Best VCs for Design

52 venture capitalists actively investing in Design.

52
Active VCs
3
Funds
3
Deals
$600M
Total Invested
#1Mamoon Hamid

Partner

Kleiner Perkins

Leads Kleiner Perkins' enterprise practice. Previously at Social Capital where he led the Slack and Figma investments — two of the most product-obsessed enterprise companies ever built. Strong product

$1M-$50M+

1 deals

SeedSeries ASeries B
#2Sarah Soell

Investor Relations Operations Manager

Bessemer Venture Partners

Sarah designs the operating system for Bessemer investor relations: content creation, processes and infrastructure supporting fundraising and limited-partner relationships. Her sociology-and-computing

Not applicable. Sarah does not publish a check size, startup thesis or investment authority. Founders should contact a Bessemer deal investor; LP and IR process matters fit her team.

1 deals

Investor-relations operationsFundraising processLP relationship infrastructure
#3Lucas Raymond (LTR)

Venture Associate

Kosmos Ventures

Lucas looks for early, non-consensus crypto opportunities through an active-user and market-structure lens. He believes decentralized markets can democratize finance and that money increasingly follow

No Lucas-specific check range is public. A current OpenVC search profile lists Kosmos at $100K–$1M, while Kosmos's own live material confirms Seed/Pre-Seed as its co-building focus but publishes no check size. Treat $100K–$1M as third-party firm guidance only; confirm allocation, instrument, ownership and decision-maker directly with Lucas and the team.
Pre-seedSeedEarly Stage
#4Chris Dixon

Founder, Managing Partner

a16z crypto

Chris invests behind blockchains as a new computing and ownership primitive for the internet. His core thesis is that token-enabled networks can align builders, users, and owners; bootstrap network ef

No personal check-size range is published. The official profile's aggregate fund-raising figure and public financing announcements describe firm resources and transactions, not Chris's individual authority or a reliable minimum/maximum check.
SeedEarly StageGrowth
#5Joe Eagan

Partner

Polychain Capital

Investing in blockchain infrastructure and tokens at Polychain Capital, one of the most prominent crypto-native funds.

SeedSeries ASeries B
#6Guy Wuollet

General Partner

a16z crypto

Guy invests across the crypto stack with a technical focus on infrastructure, DeFi, and decentralized physical infrastructure. He looks for blockchains to coordinate markets that centralized intermedi

No personal check-size range is published. Public seed, Series A, and later financing amounts are company-level transaction sizes and are not a defensible proxy for Guy's individual range or allocation authority.
SeedSeries AEarly Stage
#7Todd Jackson

Partner

First Round Capital

Todd backs technical founders who can turn complex technology into an elegant power tool and is unusually focused on the mechanics of reaching product-market fit. His disclosed portfolio—fal, Parallel

First Round's published firm-wide initial checks are typically $1M–$7M, averaging about $3.5M; it has participated in rounds from $100K to $20M. No personal range is published for Todd.
AngelPre-SeedSeed
#8Ricardo de Arruda

Partner, Investing & Research

Paradigm

Ricardo uses large-scale onchain data to distinguish real crypto adoption from activity manufactured by incentives or sybils. He focuses on new ecosystems, user acquisition and retention, token distri

Paradigm backs companies from first check through public markets, but neither the firm nor Ricardo publishes his personal check range or decision authority. Portfolio round totals and a historical firm-wide range are not treated as personal allocation evidence.
Pre-SeedSeedEarly Stage
#9Alpin Yukseloglu

Partner, Investing & Research

Paradigm

Alpin partners with crypto founders and researchers who have strong instincts about the future and the courage to follow them. His work centers on protocol, market, and mechanism design—especially sys

Paradigm says it backs founders at every stage from first check through public markets, but it does not publish Alpin's personal check range or decision authority. A 2024 firm filing described vehicle investments from $1M to $100M or more; that historical firm range is not treated as his current personal range.
Pre-SeedSeedEarly Stage
#10Melissa Taunton

Advisor; Partner, Talent at NEA

Blockchain Capital

Melissa's operating thesis is that exceptional companies require leaders who can scale themselves along with the organization. She works with founders and CEOs to build, develop, compensate and retain

No Melissa-specific Blockchain Capital check size or allocation authority is public. Her documented work is executive talent, leadership and board development for NEA portfolio companies. Crypto founders should use Blockchain Capital's investors; NEA portfolio leaders can engage her on talent and leadership.
Executive-team designLeadership developmentBoard building
#11Elena Pantazi

Partner & Head of Platform

Northzone (Web3)

Elena's platform thesis is that talent and portfolio development are continuous with investment quality: assess critical hiring and organizational needs before a deal, then help founders build teams a

