Which VCs Should You Meet at a16z Tech Week? A Founder's Guide to 33 Firms

Most founders treat a big startup week like a lottery. They show up, collect a pile of business cards, and hope one of them turns into a term sheet.

That's the wrong approach, and the list of VC firms hosting or speaking at a16z Tech Week shows why. It includes 33 firms, and they don't invest in the same kind of company. Some write checks on day zero. One backs talent before there's a company. Several only want AI, space, or cybersecurity. A handful exist to back immigrant, women, or Ukraine-linked founders.

The founders who get the most out of a week like this decide in advance which three or four of these firms are actually built for them. This guide helps you do that.

A note on scope: everything below comes from the list provided, which gives each firm's name, a stage, and a short focus descriptor. It doesn't include check sizes, partner names, event dates, or portfolio data, so none of that is covered here.

Key findings

• Early stage dominates. Of the 33 firms, 27 list seed as a stage, and 13 list pre-seed.
• Series A is a smaller lane. Ten firms list Series A. Only one, Sierra Ventures, lists Series A alone.
• Only one firm is labeled "growth." Khosla Ventures is described as seed through growth.
• About one in four firms is thematic. Eight have a clear sector focus: AI, deep tech, cybersecurity, spatial computing, or space.
• Seven firms are built around who the founder is or what the mission is. Immigrant founders, women-led companies, impact, and Ukraine-linked founders all appear.
• Geography is part of the picture. Two firms are Australia-based, one is labeled global, and one is a long-standing Bay Area fund.

What stage are these firms investing at?

Short answer: mostly pre-seed and seed. If you're pre-product or pre-revenue, the room is on your side. If you're raising a Series B, it mostly isn't.

Counts overlap because many firms list two stages. Kapor Capital is described only as "early" with no stage specified, so it sits outside these counts.

The pre-seed-only group is worth noticing: Antler, Hustle Fund, Entrepreneurs First, and Unshackled Ventures. These four are described, respectively, as day-zero, high-volume, a talent investor, and focused on immigrant founders. Their descriptors suggest they're set up for the earliest and most uncertain moment in a company's life.

Detailed analysis

1. Pre-seed isn't one thing

Calling something "pre-seed" hides real differences in how these firms work.

Antler is described as day-zero, which suggests it's open to founders who haven't started yet. Entrepreneurs First is labeled a talent investor, meaning the bet is on the person before the idea. Hustle Fund is tagged high volume, which implies a portfolio approach built on many small bets. Whether that last label means anything for check size or speed is something the sheet doesn't say, so ask.

The practical point is that pitching a "talent investor" with a market-size slide is a mismatch. Pitching a high-volume fund a three-year roadmap probably is too.

2. Seed is crowded, and that's good news if you know how to stand out

With 27 of 33 firms listing seed, you aren't short of potential audiences. The challenge is that specificity becomes your edge. Several firms pair seed with a narrow lens:

• AI: Conviction VC, Gradient, and pebblebed
• Deep tech: Renegade Partners (seed/A) and Khosla Ventures, which is described as big on early deep tech
• Cybersecurity: Forgepoint Capital (seed/A)
• Spatial computing: Spatial Capital
• Space: Balerion Space Ventures

If you're building in one of those areas, your odds of a useful conversation are noticeably better with these firms than with a generalist. And if you're not, you can safely skip them and spend that time elsewhere.

3. The Series A bench is thin

Only ten firms list Series A, and eight of those also list seed: Base10 Partners, Acrew Capital, Forgepoint, Renegade, Airtree, Galileo Ventures, Amino Capital, Differential Ventures, and Capital Factory also fit this pattern. Sierra Ventures is the only Series A-only firm in the set, and Khosla is the only one stretching to growth.

If you're a post-seed founder hoping to use the week to line up a Series A lead, the realistic list is short. That's not bad, just a reason to be selective and to do your homework on those few.

4. Many firms are built around the founder, not the product

Seven firms stand out because their stated focus is the founder's background or the fund's mission rather than a technology:

• Immigrant founders: Unshackled Ventures (pre-seed) and One Way Ventures (pre-seed/seed)
• Women-led companies: Co Ventures (pre-seed/seed), Capital Factory (seed/A), and Emmeline Ventures (pre-seed/seed)
• Impact-led: Kapor Capital (early)
• Ukraine-linked: Dnipro VC (pre-seed/seed)

If one of these describes you or your company, it's worth treating that as a real filter, because these funds have organized themselves around that profile. If it doesn't describe you, don't force it.

