Upfront Ventures
Venture capitalLos Angeles · Seed–Series A · 5 people tracked
Also known as UPFRONT VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC
Investment thesis
Upfront Ventures invests early and aims to be a long-term partner to its portfolio companies. The firm emphasizes connecting the Los Angeles and Bay Area startup ecosystems, seeing itself as a bridge between the two. Recent investments span healthcare infrastructure, modern benefits platforms, and specialty pediatric health systems, indicating interest in health, financial infrastructure, and technology-driven companies.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
What they invest in
from 32 of 52 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×15SaaS ×12Enterprise Software ×9Consumer ×6Data & Infrastructure ×6Healthtech ×5Deep Tech ×4Digital Health ×3
HQs:United States×34
Investments · 52 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathThredUp operates an online marketplace where consumers buy and sell secondhand clothing, and provides resale-as-a-service solutions for fashion brands seeking to incorporate circular commerce into their business models.
Circular EconomyE-commerceMarketplacesSan Francisco, US
Paula Sutter(Director)James Reinhart(Executive Officer)Norman Matthews(Director)Andy Rendich(Director)Greg Bettinelli(Director)
BoardDan Nova(Director)
Invoca offers an AI-powered revenue execution platform that connects marketing, commerce, and contact center teams to track and optimize buyer journeys, tying paid media spend to business outcomes and converting leads into sales.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSSanta Barbara, US
John Greathouse(Director)Joshua Jacobs(Director)Dan Weigel(Vice President of People and Culture Secretary)Jason Spievak(Director)Kobie Fuller(Director)Mark Woodward(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMark SusterKobie Fuller· per SEC Form D
Toka develops intelligence and force protection technology for government militaries, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to conduct surveillance, counter-terrorism, and defense operations.
CybersecurityDefense TechGovTechMaryland, US
Kfir Waldman(Co-Founder, President & CEO Israel)inGregg Smith(Global CEO)
Rego Park, US
Board seatKobie Fuller· per SEC Form D · $8.6M raise · filed Jan 2025
El Segundo, US
John Malsbury(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ricardo Andres Medina(Executive Officer, Director)Jeffrey Osborne(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardArthur Karell(Director)David Byrd(Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $11.2M raise · filed Jun 2025
Bevy is a community engagement platform that enables organizations to manage forums, events, groups, and community member interactions through a unified interface with AI-powered tools and analytics.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSPalo Alto, US
Derek Andersen(Executive Officer, Director)Joel Fernandes(Executive Officer, Director)Ryan Sweeney(Director)Kobie Fuller(Director)Ryan Smith(Director)
Board seatKobie Fuller· per SEC Form D
Hampshire
Nicholas John Halstead(Executive Officer, Director)Mark Suster(Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $15.1M raise · filed Sep 2020
San Diego, US
Vivek Pattipati(Director)Scott Stephenson(Director)Michael Bishop(Director)Daniel Burton(Executive Officer, Director)Greg Bettinelli(Director)Eli Tamanaha(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D
New York, US
Board seatAditi Maliwal· per SEC Form D · $5M raise · filed May 2025
Finary is a social platform where users can share investment portfolios, communicate with other investors, and discuss investment decisions together.
