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Brainstorm Ventures

North America, California, United States, San Francisco

Description

Brainstorm Ventures is a well-established early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1999, the firm has built a reputation for identifying and backing disruptive technology companies across various digital sectors. Their investment philosophy centers on supporting innovative startups poised to transform industries, particularly within the internet, software, and digital media landscapes.

The firm primarily targets companies in their Seed, Series A, and Series B funding rounds, indicating a commitment to nurturing businesses from their nascent stages through significant growth phases. Brainstorm Ventures typically deploys initial investments ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000, while also reserving capital for subsequent follow-on investments to support their portfolio companies' continued development and expansion. This flexible approach allows them to adapt to the evolving needs of high-potential startups.

Brainstorm Ventures boasts an impressive portfolio of successful exits, underscoring its acumen in selecting market-leading ventures. Notable successes include OpenTable, which was acquired by Priceline for $2.6 billion, and Zappos, which Amazon purchased for $1.2 billion. Another significant exit was Trulia, acquired by Zillow for $3.5 billion, further solidifying Brainstorm Ventures' track record of backing companies that achieve substantial returns. The firm manages over $100 million in capital, demonstrating its capacity to deploy significant resources into promising early-stage opportunities.

Investor Profile

Brainstorm Ventures has backed more than 23 startups, with 1 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 6 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Pre Seed, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Mexico, Argentina.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Information Technology, Freelance.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (35%)
  • Pre Seed (22%)
  • Series Unknown (13%)
  • Series A (13%)
  • Series B (9%)
  • Convertible Note (4%)
  • Series D (4%)

Country Focus

  • United States (78%)
  • Mexico (9%)
  • Argentina (4%)
  • Spain (4%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Information Technology
  • Freelance
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Services
  • Health Care
  • Payments
  • Internet
  • Medical Device
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Brainstorm Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Gaingels
North America, Vermont, United States, Burlington
Co-Investments: 2
Mindset Ventures
South America, Sao Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo
Co-Investments: 2
Peak State Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
Foundation Capital
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 3
Plug and Play
North America, California, United States, Sunnyvale
Co-Investments: 3
Frontier Ventures
North America, California, United States, Cupertino
Co-Investments: 2
AltaIR Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
Alumni Ventures
North America, New Hampshire, United States, Manchester
Co-Investments: 5
Founders Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
StartX (Stanford-StartX Fund)
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Brainstorm Ventures often collaborate with?

JE
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
AC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
SC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
JM
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Shared Deals: 1
GR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
AD
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 2
AS
North America, Illinois, United States, Naperville
Shared Deals: 1
AD
North America, Florida, United States, Miami
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Brainstorm Ventures?

Terrain BioSciences accelerates RNA-based therapeutics and vaccine development using AI and proprietary platforms.

Biotechnology
SeedFeb 12, 2025
Amount Raised: $9,000,000
Bedrock Materials

Palo Alto, California, United States

Bedrock Materials is a startup company developing materials and manufacturing procedures for low-cost sodium-ion batteries.

ChemicalManufacturing
SeedMay 16, 2024
Amount Raised: $9,000,000
Glaut

Wilmington, Delaware, United States

Glaut is an AI-native customer survey platform that conducts in-depth, AI-moderated interviews with customers at scale.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Consumer ResearchMarket Research
Pre SeedApr 29, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,400,000
Class Companion

San Francisco, California, United States

Class Companion is a new AI technology that allows professors to provide students with immediate, individualized feedback.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)ChildrenEdTech
SeedOct 5, 2023
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Klay

New Castle, Delaware, United States

Klay is a music making platform that is focused on mobile devices.

Media and EntertainmentMobile DevicesMusic
Pre SeedJul 19, 2023
Spring Free EV

San Francisco, California, United States

Spring Free EV is a financial technology company built to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles through innovative fintech products

Electric VehicleFinancial ServicesFinTechSustainability
Series AApr 6, 2023
Amount Raised: $31,000,000
menta

Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina

menta unlocks new revenue streams for B2B companies by embedding payments and financial services.

BankingFinancial ServicesFinTechPayments
SeedOct 21, 2022
Amount Raised: $6,000,000
Tangibly

Seattle, Washington, United States

Tangibly is a platform for businesses to manage their intellectual property by securing their trade secrets in legally enforceable form.

Information ServicesInformation TechnologyIntellectual Property
Pre SeedAug 18, 2022
Amount Raised: $1,300,000
Kolors

Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico

Kolors is a technological platform that focuses on providing intelligent intercity mobility of bus transportation in the region.

Tour OperatorTransportationTravel
Series AJun 3, 2022
Amount Raised: $20,000,000
Turing.com

Palo Alto, California, United States

Turing is an information technology company that enables start-ups, businesses, and organizations to hire software engineers.

FreelanceInformation TechnologySoftwareSoftware Engineering
Convertible NoteDec 7, 2021
Amount Raised: $6,850,000