AI VCs in North America: 18 Venture Capital Firms in the US and Canada That Back AI Startups From Seed to Series A
Almost every venture capital firm in North America now says it invests in AI, so a list of "AI VCs" is only useful if it tells you who invests at your stage and how to reach them. This guide lists 18 firms in the US and Canada that back AI startups at pre-seed, seed and Series A, grouped by type: funds that invest only in AI, Canadian firms, seed programmes run by large firms, early-stage firms with an AI focus area, and corporate venture arms. Each entry uses only what the firm's own website says, checked in November 2026: its AI focus, the stages it names, a cheque size where it publishes one, and how to pitch. For investors outside the region, see VCs for AI startups worldwide and AI VCs in Europe.
Quick answer: for a first cheque, start with the AI-only seed funds: Conviction ($1 million to $25 million, often the first investor), AIX Ventures ($1 million to $5 million, pre-seed to Series A), Gradient and Basis Set. If you want to apply instead of finding an introduction, use a16z speedrun (up to $1 million) or Greylock Edge. In Canada, Radical Ventures (AI only, Toronto) and Inovia (pre-seed to pre-IPO) are the first calls. For a Series A with a strategic partner, look at M12 (Microsoft), NVentures (NVIDIA) and GV.
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AI VCs in North America Compared
Sources: each firm's own website, checked on 9 November 2026. Fund sizes are given only where the firm publishes them.
The 18 AI VCs in the US and Canada for 2027
AI-only seed funds
1. Conviction
Conviction calls itself a venture firm purpose-built to serve AI-native, "Software 3.0" companies. It writes cheques of $1 million to $25 million, says it likes to invest early and is often the first investor. How to pitch: its site has no application form, so reach a partner through a founder or angel they know.
2. AIX Ventures
AIX Ventures invests only in companies where AI is a core part of the product. Its FAQ says it invests from pre-seed to Series A, targets cheques of $1 million to $5 million, leads rounds and keeps money for follow-on rounds. How to pitch: start through its contact page. Once a company is AI-focused, the FAQ says, AIX takes a generalist approach and looks first at the founding team.
3. Gradient
Gradient calls itself "the seed fund designed for founders in AI". It began in close partnership with Google in 2017, and on 17 March 2026 it announced a $220 million Fund 5 as a fully independent firm, with Google remaining an investor in the fund. It wants to be the first institutional cheque and spends its time with founders at pre-seed and seed. How to pitch: introduction through its founder network or a partner on its team page.
4. Basis Set
Basis Set describes itself as an AI-native venture fund since 2017 and says it is "the first capital when it's just you and your vision". Its news feed lists seed rounds of its portfolio companies, and it publishes its own AI research. How to pitch: introduction to a partner.
5. Amplify Partners
Amplify Partners calls itself the first investor for technical founders building the next generation of applications, models, tools and infrastructure. It has invested since 2012, leads rounds from a company's first round through Series A, is based in the Bay Area and invests from its sixth fund; Modal, which builds infrastructure to train and serve AI, is in its portfolio spotlight. How to pitch: its "Working With Us" page explains how it works with founders; use an introduction.
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Canada
6. Radical Ventures (Toronto)
Radical Ventures calls AI the most consequential technology in human history and backs AI founders from day-zero incubations to growth and pre-IPO scaling. It has offices in Toronto, San Francisco and London, and its homepage features Cohere, the enterprise AI platform. How to pitch: its contact page invites founders building at the frontier of AI to write to its general inquiries address.
7. Inovia Capital
Inovia, founded in 2007, calls itself the largest Canada-anchored venture capital firm, with US$2.5 billion under management, backing North American and European companies from pre-seed to pre-IPO through three strategies: Discovery, Venture and Growth. Cohere's co-founder Aidan Gomez is quoted on its homepage, and its September 2026 essay is about building global AI champions from Canada. How to pitch: introduction to a partner. Canadian founders should also read AI incubators in North America.
Seed programmes of large firms
8. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z speedrun)
The open door into a16z for new startups is a16z speedrun: it invests up to $1 million, plus more than $10 million in credits from over 200 partners, and runs a residency in San Francisco. The next residency, SR008, runs from 1 February to 16 April 2027; applications sent after 1 November are considered for the following one, and the team reviews applications all year. How to pitch: apply online.
9. Greylock (Greylock Edge)
Greylock Edge is a three-month company-building programme for pre-idea, pre-seed and seed founders, with financing on terms the founder chooses. It includes AI Researchers in Residence and more than $1 million in infrastructure and AI credits, and Greylock says it is not a scaled accelerator. How to pitch: apply on the Edge page.
10. Sequoia Capital
Sequoia Capital launched its sixth dedicated seed fund on 27 October 2025, and its recent articles include its AI Ascent 2026 event and an essay on "the coming ASI era". Its Arc page for pre-seed and seed founders did not load when we checked in November 2026, so we do not describe it here. How to pitch: introduction to a partner, or Arc when its next call is published.
11. General Catalyst
General Catalyst explained its seed strategy on 8 July 2025: to back exceptional people early, with the feel of a boutique seed firm and the reach of a multistage platform. AI runs through its portfolio, and its homepage leads with its growing investment in Anthropic. How to pitch: introduction to a partner.
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Early-stage firms with an AI focus area
12. Khosla Ventures
Khosla Ventures says it shows up early and invests "from seed to trillicorn", and its homepage presents its investment thesis for OpenAI. How to pitch: read its thesis and portfolio, then use its contact page.
