Labrador Ventures

Labrador Ventures was a prominent seed-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California, primarily active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. With over $200 million under management across several funds, including Labrador Ventures VI which closed in 2001, the firm played a significant role in the early development of Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem. It focused on providing initial capital to nascent technology companies, particularly in areas like internet infrastructure, software, and digital services.

The firm is recognized for its early investments in several high-profile companies that went on to achieve considerable success. One of its most notable early bets was in PayPal, the online payment giant, demonstrating Labrador's foresight in identifying disruptive technologies. Other portfolio companies included Loudcloud (later Opsware, acquired by HP), and various other internet and enterprise software startups that defined the dot-com era.

While Labrador Ventures remains an "active" entity in managing its legacy portfolio and exits, its primary period of making new, first-time investments has largely concluded. The fund has not raised a new investment vehicle or made significant new seed investments in over two decades, with its last fund closing in 2001. Consequently, it is not considered an active source of new venture capital funding for startups today.

Given its current operational status, Labrador Ventures is no longer actively deploying capital into new seed-stage companies. Therefore, typical first check sizes for new investments cannot be reliably determined as the firm is not making such investments. Its historical investment patterns would reflect the seed-stage valuations of the late 90s and early 2000s, which are not relevant to current market conditions.