Vertical Venture Partners
Venture capitalActively deployingPalo Alto · Pre-Seed–Series A · 15 people tracked
Also known as VERTICAL VENTURE PARTNERS, LLC
Investment thesis
The firm concentrates on early-stage investments within specific industry verticals rather than investing broadly. It looks for founders whose motivation to build stems from a profound, experience-based understanding of a particular vertical developed over years working as operators in that space. The team draws on decades of combined operating and investing experience across research, technology and finance, and emphasizes having been founders themselves who have both succeeded and failed, allowing them to bring empathy to the founder journey.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 15 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 47 of 74 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×20SaaS ×17Biotech ×13Deep Tech ×9Medical Devices ×7Digital Health ×6Fintech ×6Hardware ×6
HQs:United States×29United Kingdom×1Mexico×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 17 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×82 founders×53 founders×4
Investments · 74 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 62024 · 12023 · 32022 · 22021 · 12019 · 12018 · 12015 · 116 dated
Menlo Micro develops MEMS-based electronic switch technology, spun out of General Electric's Global Research Center, offering switching solutions used across a range of electronic systems including RF, industrial, and communications applications.
CleantechDeep TechHardwareSemiconductorsIthaca, US
Chris(Co-Founder & CTO)Risa Stack(Co-Founder & Board Member)Russ Garcia(CEO)
Co-investorsGE VenturesStandard InvestmentsDBL PartnersPETRONAS Ventures
NanoCellect develops microfluidic-based cell sorters that operate at low pressure to sort cells with high viability and reduced shear stress, aimed at scientists and researchers.
BiotechHardwareMedical Devices
Chris Neary(CEO)in
Co-investorsWarburg PincusFusionX VenturesIllumina Ventures
Switchback Systems develops a benchtop DNA synthesis platform that combines onboard oligonucleotide synthesis and gene assembly, aimed at putting synthetic biology tools directly in scientists' hands.
BiotechDeep TechHardwareSan Francisco Bay Area, US
Co-investorsAhren Innovation CapitalGENERAL INCEPTIONOMX Ventures
Davis, US
Mason Earles(Secretary, Chief Technology Officer, Treasurer)Kia Behnia(Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman)in
BoardDavid Schwab(Director)in
Board seatDavid C. Schwab· per SEC Form D · $2.5M raise · filed Oct 2025
Barti builds an AI-powered EHR and practice management platform for eye care providers such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians, with specialty templates for use cases like myopia management, vision therapy, and dry eyes.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthSaaSSan Francisco, US
Colton Calandrella(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inTianyu Wang(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardDavid Schwab(Director)inRyan Mandl(Director)
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D · $5M raise · filed Nov 2022
Co-investorsCorrelation VenturesFive Elms CapitalRecall Capital
BeyondTrucks provides an AI-powered transportation management platform for specialty and bulk/tank trucking fleets, handling order intake, dispatch planning and management, and finance and analytics.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSan Francisco, US
Paul Xie(Co-founder & COO)Hans Galland(Co-founder & CEO)Dr. John Carlsson(Co-founder & Chief Data Scientist)
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsDragonXNavigate VenturesTenOneTen Ventures
Inveterate provides a loyalty and membership platform for ecommerce brands, offering free loyalty programs, paid membership tiers, spend-based tiers, and invite-only VIP tiers built around store credit rewards.
