AI

AI software first-check specialist — Pre-Seed VC Firm ($250K–$1.0M Checks)

VC

AI software first-check specialist is a Pre-Seed venture capital firm investing in AI / ML, Other, Security. The firm typically writes $250K–$1.0M checks and has 16 portfolio companies in our records.

Check size
$250K–$1.0M
Portfolio
16 companies on record
Partners
3 listed
Stage
Pre-Seed
Sectors
AI / ML, Other, Security, Developer Tools, Consumer
AUM
Not in our records

Last verified: 2026-10-06

How to approach: cold outreach ok
Stage

Pre-Seed

Check Size

$250K – $1.0M

Portfolio

16+ companies

Team

3 partners

Investor activity
Last known investment: 2026Investments in last 12 months: 1

Investment Thesis

Specialist pre-seed investor focused on AI and software with first-check behavior. Can support a technical consumer product if the AI component is central.

How AI software first-check specialist invests

AI software first-check specialist is a vc firm. The firm invests at the Pre-Seed stage, with a focus on AI / ML, Other, Security, Developer Tools, Consumer.

AI software first-check specialist typically writes checks of $250K–$1.0M per investment.

Investing since at least 2024, AI software first-check specialist has backed 16 companies in our records, including AI Infra, Physical AI, Clay. Its most recent recorded investment was in 2026, with 1 investment logged over the last 12 months.

Partners & Team

ES

Ed Sim

Partner

Investors and operators for zero-to-one.

ED

Eliot Durbin

Partner

Investors and operators for zero-to-one.

EC

Ellen Chisa

Partner

Investors and operators for zero-to-one.

Industry Focus

Invests In

AI / ML
Other
Security
Developer Tools
Consumer

Portfolio Companies (16)

2026

AI

AI Infra

X5 Labs·Digital twins & large work models

2024

PH

Physical AI

Generalist AI·General-purpose robotics

Other

CL

Clay

GTM engineering·Backed since 2017
SN

Snyk

Developer-first security·Backed since 2015
SP

Spectro Cloud

Infrastructure for AI, from cloud to edge·Backed since 2019
TE

Tessl

AI-native development·Backed since 2024
CR

CrewAI

Multi-agent platform·Backed since 2023
BI

BigID

Data security & privacy·Backed since 2016
SE

SecurityScorecard

Security ratings·Backed since 2013
BL

Blockdaemon

Blockchain infrastructure·Backed since 2017
How to pitch AI software first-check specialist
  • •Raising at Pre-Seed? You're squarely in their sweet spot.
  • •Lead with your fit in AI / ML, Other, Security — the sectors they actively back.
  • •Size your ask to their typical $250K – $1.0M check.
  • •cold outreach ok
  • •Address your outreach to a specific partner, such as Ed Sim, Partner.
  • •A warm introduction beats a cold email. Get matched and request an intro.

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