No Elena-specific check size or allocation authority is public. Northzone's fund-level parameters must not be presented as her personal discretion. Founders seeking capital should approach the relevant investing partner; portfolio leaders and pre-deal teams can engage Elena on talent, organization and leadership needs.
Pre-deal talent diligencePost-investment organization buildingFounder and leadership development
#12Caitlin Pintavorn

Venture Partner

Paradigm

Caitlin is a Paradigm venture partner and Stripe zero-to-one strategist whose published investment perspective centers on crypto's ability to improve online coordination and create internet-native eco

No personal check range or decision authority is published. Paradigm invests from first check through public markets, but Caitlin's current collaborator status and the firm's capital base do not establish an individual check size.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#13Raye Hadi

Research Associate, Digital Assets

ARK Invest

Raye analyzes how cryptoassets can disrupt legacy financial systems, with particular depth in stablecoin architecture and DeFi application economics. He evaluates networks and tokens through reserves,

Not applicable as a personal founder check. Raye is a digital-assets research associate supporting ARK's managed investment strategies; the cited sources do not establish personal venture check-writing authority or a standard startup ticket.
Liquid CryptoassetsPublic MarketsThematic Research
#14Dan Robinson

General Partner & Head of Research

Paradigm

DeFi mechanism design, AMM theory, MEV research. Novel financial primitives and their mathematical foundations.

SeedSeries A
#15Lizzy Price

Associate Technical Recruiter

First Round Capital

Lizzy's operating focus is helping First Round portfolio founders build their earliest technical teams. Her experience recruiting engineers across the Americas at Harness and supporting Last Energy gi

Not applicable to Lizzy's recruiting role. First Round publicly says its initial investments typically range from $1 million to $7 million and average about $3.5 million, but those are firm terms administered by the investment team, not Lizzy's personal authority.
Founding and early-team hiringTechnical recruitingCandidate sourcing and closing
#16Sean Whitney

Principal

Craft Ventures

Sean backs technically ambitious design, developer, and bottom-up software that gives professionals greater control rather than reducing their work to generic automation. His Figma experience informs

No personal check-size range is published. His disclosed Craft investments include seed and Series A rounds, while his earlier Figma work included advising and investing in PLG SaaS from pre-seed through Series C; these are stage indicators, not personal check limits.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#17Elijah Fox

Investment Partner

Variant Fund

Elijah backs technically ambitious founders building new mechanisms, markets and infrastructure. His work joins crypto market design with a widening AI thesis: mature financial systems need expressive

Variant does not publish a reliable personal check range. Elijah works at the earliest stages, but founders should confirm fund vehicle, allocation, ownership, lead/co-lead appetite, token/equity structure and reserves with the partnership.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#18Scott Kominers

GP

Ethereal Ventures

Academic turned crypto investor, bringing rigorous economic thinking to token design and mechanism design. Ethereal Ventures invests in crypto projects with strong economic foundations.

SeedSeries A
#19Geoff YuHasker

Investor

Electric Capital

Geoff brings mechanism design, computational finance and systems engineering to frontier-technology investing. His work on ad auctions, algorithmic trading, rates derivatives and the SCION internet ar

Electric Capital publicly advertises firm-level checks of $1M–$15M+ from pre-seed through Series A. No personal range or unilateral authority is disclosed for Geoff, so that firm range should be treated as routing context rather than his individual ticket.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#20Axel Bichara

Co-Founder and General Partner

Baukunst

Axel Bichara invests or supports investments through Baukunst's published strategy: Lead company-formation and pre-seed rounds for creative technologists building interdisciplinary companies at the fr

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#21Steve Vassallo

Anchor Investor and Fund Advisor

Designer Fund

Steve Vassallo is listed in a Anchor Investor and Fund Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role d

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#22Eric Sundstrom

Chief Financial Officer

Designer Fund

Eric Sundstrom is listed in a Chief Financial Officer capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinctio

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#23Ben Blumenrose

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Designer Fund

Ben Blumenrose invests or supports investments through Designer Fund's published strategy: Invest from pre-seed through Series A in mission-driven technology companies where exceptional design can cre

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#24Maya Blumenfeld

Outside General Counsel

Designer Fund

Maya Blumenfeld is listed as Outside General Counsel to Designer Fund. This is a legal support role, not an investing role; the firm's public investment mandate is retained only as shared context for

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#25Camille Creighton

Head of Communications and Content

Baukunst

Camille Creighton is listed in a Head of Communications and Content capacity at Baukunst. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role d