E-commerceMarketing TechSaaSGreenville, US
Dylan Whitman(Executive Officer, Director)in
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsAglae VenturesBonfire VenturesAlpaca VC
Elkhorn, US
Charles Dehoney(Executive Officer, Director)Aaron Freeman(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D · $6.5M raise · filed Jan 2025
Transforming commercial insurance by making it radically simple for businesses to get the right insurance at the best price
Acalvio provides ShadowPlex, a deception-based security platform that detects reconnaissance, credential misuse, and lateral movement during red and purple team exercises across IT, cloud, and OT environments.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingCybersecurityDefense TechEnterprise SoftwareSilicon Valley, US
Co-investorsAccelJ2 VenturesPresidio VenturesRho Capital PartnersRho VenturesPaladin Capital Group
AgScout builds Scout, an AI-powered agronomic intelligence platform that combines aerial imagery, ground imagery, and historical farm data to deliver plant-level insights on performance, health, disease risk, and yield for specialty crop growers.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningSaaS
Kia Behnia(Founder)Mason Earles(Founder)
Alida Biosciences develops EpiPlex, a platform for detecting RNA modifications (m6A, inosine, and pseudouridine) through both turnkey profiling services and in-lab kits, with EpiScout machine-learning software that converts sequencing data into analysis results.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechSan Diego, US
John Drewry(Director)Gudrun Stengel(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsFusionX VenturesGENERAL INCEPTION
Amira Learning provides AI-powered reading instruction software for schools, combining the Science of Reading with machine learning to deliver reading growth at scale.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechLas Vegas, US
Peter Jungwirth(Executive Officer)Adam Porsch(Executive Officer)
BoardAmit Patel(Director)Lindsay Lee(Director)Mark Angel(Executive Officer, Director)David Schwab(Director)
Co-investorsAUTHENTIC VENTURESGSV VenturesOwl VenturesRethink Capital Partners
Autolab manages maintenance and repair services for vehicle fleets, coordinating a network of workshops and providing a technology platform for scheduling, real-time job monitoring, photographic reports, warranty handling, and standardized pricing.
Logistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationSaaS
Co-investorsHAVEN VENTURESPolymath VenturesBullpen Capital
Autolab is an autoresearch platform for AI model training that uses autonomous AI agents to plan, code, run, and score machine learning experiments in parallel across a customer's own compute, iterating until a defined goal and eval metric are met.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper Tools
Co-investorsLink VenturesBullpen CapitalHAVEN VENTURES
Salvador Zepeda(Founder)in
Co-investorsVU Venture PartnersInterplay Ventures Early Stage Management LlcWestern Technology Investment
Backflip provides fix-and-flip loans and financing for real estate investors, along with free tools to analyze deals, pull comps, run ARVs, and fund property purchases.
FintechPropTech
Co-investorsGreat Oaks Venture Capital
Barti is an AI-powered EHR and practice management platform for eye care practices, combining exam documentation, billing, scheduling, and patient texting in a single cloud-based system.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSaaS
Co-investorsZag CapitalFive Elms Capital
Basilard BioTech develops Celletto, a nanomechanical (mechanoporation) gene delivery platform that inserts genes directly into the nucleus of cells without viral vectors, aimed at cell and gene therapy (CGT) developers and manufacturers.
BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices
Co-investorsBand of AngelsGENERAL INCEPTIONPaladin Capital Group
CellSonics develops SimpleFlow, an instrument that uses acoustic waves rather than enzymes to dissociate tissue into single cells, aiming to release more cells without bias.
BiotechHardwareMedical Devices
Co-investorsOMX VenturesWavemaker Three-Sixty Health
Transforming commercial insurance by making it radically simple for businesses to get the right insurance at the best price
Transforming commercial insurance by making it radically simple for businesses to get the right insurance at the best price
A behavioral health medical group providing turnkey Collaborative Care Management solutions for primary care.
Co-investorsClearVision EquityHealthy Ventures
Delix Therapeutics develops third-generation, non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogens for people with neurological conditions, using a discovery platform to identify novel compounds.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices
Co-investorsArtis VenturesCasa Verde CapitalNoeticOMX VenturesPsyMed VenturesRA Capital+3 more
Domos provides an AI system for property management companies that automates leasing, maintenance, collections, and renewals across phone, email, text, and chat.
AI & Machine LearningPropTechSaaSNew York City, US
Arthur Attal(Founder)in
Co-investorsBlue CollectiveKima VenturesRed Bike Capital
Embroker is a digital-first business insurance provider that lets companies compare, purchase, and manage commercial insurance policies online, combining an insurance platform with expert broker support.