FintechNew York City, US
Roger Cawdette(Co-Founder & CEO)inDarian Bhathena(Founder)inMichael Liu(Founder)inJack Phifer(Founder)inAditi Maliwal(Director)
Board seatAditi Maliwal· per SEC Form D · $3.3M raise · filed May 2021
San Diego, US
Dubois Remy(Executive Officer)Yves Sisteron(Director)Gene Lynes(Executive Officer)Emmanuel Lemoigne(Director)M Alex Vieux(Director)Fabrice Levy(Executive Officer)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $42M raise · filed Aug 2016
New York, US
Dan Ripma(Director)Derek Mansfield(Executive Officer, Director)Ryan Wilson(Director)Ellis McCue(Executive Officer, Director)Kara Nortman(Executive Officer, Director)Brian Hopcraft(Director)
Board seatKara Nortman· per SEC Form D · $3.9M raise · filed Feb 2016
Indianapolis, US
Scott McCorkle(Executive Officer, Director)Tim Page(Executive Officer)Scott D. Dorsey(Director)Long Pund(Executive Officer)Kobie Fuller(Director)
BoardJohn Chuang(Director)
Board seatKobie Fuller· per SEC Form D · $5.1M raise · filed Aug 2022
Brooklyn, US
Robert Hayden(Executive Officer, Director)Kevin Murphy(Executive Officer, Director)Phin Upham(Director)
Board seatAditi Maliwal· per SEC Form D · $12.4M raise · filed Dec 2025
Los Angeles, US
Phoebe Hayman(Executive Officer, Director)Kara Nortman(Director)Heidi Patel(Director)
Board seatKara Nortman· per SEC Form D · $8M raise · filed Nov 2016
Los Angeles, US
Board seatKara Nortman· per SEC Form D · $4.5M raise · filed Apr 2016
Marina Del Rey, US
Matt Murphy(Director)Scott Lahman(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Jason Schretter(Director)Nanea Reeves(Executive Officer, Director)Mark Suster(Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $6.9M raise · filed Apr 2015
Santa Monica, US
Meredith Perry(Executive Officer, Director)Kathleen McMahon(Director)Mark Suster(Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $15M raise · filed Jul 2015
New York, US
Tor Ivry(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Berman(Executive Officer, Director)Assaf Glazer(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMark Suster· per SEC Form D · $25M raise · filed Feb 2021
Apeel Sciences develops plant-based coatings derived from fatty acids and glycerides—ingredients naturally found in plant peels and seeds—that are applied to fresh fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life, preserve flavor and nutrients, and reduce reliance on refrigeration, pesticides, waxes, and plastics.
Circular EconomyCleantechFoodTech
JamesLouJenny
Canvas Medical develops a customizable and extensible electronic medical record (EMR) platform for ambulatory clinics, featuring developer tools, APIs, and AI capabilities like clinical co-pilots to automate workflows in scheduling, charting, and billing.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaS
Andrew Hines(Founder)
Modern benefits infrastructure for an overlooked segment of the American workforce
Density AI designs custom AI accelerators optimized for frontier-scale large language model inference, combining near-memory compute architecture with high-bandwidth memory density.
AI & Machine LearningDeep Tech
Elastic provides endpoint security software that detects, investigates, and responds to threats using AI-driven analytics and behavior-based prevention.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareArlington, US
David Cowan(Director)Mark Snell(Executive Officer)Chris Darby(Director)Kenneth A. Minihan(Director)Thomas E. Noonan(Director)Arun Gupta(Director)
Daft is a data processing platform that transforms raw multimodal data (video, images, audio, sensor data) into training-ready datasets in a single pipeline.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Sammy Sidhu(Founder)inJay Chia(Founder)inTony Wang(Founder)Patrick Ames(Founder)Ritvik Kapila(Founder)Maurice Weber(Founder)
Eventual offers Premium Lock® Guarantee, a three-year price guarantee product for homeowners that reimburses policyholders if their insurance premiums rise above forecasted levels.
InsurTech
GOAT Group operates a suite of e-commerce platforms for buying and selling authentic sneakers, apparel, and accessories, serving a global community across multiple brands.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerMarketplacesLos Angeles, US
HopSkipDrive operates a marketplace and software platform connecting students and other individuals needing support to vetted caregivers for transportation, while providing school districts with tools like RouteWise AI to optimize their transportation operations.
B2B MarketplacesEdTechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationSaaSLos Angeles, US
Carolyn Yashari Becher(Executive Officer)Greg Bettinelli(Director)Joanna McFarland(Executive Officer, Director)inJanelle McGlothlin(Executive Officer)
Modern Animal operates a network of veterinary clinics providing primary care, urgent care, 24/7 virtual consultations, and pharmacy services for pet owners.
ConsumerHealthtechLos Angeles, US
Steven Eidelman(Founder)
Neon is a mobile app platform that lets users monetize their phone call data by sharing it with AI companies for model training, while maintaining control over their personal information.
AI & Machine LearningConsumer
Alex Kiam(Founder)
Village is a platform that connects families, pediatric care providers, and care coordinators in a secure hub to streamline care coordination for children with developmental delays, special needs, rare conditions, and chronic illnesses.
Digital HealthHealthtechMarketing TechLos Angeles, US
Brandon Terry(Co-founder & CEO)
Waldo is a photo-finding platform that uses facial and object recognition combined with location awareness to automatically identify and deliver photos of users and their families taken by others.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerMarketplacesMedia & Entertainment
Rodney Rice(Founder & CEO)
Zeitview provides advanced inspection software for high-value infrastructure assets including solar, wind, properties, telecom, and utility infrastructure.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechConstruction TechDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareRoboticsSaaSLos Angeles, US
Dan Burton(Founder)in
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.
