shahryar Abbasi(CEO)inSadia Saifuddin(CPO)inDanial Asif
Co-investorsMaiora Rebel VenturesPathlight VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementY CombinatorAF VenturesGoodwater Capital+3 more
Sempre Health provides digital health solutions focused on patient engagement and outcomes management for the healthcare industry.
Digital HealthHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Anurati Mathur(Founder)inSwaraj Banerjee(Founder)inRobert S. Spalding(Executive Officer, Director)Ashley Carroll(Director)
BoardJenny Abramson(Director)inTyler Rowe(Director)
Co-investorsBlue Venture FundsCencora VenturesCerity Partners VenturesEcho Health VenturesLifeforce CapitalRethink Impact+3 more
Sepal AI generates training and evaluation datasets for AI models at scale, working with leading AI research labs and enterprises to improve model performance on real-world tasks.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Robi Lin(Founder)inKat Hu(Founder)inFedor ParetskyNathalia Beserra(Recruiter)Daniel Camareno(Recruiter)Steven Shang(CTO)
Co-investorsMetaplanetSID Venture PartnersVery Serious VenturesY CombinatorAmino CapitalCapitalize VC+3 more
Silimate builds AI-powered EDA software that accelerates chip design workflows by combining fast computation engines, machine learning models, and user-friendly interfaces.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareHardwareSemiconductorsSan Francisco, US
Ann Wu(Founder)inAkash Levy(Founder)in
Co-investorsLifeX VenturesPioneerSoma CapitalThe MBA FundY Combinator468 Capital+1 more
Simplex provides automated provider enrollment management for healthcare networks, handling CAQH profile setup, payer applications, and compliance tracking across multiple states and insurers.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Shreya Karpoor(CEO)inMarco Nocito(CTO)in
Co-investorsFundersClubPioneerThe E14 FundY CombinatorBitmainCapitalize VC+3 more
Smarty embeds an MIT-trained CTO ("Chief of AI") and senior engineering team into a client's business to identify, build, and maintain custom AI systems and automations.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Denzil Eden(Founder)
Co-investorsAmplify.LAMotivate Venture CapitalPear VCirrvrntVC
Snout provides infrastructure for veterinary clinics to offer monthly wellness plans, letting pet owners enroll without credit checks while clinics are paid upfront at the time of care.
FintechSaaSLos Angeles, US
Emily Dong(Founder)inJennifer YipDavid(Chief Operating Officer)Kyle(Chief Technology Officer)
Co-investors500 GlobalBread And Butter Ventures, LlcFinancial Venture StudioFootworkMuse CapitalPear VC+2 more
Solve Intelligence provides AI-powered software for patent drafting, prosecution, and claim analysis for legal professionals and corporate IP departments.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechLondon, GB
Chris Parsonson(CEO)inSanj Ahilan(Founder)inAngus Parsonson(Founder)inJustin Doop(Founding Member of Technical Staff)Harry Bedford(Founding Member of Technical Staff)Shay Ijaz(Talent Acquisition Member)
Co-investors20VCAmino CapitalCoho DeeptechEight CapitalFoundersX VenturesM12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund)+22 more
Sphinx builds AI agents that help banks and fintech companies detect fraud and verify identities during customer onboarding, replacing manual compliance processes and catching synthetic identities and deepfakes.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareFintechSan Francisco, US
Alexandre Berkovic(CEO)inChrisjan Wust(CTO)inJamie Bloxham(Founder)Rohan Kodialam(Founder)
Co-investorsCherry VenturesMaiora Rebel VenturesY Combinator0 ADForce Over Mass CapitalImpatient Ventures+5 more
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Splash9 manufactures autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) for maritime applications including coastal defense, harbor patrols, seabed mapping, and infrastructure security.