AI & Machine LearningFintechInsurTechSaaS
Matt Miller(Founder)inYotam Shacham(Founder)Ben Jennings(CEO)in
Co-investorsFTV Capital500 GlobalBee PartnersCanaan PartnersChaos VenturesClocktower Ventures+6 more
Isolation Bio (Galt Inc.) develops the Prospector Discovery Platform, a high-throughput, automated microbial cultivation array technology that isolates, cultivates, and screens thousands of microbes in parallel.
AgTechBiotechDeep Tech
Co-investorsVital Venture Capital
Grolltex is a U.S.-based manufacturer of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) monolayer graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) single-atom films.
Deep TechHardwareNew Materials
Co-investorsBlue Ledge CapitalTech Coast Angels
Headgum is a Los Angeles-based comedy podcast network that produces and distributes audio comedy shows.
Creator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentLos Angeles, US
Amir BlumenfeldJake Hurwitz(Director)Marty Michael(Founder)inAmir Cohen(Executive Officer)Martin Michael(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJoshua Abramson(Director)
Co-investorsalphabet angelsGood FriendsUnion Square Ventures (USV)
Implentio automatically audits and reconciles freight and 3PL invoices, flagging erroneous charges, filing credit requests, and tying billing to order data to surface hidden costs like mispacks, SLA breaches, and shipping delays.
E-commerceFintechLogistics & Supply Chain
New York, US
Hani Shabsigh(Executive Officer, Director)Maher Janajri(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardBen Nash(Director)
Co-investorsHealthy VenturesCollaborative FundCommerce VenturesFairviewTen Coves Capital
Inbox Health provides automated patient billing and communication tools for medical practices and billing companies, sending customized billing messages via email, text, paper mail, or voice calls with follow-ups that adapt to patient interactions.
Digital HealthFintechSaaSNew Haven, US
Lawrence Walker(Executive Officer, Director)David Sturek(Director)Alphonse Ippolito(Executive Officer)
BoardMatthew D. Storeygard(Director)inSteven Piaker(Director)Vivek Krishnamurthy(Director)in
Co-investorsAtento CapitalCommerce VenturesConnecticut InnovationsHealthy VenturesLaunchCapitalMana Ventures
BiotechBoulder, US
Michael Graige(Executive Officer)Ron McGrath(Executive Officer)Sri Kosaraju(Executive Officer, Director)Dianna L. DeVore(Executive Officer)
BoardRoger Wyse(Director)inBryan Roberts(Director)
Co-investorsForesite CapitaliGlobe PartnersKorysOak HC/FTOMX VenturesPaladin Capital Group+3 more
BiotechPortola Valley, US
Lena Wu(Executive Officer, Director)Erik Gentalen(Director)Michael Rubin(Director)
BoardJenny Rooke(Director)in
Co-investorsGenoa VenturesNorthpond Ventures
IonPath develops MIBIscope, a spatial proteomics platform that uses multiplexed ion beam imaging to simultaneously measure dozens of protein targets in preserved tissue samples for translational research and discovery.
BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices
Co-investorsNorwich Ventures
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingCybersecurity
Co-investorsBattery VenturesTen Eleven
Develops cutting edge electronic switches to create a more energy efficient and sustainable world.
Co-investorsATEL VenturesDBL PartnersPaladin Capital GroupPiva Capital
Continuum Powders produces high-quality metal powders for additive manufacturing and advanced industrial applications, using atomization technologies and circular manufacturing processes that recycle material to reduce waste.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyNew Materials
Winthrop Sheldon(Chief Revenue Officer)
Mongoose AI provides an agent-driven experience layer for health insurance payers, using governed AI agents to execute back-office and customer-facing work across member, broker, employer, and provider interactions.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSaaS
Mark Nathan(CEO & Founder)in
Co-investorsConnecticut Innovations
Mudflap provides a mobile app and payment card that offer discounted diesel fuel for truck drivers and fleets at over 3,600 truck stops nationwide.
FintechLogistics & Supply Chain
Matt Folkman
Co-investorsCommerce VenturesCorazon CapitalMatrixNFX9Yards CapitalQED Investors
ONI develops the Nanoimager, an automated super-resolution imaging system.