Fund performance · per public LP disclosures
as of Jun 2025| Fund | Vintage | Committed | Net IRR | TVPI | DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront VILPs: Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System | 2017 | — | 9.5% | 1.57x | 0.10x |
Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Upfront Ventures invest at?
- Upfront Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Upfront Ventures's typical check size?
- Upfront Ventures typically writes checks of $1M – $10M.
- What sectors does Upfront Ventures focus on?
- Upfront Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Digital Health, Fintech, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Upfront Ventures located?
- Upfront Ventures is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.
- Does Upfront Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Upfront Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamUpfront Ventures' Mark Suster on Fund Management and the Exit Landscape
Turpentine VC · Mark Suster
Mark Suster, Upfront Ventures: Investing in Space, Defense, & Exit Opportunities
Sourcery with Molly O'Shea · Mark Suster
Inside the Mind of a Top VC on What Investors Value | Mark Suster - Upfront Ventures | Sachin Syal
Sachin Syal's "The O'ChakDe Show" · Mark Suster
I believe you'll see this bank purchased by Sunday night or soon after, says Upfront Ventures' Mark Suster
Mark Suster · cnbc.com
Venture Capital Firm Overview: Upfront Ventures w/ Mark Suster
Mark Peter Davis · Mark Suster
Mark Suster - Upfront Ventures
LA Venture Podcast · Mark Suster
Images
Co-investors · 114
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Andreessen Horowitz's Strategic Partnerships page describes collaborations that connect its portfolio companies with established institutions to help scale and deploy their technology.
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True Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that writes the first check for founders and supports them through subsequent stages of growth.
Susa Ventures operates two early-stage technology funds that invest in companies leveraging data, network effects, and economies of scale.
High Alpha is a venture firm that creates and funds B2B SaaS companies, partnering with founders to build enterprise software businesses. It operates a venture capital arm (Capital) and a company-building arm (Studio).
GV (formerly Google Ventures) is a venture investment firm that backs founders across many industries, aiming to build long-term relationships and support companies across multiple stages and milestones.
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm known for backing AI and technology founders, emphasizing deep, hands-on partnerships with the companies it funds.
Index Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs founders across the globe, investing in the people behind ideas from early through later stages.
Redpoint Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 1999 by former partners from leading venture firms, focusing on early-stage technology companies across multiple sectors. The firm leverages its partners' technology investment experience and an extensive network of entrepreneurs and industry contacts to support portfolio company growth.
▶102 more co-investors
Felicis VenturesKleiner PerkinsMenlo VenturesGreycroftAdditionBonfire VenturesIA VenturesUS Venture PartnersBAM VenturesEQT VenturesUnusual VenturesHighland Capital PartnersH.I.G. Growth PartnersEntrada VenturesSequoia CapitalGeneral CatalystCraft VenturesKhosla VenturesGreylock PartnersFounder CollectiveUncork CapitalNotable CapitalUnknown VenturesUberFoundation CapitalBoxGroupCoatue ManagementKrakenB Capital GroupEniac VenturesFirstMarkOffline VenturesSlow VenturesOak HC/FTLux CapitalForerunner VenturesHeadlineAccel-KKRKapor CapitalPractical Venture CapitalF-Prime Capital Partners8VCCrosslink CapitalFoundry Group01 AdvisorsThrive CapitalHarrison MetalQueensBridge Venture PartnersKortschak Investments L.P.Tq Ventures Llc75 & SunnyWinklevoss CapitalCowboy VenturesOperator CollectiveOutlander VCHaun VenturesPelion Venture PartnersMaC Venture CapitalAugust CapitalTCVScience VenturesBrand Foundry VenturesPrefix CapitalAccelerator VenturesK9 VenturesPhoenix CourtHighbury HoldingsAmplo VenturesBIOSPRING PARTNERSBackstage CapitalVera EquityGFT VenturesAmazon Alexa FundLife BiosciencesIncite.orgNational Science FoundationNeotribe VenturesGeek VenturesOpenView Venture PartnersStripeAccenture VenturesQuantstampPitbull Ventures10x GenomicsCambrian Asset ManagementJerusalem Venture Partners (JVP)VSC VenturesImagination CapitalGrace Beauty CapitalAnkona Capital PartnersStage 2 CapitalCollab CapitalCrowdStrikeCross Culture VenturesRock VenturesWillow Growth Partners42Phi VenturesInclude Venture PartnersRareBreed VenturesWitz VenturesTexas HALO FundOpen Capital
Firms observed investing alongside Upfront Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Upfront Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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