Advanced ManufacturingDefense TechHardwareRoboticsLos Angeles, US
Ivan Avanesov(CEO)inMarcell Veszpremi(CTO)inJoel Milton(Founder)TJ Ross(Founder)
Co-investorsUbiquity VenturesY Combinator468 CapitalAccompliceAcies InvestmentsBlast.Club+9 more
Starcloud is a deep-tech company building large-scale data center infrastructure designed to operate in space.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningClimate TechCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeep TechSemiconductorsSpace TechRedmond, US
Philip Johnston(CEO)inEzra Feilden(CTO)inAdi Oltean(Founder)inPaul Adrian Oltean(Executive Officer, Director)Philip Johnston Ezra Feilden(Founder)
BoardMorgan Beller(Director)in
Co-investorsAb Capital Holding BVAmbush CapitalCisco InvestmentsDnx VenturesDragon CapitalFUSE+58 more
Stockline provides enterprise resource planning software designed for food wholesalers that uses AI agents to automate administrative work like order entry.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Mariem Ould Ismail(CEO)inMoncef DJAFRI(CTO)in
Co-investorsInvestorXKima VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator20VCAliaksandr Hudzilin+9 more
Superglue provides AI agents that automate enterprise system integration, data migration, and implementation work across cloud or on-premises infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBY, DE
Adina Goerres(CEO)inStefan Faistenauer(CTO)in
Co-investorsMyAsiaVCTranspose Platform ManagementY CombinatorAngular VenturesCDTM Venture FundDavidovs Venture Collective+5 more
Tekton Dynamics develops AI and robotics software to automate manufacturing tasks that are hazardous, repetitive, or undesirable for human workers.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningRoboticsLondon, GB
Max Ahrens(CEO)inEduardo Candela(CTO)
Co-investorsPioneerSciFi VCUrban InnovationY Combinator2100 VenturesAccel+8 more
ThinkChain.ai builds AI tools including AI agents that conduct qualitative interviews and surveys at scale for market researchers and academic professionals, and cloud-hosted MCP server bundles that connect AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude to external tools.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Co-investorsStartXZelda Ventures
TigerEye develops AI software for construction professionals to improve job site management and decision-making.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechPropTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Tracy Young(Founder)inRalph Gootee(Founder)in
Co-investorsInitialized CapitalNext47Y Combinator
Tractive is developing an AI tool for 3D retopology, aimed at helping artists prepare their assets to be game-ready faster.
AI & Machine LearningGamingSaaS
Co-investorsBlue Wire Capital
Swiftly provides a data platform for public transit agencies to track vehicle locations and optimize operations.
Data & InfrastructureGovTechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationSan Francisco, US
Co-investors9Mile LabsBronco VenturesCongruent VenturesGovtech Fund
Treeva provides integrated wind and solar power solutions with storage capabilities for organizations unable to access grid power, targeting transport operators, manufacturers, and infrastructure owners.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyHardware
Anjali Devadasan(Founder)in
Trial Library operates an AI-native platform that integrates clinical trials into routine care, activating providers, identifying eligible patients, and guiding them through the trial lifecycle.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech
Co-investorsHow Women InvestLux CapitalNext VenturesOverwater Ventures LlcSanofi VenturesSeae Ventures+1 more
Tunic Pay builds fraud detection and risk assessment technology for payments, helping financial institutions and consumers identify suspicious transactions and restore confidence in online payments.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityFintechLondon, GB
Nicky Goulimis(Founder)inNico Barawid(Founder)inNicky Goulimis Nico Barawid(Founder)
Co-investorsAvid VenturesBoxGroupLocalGlobeFlourish Ventures
Velma provides daily, phone-based cognitive support for older adults with early memory loss, combining a dedicated care team and AI assistants with exercises, routine reminders, and family alerts.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthWellness & Fitness
Lisa(Founder)
Vocode provides open-source and API-based tools for building and deploying voice agents that handle phone calls.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Kian Hooshmand(Founder)inAjay Raj(Founder)inAdnaan Sachidanandan(ML Engineer)Eliot Hsu(Founding Engineer)Arianna Pahlavan(Growth)Alexa Morreale(Head of Talent)
Co-investorsGradient VenturesGV (Google Ventures)Y CombinatorAccelPioneer