BiotechDeep TechHardwareMedical DevicesOxford, GB
Co-investorsARCH Venture PartnersArtis VenturesFuture Planet CapitalOxford Technology ManagementCasdin Capital
OnsiteIQ provides computer vision and AI-powered progress tracking for construction sites through regular on-site documentation and image analysis, serving construction project managers and stakeholders across the US and Canada.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechNew York, US
Ardalan Khosrowpour(Executive Officer, Director)inJohn Mollis(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMichael Pettinella(Director)Joshua Elwell(Director)inDavid Schwab(Director)inMatthew Jones(Director)in
Co-investorsAnthemis VentureBullpen CapitalCloquet Capital Partners, LLCColopl NextMetaProp VenturesNavigate Ventures+4 more
Partillion generates cell-cell interaction data using Nanovials that co-localize cells in defined microenvironments to measure signaling, activation, binding, and other responses, with live-cell recovery via standard flow cytometry.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechLos Angeles, US
Joseph de Rutte(Executive Officer, Director)Dino Di Carlo(Director)Joe de Rutte(Founder)inEric Moessinger(Director)
BoardPaul Conley(Director)
Co-investors+ND CapitalGENERAL INCEPTIONPaladin Capital Group
EdTechSaaSSan Diego, US
Adam Markowitz(Executive Officer, Director)Neal Bloom(Director)Steve Daly(CEO)in
BoardAllison Long(Director)Houman Haghighi(Director)in
Co-investorsAAF Management Ltd.SJF VenturesMenlo Ventures
Waltham, US
Guy Yehiav(Chief Executive Officer and Director)Niv Krikov(Treasurer and Secretary)
BoardEddy Shalev(Director)Janice M. Roberts(Director)
Replify is an omnichannel AI platform for fitness, wellness, and recreation businesses that handles inbound and outbound phone calls, texts, emails, and live chat to answer inquiries, capture leads, book appointments, and follow up on billing.
AI & Machine LearningSales TechSports Tech
Roofr operates a digital platform for the roofing industry that uses satellite imagery to generate instant roofing estimates, connecting contractors and homeowners to streamline the sales and estimation process.
B2B MarketplacesConstruction TechConsumerEnterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Richy Nelson(Founder/CEO)inKevin Redman(Founder/CTO)in
Co-investorsBullpen CapitalCrosslink CapitalEntrepreneur VenturesY CombinatorACE & CompanyBlumberg Capital+2 more
Sensorygen uses computational biology and AI to screen millions of natural compounds and predict their interactions with sensory receptors, aiming to find natural replacements for harsh or toxic ingredients in everyday products.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotechNew MaterialsEncinitas, US
Anandasankar Ray(President and Founder)Paul Zorner(Executive Officer, Director)Thomas Stone(Chief Executive Officer)
SOCi builds an agentic workforce platform that autonomously manages local marketing tasks across search, directories, social media, and reviews for multi-location enterprise brands.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Co-investorsAnkona CapitalBlossom Street VenturesJMI Equity
Tasso develops diagnostic testing devices and platforms for home use, enabling patients to perform health monitoring and inform clinical decisions outside traditional healthcare settings.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSeattle, US
Ben Casavant(Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer)Erwin Berthier(Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer)Alan Levy(Director)
BoardElizabeth Hambrecht(Director)Paul Conley(Director)in
Co-investorsForesite CapitalJ2 VenturesOMX VenturesRA CapitalTechstarsVenture Capital Investment Management
The Experience Engine offers a customizable mobile app platform for venues and attractions (such as parks) with features including mobile ticketing, interactive maps, real-time wait times, audioguides, gamification, and in-app food and retail ordering.
ConsumerRetail TechSaaS
Upwell provides accounts receivable and order-to-cash automation software for logistics companies, including freight brokers, 3PLs, carriers, freight audit and pay providers, and factoring firms.
