Vertical Venture Partners
Venture capitalActively deployingPalo Alto · Pre-Seed–Series A · 16 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 3, 2026.
Team · 16 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 24 of 75 portfolio companiesBiotech ×8SaaS ×8AI & Machine Learning ×7Medical Devices ×5Healthtech ×4Digital Health ×3Enterprise Software ×3Construction Tech ×2
HQs:United States×20United Kingdom×1
Investments · 75 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 12023 · 22022 · 22021 · 12019 · 12018 · 12015 · 111 dated
Davis, US
Kia Behnia(Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman)Mason Earles(Secretary, Chief Technology Officer, Treasurer)
Board seatDavid Schwab· per SEC Form D · $2.5M raise · filed Oct 2025
San Francisco, US
Ryan Mandl(Director)Colton Calandrella(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Tianyu Wang(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Brad Corona(Director)
BoardDavid Schwab(Director)
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D · $5M raise · filed Nov 2022
BeyondTrucks builds a transportation management system with AI and machine learning tools for dispatch optimization, business process automation, and finance and payroll automation.
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
Greenville, US
Board seatBrad Corona· per SEC Form D · $8.4M raise · filed Dec 2023
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
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 LearningEdTech
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.
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)Joshua Abramson(Director)Martin Michael(Executive Officer, Director)Amir Cohen(Executive Officer)Andy Weissman(Director)
A platform helping medical billing companies manage patient billing, payment, and communication.
Inbox Health provides automated patient billing and collections software for healthcare practices.
HealthtechSaaSNew Haven, US
Lawrence Walker(Executive Officer, Director)Jason Pavona(Director)Steven Piaker(Director)Kent Ivanoff(Director)Vivek Krishnamurthy(Director)David Sturek(Director)
BiotechBoulder, US
Michael Graige(Executive Officer)John R. Stuelpnagel(Director)Ron McGrath(Executive Officer)Sri Kosaraju(Executive Officer, Director)Roger Wyse(Director)Dianna L. DeVore(Executive Officer)
BiotechPortola Valley, US
Lena Wu(Executive Officer, Director)Erik Gentalen(Director)Michael Rubin(Director)Jenny Rooke(Director)
Inveterate offers a loyalty experience platform for Shopify merchants, enabling brands to build paid and rewards-based loyalty programs that go beyond points and encourage repeat purchases.
E-commerceMarketing TechSaaSGreenville, US
Brad Corona(Director)Dylan Whitman(Executive Officer, Director)
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
Develops cutting edge electronic switches to create a more energy efficient and sustainable world.
Menlo Micro develops the Ideal Switch, a solid-state electronic switching technology that replaces traditional relays and electromechanical switches with superior energy efficiency, reliability, and performance.
CleantechSemiconductors
NanoCellect manufactures microfluidic cell sorting systems for laboratory and research applications.
BiotechMedical Devices
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)Matthew Jones(Director)John Mollis(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMichael Pettinella(Director)Joshua Elwell(Director)David Schwab(Director)
BiotechLos Angeles, US
Joseph de Rutte(Executive Officer, Director)Paul Conley(Director)Dino Di Carlo(Director)Eric Moessinger(Director)
Instructure is an education technology company that makes Canvas (learning management), Mastery (assessment management), and Parchment (credentialing), and hosts an online community for educators.
EdTechSaaSSan Diego, US
Allison Long(Director)Adam Markowitz(Executive Officer, Director)Houman Haghighi(Director)Steve Daly(CEO)
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 · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioMongooseacq. by IfByPhone
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesRoofr · esgtoday.com · Jul 19, 2026
Mongoose · finsmes.com · May 14, 2026
Mudflap · kvbplus.com · Mar 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- 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.
Co-investors · 14
Paladin Capital Group is a global investment firm backing innovative companies in cybersecurity, secure AI, and deep tech.
Healthy Ventures is an early-stage venture investor focused on health tech, backing founders reimagining healthcare infrastructure.
Bonfire Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that backs founders reinventing how business operates, leading seed rounds in AI-native B2B software.
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.
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 is an early-stage venture capital firm backing founders with transformative ideas across technology and healthcare.
ARCH Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that backs and helps build transformational companies, with a strong focus on the life sciences and biotech 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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