5. There's a geographic angle too

Airtree and Galileo Ventures are both labeled Australia, at seed/A. 500 Global is described as global, at pre-seed/seed. Floodgate is described as long-standing and Bay Area, at seed. The sheet doesn't give locations for most other firms, so don't assume.

If you're building outside the US, firms that explicitly describe a regional or global lens are a more natural starting point than assuming everyone invests everywhere.

What this means for founders

The list reads less like a menu and more like a map. A few things follow from it.

Stage fit matters more than brand. At pre-seed, your best conversations are likely with the firms that explicitly say pre-seed. At Series A, the field narrows quickly.

Specialist funds reward specialists. If you're an AI founder, three firms on this list are tagged AI, and you can approach them with sharper questions than you'd bring to a generalist.

Identity-focused funds are a real option, not a gimmick. For founders in those groups, a fund organized around your situation may understand your obstacles faster than a generalist would.

Model differences shape how you should pitch. A talent investor, a high-volume pre-seed fund, and an accelerator-backed fund like SparkLabs Group (seed) won't evaluate you the same way. Their descriptors hint at that, even if the sheet doesn't spell out details.

Actionable takeaways

1. Build a short list of five before you arrive. Match by stage first, then by sector or founder profile. Drop anything that doesn't fit both.
2. Write one sentence per firm explaining why you belong in their world. Not a pitch, just the reason. "We're pre-product and building in spatial computing" is a better opener than a generic intro.
3. Ask the questions the data can't answer. Check size, decision speed, and who the right partner is aren't in the sheet. Find out before you invest an evening.
4. Tailor your first ask to the firm's model. For a talent investor, lead with yourself. For a sector fund, lead with the problem. For a Series A firm, lead with traction.
5. Don't skip the firms outside your lane entirely. Even if a firm isn't your investor, its partners may know who is.
6. Follow up within a day or two. A short note referencing something specific from the conversation beats a deck blast.

Conclusion

Thirty-three firms is a lot of investors in one place, but the headline isn't the number. It's that they're sorted: by stage, by sector, by founder background, and by how they like to work. The founders who benefit most are the ones who read that structure before they walk in.

Do the sorting first, and the week becomes a handful of useful conversations instead of a blur of introductions.

FAQ

How many VC firms are hosting or speaking at a16z Tech Week, according to this list?
The list includes 33 firms. It describes each firm's stage and focus but doesn't specify who is hosting versus speaking.

Which firms on the list invest at pre-seed?
Thirteen list pre-seed: Antler, Hustle Fund, 500 Global, Entrepreneurs First, Afore Capital, Mucker Capital, Collide Capital, Unshackled Ventures, One Way Ventures, Geek Ventures, Co Ventures, Emmeline Ventures, and Dnipro VC.

Which firms invest at Series A?
Ten list Series A: Base10 Partners, Acrew Capital, Sierra Ventures, Forgepoint Capital, Renegade Partners, Airtree, Galileo Ventures, Amino Capital, Differential Ventures, and Capital Factory. Khosla Ventures is described as seed through growth, so it also reaches this stage.

Which firms focus on AI?
Conviction VC, Gradient, and pebblebed.

Are there firms for immigrant founders?
Yes. Unshackled Ventures (pre-seed) and One Way Ventures (pre-seed/seed).

Are there women-led funds or firms focused on women-led companies?
The list labels Co Ventures, Capital Factory, and Emmeline Ventures as women-led. Whether that means led by women or investing in women-led companies isn't specified in the sheet.

Which firms are sector-specific beyond AI?
Forgepoint Capital (cyber), Spatial Capital (spatial computing), Balerion Space Ventures (space), and Renegade Partners and Khosla Ventures (deep tech).

Does the list include check sizes or partner names?
No. Founders should confirm those details directly with each firm.

Is every firm on the list investing right now?
The sheet doesn't say. Verify current investment activity before building your plan around any single firm.