AI & Machine LearningFintechLogistics & Supply Chain
Charley Dehoney(Founder & CEO)
Co-investorsAutomotive Ventures MobilityInvest NebraskaNVP CapitalStage 2 CapitalAutomotive VenturesMotivate Venture Capital+5 more
Co-investorsNew Stack Ventures
A platform providing analytics, insights, and reporting that lets organizations access, process, and distribute large volumes of data and turn it into personalized, actionable views governed by consistent business rules.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Co-investorsBling CapitalCerity Partners VenturesHealthy VenturesSummit Peak Ventures
Zipari, now part of mPulse, provides digital member and provider portals for health plans and third-party administrators (TPAs).
Digital HealthHealthtechInsurTechSaaSNew York, US
Mark Nathan(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDavid Schwab(Director)in
Zuub provides dental insurance verification through direct payer connections and a REST API, delivering standardized eligibility, benefits, and coverage data.
HealthtechInsurTechSaaSCulver City, US
Liem Doan(Director)inZareh Shabani(Director)inRobert Kim(Founder)inLuka Sklizovic(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardBrian McLauglin(Director)Mark Mullen(Director)in
Co-investorsBonfire VenturesMTECH CAPITAL
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.
Exits · 3
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioJaskacq. by Sumo LogicMongooseacq. by IfByPhonePortfoliumacq. by Instructure
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesBarti · ophthalmologytimes.com · Aug 15, 2026
Replify · dot.la · Jul 31, 2026
Zipari · morningstar.com · Jul 28, 2026
Roofr · esgtoday.com · Jul 19, 2026
Mongoose · finsmes.com · May 14, 2026
Upwell · opportunitiesforyouth.org · May 3, 2026
Embroker · beepartners.vc · Apr 20, 2026
Mudflap · kvbplus.com · Mar 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Vertical Venture Partners made?
- Vertical Venture Partners has 67 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Vertical Venture Partners invest at?
- Vertical Venture Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Vertical Venture Partners's typical check size?
- Vertical Venture Partners typically writes checks of $500K – $4M.
- What sectors does Vertical Venture Partners focus on?
- Vertical Venture Partners focuses on Digital Health, Fintech, Healthtech, InsurTech, Logistics & Supply Chain, Marketing Tech, Mental Health, Mobility & Transportation, SaaS, Sales Tech, Sector Agnostic, Social.
- Where is Vertical Venture Partners located?
- Vertical Venture Partners is headquartered in Palo Alto, US.
- Does Vertical Venture Partners lead rounds?
- Vertical Venture Partners typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Vertical Venture Partners co-invest with?
- Vertical Venture Partners most often shares deals with GENERAL INCEPTION, OMX Ventures, Paladin Capital Group, among 96 tracked co-investors.
Co-investors · 14
Paladin Capital Group invests in early stage and growth companies developing cyber, AI and deep technologies that address security and resilience needs for commercial and government customers.
Healthy Ventures is an early-stage venture investor focused on health tech, backing founders reimagining healthcare infrastructure.
Bullpen Capital is an early-stage venture firm that has funded over 100 companies, focusing on businesses that have found product-market fit but are overlooked by other investors.
Bonfire Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that backs founders reinventing how business operates, leading seed rounds in AI-native B2B software.
Artis Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on supporting founders reimagining the systems that sustain life, spanning from cellular biology to broader societal impact.
Canaan Partners is a venture capital firm with over 30 years of history, backing companies across technology and healthcare sectors through close, hands-on partnerships with founders.
ARCH Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in and helps build transformational companies, with a strong focus on the life sciences and biotechnology sector.
RET Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on real estate technology (rent tech), backing startups serving multifamily and single-family rental owners and operators. It is backed by a network of strategic investors representing the largest rental owners and managers in North America.
Sierra Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in first-principles founders, backing companies from inception through Series A across AI infrastructure, applied/vertical AI, deep tech, and physical/embodied AI.
Shasta Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with founders building software, AI, and deep technology companies, providing capital, insight, and operating experience.
XFactor Ventures is an early-stage venture firm affiliated with the broader Flybridge community, giving portfolio founders access to a network of founders, builders, and mentors.
S32 is a high-conviction venture firm that concentrates on a small set of core relationships, committing deeply and supporting founders over the long term.
▶2 more co-investors
Firms observed investing alongside Vertical Venture Partners, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Vertical Venture Partners's recorded portfolio.
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