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#26Tyler Mincey

Co-Founder and General Partner

Baukunst

Tyler Mincey invests or supports investments through Baukunst's published strategy: Lead company-formation and pre-seed rounds for creative technologists building interdisciplinary companies at the fr

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#27Fern Massar

Admin and Operations

Baukunst

Fern Massar is listed in a Admin and Operations capacity at Baukunst. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#28Kate McAndrew

Co-Founder and General Partner

Baukunst

Kate McAndrew invests or supports investments through Baukunst's published strategy: Lead company-formation and pre-seed rounds for creative technologists building interdisciplinary companies at the f

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#29Brianne Kimmel

Founder and Managing Director

Worklife Ventures

Brianne Kimmel invests or supports investments through Worklife Ventures's published strategy: Back early products for creators, designers, developers and flexible teams that improve how modern people

Worklife does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedEarly Stage
#30Dave Baggeroer

Design Partner and Advisor

Designer Fund

Dave Baggeroer is listed in a Design Partner and Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinc

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#31Lasse Clausen

Founding General Partner

1kx

Token-based business models and early-stage investing. One of Europe's top crypto VCs.

SeedSeries AToken
#32Jack Lu

Partner

NGC Ventures

Jack evaluates blockchain projects through their economic and social mechanisms. His official remit emphasizes whether decentralized consensus, incentive provision, industrial organization and smart-c

NGC does not publish a Jack-specific check range on its official team page. Third-party investor directories estimate broad firm ranges, but those are not treated as verified personal authority. Founders should ask directly about stage, round and allocation fit.
SeedEarly StageProtocol formation
#33Eddy Lazzarin

CTO, a16z Crypto

a16z crypto

Crypto infrastructure, developer platforms, open source and crypto incentives.

#34Robyn Park

Head of Platform

Designer Fund

Robyn Park is listed in a Head of Platform capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#35Jackie Berardo

Principal

Designer Fund

Jackie Berardo invests or supports investments through Designer Fund's published strategy: Invest from pre-seed through Series A in mission-driven technology companies where exceptional design can cre

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#36Santhi Analytis

Advisor

Designer Fund

Santhi Analytis is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#37Daniel Scrivner

Advisor

Designer Fund

Daniel Scrivner is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#38Heather Phillips

Advisor

Designer Fund

Heather Phillips is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#39Jared Erondu

Advisor

Designer Fund

Jared Erondu is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the fir

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#40Matt Thoms

Co-Founder and General Partner

Baukunst

Matt Thoms invests or supports investments through Baukunst's published strategy: Lead company-formation and pre-seed rounds for creative technologists building interdisciplinary companies at the fron

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#41Mary Courtney-O'Sullivan

CFO

Baukunst

Mary Courtney-O'Sullivan is listed in a CFO capacity at Baukunst. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the

$500K-$2M initial investments, with Baukunst generally leading the pre-seed round.
Pre-SeedCompany Formation
#42Michael Anderson

Co-Founder & General Partner

Framework Ventures

DeFi governance and token economics. Active DeFi governance participant.

SeedSeries AToken
#43Alana Levin

Investment Partner

Variant Fund

Investing in the ownership economy at Variant Fund. Focuses on projects that shift value capture from platforms to users through token-based models.

SeedSeries A
#44José Maria Macedo

Partner / Head of Ventures

Delphi Ventures

Crypto research and quantitative analysis. Focus on tokenomics and protocol design.

#45Joey Krug

Co-Chief Investment Officer

Pantera Capital

DeFi, prediction markets, protocol design. Creator of Augur.

SeedSeries A
#46Dan Becker

Advisor

Designer Fund

Dan Becker is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the firm'

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#47Alex Diehl

Advisor

Designer Fund

Alex Diehl is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the firm'

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#48Dan Bomze

Advisor

Designer Fund

Dan Bomze is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the firm's

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#49Scott Tong

Advisor

Designer Fund

Scott Tong is listed in a Advisor capacity at Designer Fund. The firm does not publish a person-specific investment thesis for this role; the profile preserves that role distinction and uses the firm'

Designer Fund does not publish a standard current check-size range on its official site.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
#50Luke Saunders

Partner / Head of Delphi Labs

Delphi Ventures

Investing in DeFi and crypto infrastructure at Delphi Ventures. Focuses on technical evaluation of protocols and smart contract systems.

SeedSeries A
#51Matt Stephenson

Partner

Pantera Capital

Applies rigorous economic theory and mechanism design to crypto investing. Focuses on projects where game theory and incentive alignment are core to the value proposition.

SeedSeries ASeries B
#52Paul Joe

Research & Venture Associate

Lyrik Ventures

Pre-seedSeedSeries A

Explore more sectors

All SectorsDesign InvestmentsAll VCs