Zalos builds computer agents that automate repetitive finance operations tasks like payroll, reconciliation, and form processing within existing enterprise ERP and accounting systems, without requiring system replacement.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSLondon, GB
William Fairbairn(CEO)inHung Hoang(CTO)in
Co-investors14Peaks CapitalActivant CapitalCohen CircleY Combinator20VCAndreessen Horowitz+3 more
Zephyr Fusion develops compact, in-orbit fusion power systems for space-based applications including microgravity manufacturing, data centers, defense, propulsion, and human habitation.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechEnergySpace TechSan Diego, US
Edward Hinson(Founder)inGalen Burke(Founder)inGalen Burke Edward Hinson(Founder)
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesPioneerY CombinatorZAKA VCAsymmetry VenturesBlast.Club+10 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Alora StudiosArdiusArnieGetmarbleHearthHypergameAIi-50RecursiveTwodot
Exits · 8
1 IPOs · 7 acquisitions · showing 2Serve RoboticsNASDAQ: SERVAsteracq. by Elation
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Applied Electrodynamics, Inc. · mentionfox.com · Sep 10, 2026
Starcloud · techcrunch.com · Aug 21, 2026
Nori · ycombinator.com · Aug 20, 2026
Exosat · ycombinator.com · Aug 10, 2026
Atomarine · ycombinator.com · Jul 26, 2026
Sphinx · thesaasnews.com · Jul 13, 2026
Dispatch · techcrunch.com · Jun 18, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Sterling Road made?
- Sterling Road has 116 tracked investments, 8 of which have exited, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Sterling Road invest at?
- Sterling Road invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Sterling Road's typical check size?
- Sterling Road typically writes checks of $25K – $150K.
- What sectors does Sterling Road focus on?
- Sterling Road focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Sterling Road located?
- Sterling Road is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Sterling Road lead rounds?
- Yes, Sterling Road leads investment rounds.
- Who does Sterling Road co-invest with?
- Sterling Road most often shares deals with Y Combinator, Transpose Platform Management, Pioneer, among 232 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamAI and the future of work with Ash Rust, former CEO and pre-seed investor at Sterling Road
PeopleReign · Ash Rust
Entrepreneurs@Manchester: Ash Rust, Managing Partner @ Sterling Road
Alliance Manchester Business School · Ash Rust
The Created Economy 018: Interview with Ash Rust of Sterling Road
Created Economy · Ash Rust
Ash Rust | Sterling Road - Retrospective
Peter Saddington · Ash Rust
ASH RUST | Sterling Road - Venture Capitalists are a Mechanism to Stop Failure! | CHARGE MORE - S1E4
Peter Saddington · Ash Rust
Co-investors · 23
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.
Gaingels is a large venture investor that co-invests alongside lead VCs in companies committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, while advocating for LGBTQ+ representation and equity of access in venture capital.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture capital firm that co-invests alongside lead VCs in startups, backing founders with capital and access to a large investor and operator community.
General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that writes pre-seed checks and is backed by a community of founder and operator LPs.
Streamlined Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that partners with founders and invests at the seed stage to help build large-scale companies.
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.
Unpopular Ventures is an investment firm that backs standout startups found off the beaten path, favoring opportunities that are contrarian or unpopular early on.
XYZ Venture Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with founders from the earliest stages, supporting portfolio companies across fundraising, go-to-market, product, and sales.
SOSV is a deep tech venture capital firm that makes first-check pre-seed investments and follow-on rounds in startups focused on human and planetary health, providing lab space and hands-on support at its US locations.
Kapor Capital is an impact-focused venture capital firm that invests in seed-stage tech startups building solutions that create economic opportunity and address inequality across sectors such as education, work, finance, justice, food and health.
▶11 more co-investors
DN Capital2048 Venturesxfactor venturesAmplo Ventures1984 Ventures Management, LlcGutbrain VenturesConvergence VenturesCornerstone VCCake VenturesMucker CapitalBECO Capital
Firms observed investing alongside Sterling Road, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Sterling Road's recorded portfolio.
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