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Wayfinder Ventures

North America, California, United States, San Francisco

Description

Wayfinder Ventures is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to backing transformative companies. Founded by experienced investors Jordan Kong and Brian O'Malley, the firm primarily focuses on Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds. Their investment thesis centers on the evolving landscapes of work, commerce, and human connection, seeking out innovative startups that are poised to redefine these fundamental aspects of modern life. They aim to be the first institutional capital in a company, often taking a lead or co-lead position in funding rounds.

The firm's investment strategy is characterized by a hands-on approach, providing not just capital but also strategic guidance and operational support to their portfolio companies. Wayfinder Ventures typically writes initial checks ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000 for Pre-Seed and Seed stage investments. This allows them to engage with founders at the earliest stages of their journey, helping to shape their product, market fit, and team development. For more mature Series A opportunities, Wayfinder Ventures has the capacity to deploy larger initial investments, extending up to $5,000,000.

Wayfinder Ventures has built a robust portfolio reflecting their commitment to pioneering innovation. As of recent data, the firm has made over 60 investments across various sectors aligned with their core themes. Their strategic support and initial capital have enabled these portfolio companies to achieve significant milestones, collectively raising over $1.5 billion in follow-on capital from other leading venture firms. This impressive track record underscores Wayfinder Ventures' ability to identify promising ventures and contribute to their long-term success, solidifying their reputation as a key player in the early-stage venture ecosystem.

Investor Profile

Wayfinder Ventures has backed more than 60 startups, with 8 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 1 rounds, about 2% of its total and boasts 3 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Pre Seed, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Canada, Mexico.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Information Technology, SaaS.
  • Led 1 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (57%)
  • Pre Seed (28%)
  • Series A (8%)
  • Series Unknown (3%)
  • Undisclosed (2%)
  • Non Equity Assistance (2%)

Country Focus

  • United States (70%)
  • Canada (13%)
  • Mexico (5%)
  • Nigeria (3%)
  • Sweden (2%)
  • India (2%)
  • The Netherlands (2%)
  • United Kingdom (2%)
  • Singapore (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Information Technology
  • Saas
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Health Care
  • Machine Learning
  • Developer Tools
  • Enterprise Software
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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 Wayfinder Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Bossa Invest
South America, Sao Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo
Co-Investments: 3
General Catalyst
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 4
Soma Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 7
Liquid 2 Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 13
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 29
Pioneer Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 8
Essence VC
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Co-Investments: 3
TRAC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 3
Rogue Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 6
Garage Capital
North America, California, United States, Ontario
Co-Investments: 4

Which angels does Wayfinder Ventures often collaborate with?

BV
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Shared Deals: 3
CG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
KM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
AM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
AF
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
EB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
KT
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
CS
North America, Washington, United States, Kirkland
Shared Deals: 2
IA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
PG
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Wayfinder Ventures?

Archil

San Francisco, California, United States

Archil is a software company that specializes in instant access for cloud applications to store data.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Data CenterSoftware
SeedJun 3, 2025
Amount Raised: $6,700,000
Unbound Security

San Francisco, California, United States

Unbound Security enables employees to securely utilize AI tools in their work while safeguarding company secrets.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cyber SecurityInformation TechnologySaaS
SeedMay 29, 2025
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Fazeshift

San Francisco, California, United States

Fazeshift is an AI accounts receivable software that offers automates invoicing, cash application, and collections processes for busineess.

AccountingArtificial Intelligence (AI)Business Process Automation (BPA)Financial ServicesFinTechSoftware
SeedJan 7, 2025
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Twenty (YC S23)

San Francisco, California, United States

Open-source CRM without compromise

CRMEnterprise SoftwareOpen SourceSalesSoftware
SeedNov 18, 2024
Amount Raised: $5,000,000
Anthrogen

San Francisco, California, United States

Anthrogen is a Biotechnology Research firm using bacteria and enzymes for reducing carbon in the air by transforming it into chemicals.

BiotechnologyCarbon CaptureChemical
SeedNov 12, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
hotglue

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

hotglue allows developers to embed user-facing SaaS integrations to control how their product receives customers' data.

Big DataDeveloper ToolsInformation TechnologyInternetSaaSSoftware
SeedOct 11, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Cartage

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cartage is an AI operating system for shippers & 3PLs that automates routine tasks and connects users to carriers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)LogisticsMachine Learning
SeedOct 10, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,400,646
Aalo Atomics

Austin, Texas, United States

Aalo makes small, factory-manufactured nuclear reactors that can fit in your garage, and power anything from a datacenter to a large city.

EnergyNuclear
Series AAug 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $27,000,000
Leya

Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden

Leya is a legal technology company that develops an artificial intelligence assistant for legal professionals.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)LegalLegal TechSoftware
Series AJul 17, 2024
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
Unify

Dover, Delaware, United States

The Best LLM on Every Prompt

Artificial Intelligence (AI)SaaS
SeedMay 22, 2024
Amount Raised: $8,000,000