13. Felicis
Felicis has invested since 2006 and lists AI as one of four focus areas, next to cybersecurity and defence, global resilience and energy, and health and bio. It says it leads or co-leads more than 83% of its investments, and its homepage gives examples at both ends of our range: a seed investment in Midi and the Series A it led in n8n. It also runs a Fellows programme. How to pitch: introduction to a partner.
14. Bain Capital Ventures
Bain Capital Ventures organises its investing in domains, including Applied AI and Physical AI alongside infrastructure, health and security. Its about page describes partnering with founders at the seed stage, with the first capital and mentoring, and again at the early stage. How to pitch: introduction to the partner for your domain.
15. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed says it has been "AI founders' first call" for over a decade and backs companies from seed to Series F and beyond. How to pitch: introduction to a partner.
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Corporate venture arms
16. M12 (Microsoft)
M12, Microsoft's venture fund, invests in seed through Series B companies. Its focus areas are AI apps, security for AI, AI cloud infrastructure, AI data ops and models, and deep tech and systems. How to pitch: reach the partner on its team page who covers your area.
17. NVentures (NVIDIA)
NVentures is NVIDIA's venture capital arm. It invests in AI infrastructure, robotics, digital biology, applied AI and frontier compute, and gives portfolio companies access to NVIDIA's technical teams and go-to-market support. It does not publish a stage or cheque size. NVIDIA's free Inception programme for startups is separate from NVentures and gives credits and discounts, not investment. How to pitch: its page has a contact route for founders seeking a strategic partner.
18. GV
GV invests from seed to growth stages across technology and life sciences, with over $13 billion under management, and says it has backed more than 50 companies building AI-native applications. How to pitch: introduction to a partner.
How to Pitch an AI VC
Most of these firms do not take cold applications. Here is the order that works:
Firms From the 2025 Lists That Are Not Here
- Kleiner Perkins, Accel, DCVC, Index, NEA, Lux, Insight Partners and Founders Fund: active firms with AI companies, but multi-stage or later-stage; several are in our list of VCs for AI startups and our deep tech VCs in North America.
- Union Square Ventures, Matrix, Redpoint, First Round, RRE, Bullpen and TenOneTen: early-stage generalists; for seed rounds outside AI see early-stage VCs in North America.
- Norwest, Salesforce Ventures, Intel Capital, Tiger Global, Coatue and SoftBank: left out to keep this list to firms whose own sites show an AI focus at seed to Series A.
- Y Combinator, Techstars and AI Fund: accelerators and a venture studio, compared in AI accelerators in North America.
- Aspect Ventures: its site shows only older portfolio companies, with no AI focus or recent news.
- Old "notable AI investments" lines: removed where the firm's own site does not list them; non-AI examples such as SpaceX, Palantir, NGINX and Stack Overflow are gone.
Which AI VC Should You Choose?
- Pre-seed, technical team, AI at the core: Gradient, Basis Set, Amplify or AIX Ventures.
- You want to apply, not network: a16z speedrun or Greylock Edge.
- AI-native software company raising a first large round: Conviction.
- Canadian AI startup: Radical Ventures and Inovia.
- Series A in AI infrastructure or chips: M12 or NVentures as a strategic investor, with an independent lead.
- Health, robotics or other physical AI: Bain Capital Ventures, Felicis or Khosla.
How AI Founders Get Ready to Raise in the US and Canada
Before a VC round, most AI founders raise from angels: see angel investors for AI startups in North America and angel investors in North America. Non-dilutive money stretches your round: our guides to AI startup grants in North America and grants for AI startups worldwide cover SBIR, IRAP and cloud credits. Programmes help you get to the first cheque: compare accelerators for AI startups and equity-free AI accelerators. Women founders can add incubators for female entrepreneurs in North America and grants for female entrepreneurs in North America, and if you are still choosing a city, read about the top cities for AI startups in North America.
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FAQ About AI VCs in North America
Which VCs invest only in AI startups in North America?
Among the firms here, Conviction (AI-native companies), AIX Ventures, Gradient, Basis Set and Radical Ventures say they invest only or mainly in AI. M12 and NVentures focus on AI as corporate investors.
Which AI VC writes the first cheque?
Conviction says it is often the first investor, Gradient wants to be the first institutional cheque, Basis Set calls itself the first capital and Amplify leads from a company's first round.
How much do AI VCs invest at seed?
Where firms publish it: AIX Ventures targets $1 million to $5 million, Conviction writes $1 million to $25 million and a16z speedrun invests up to $1 million. Most other firms do not publish cheque sizes.
Can I apply to an AI VC without an introduction?
Yes, through a16z speedrun and Greylock Edge, which take applications online. AIX Ventures and Radical Ventures also have contact routes on their sites. Most other firms prefer an introduction.
When is the next a16z speedrun?
SR008 runs from 1 February to 16 April 2027 in San Francisco. Applications sent after 1 November are considered for the following residency, and a16z reviews applications all year.
Which VCs back AI startups in Canada?
Radical Ventures (AI only, Toronto) and Inovia (Canada's largest Canada-anchored firm, pre-seed to pre-IPO). Canadian founders can also pitch US funds such as Conviction or AIX Ventures.
Is NVIDIA Inception the same as NVentures?
No. Inception is a free programme with credits and discounts for startups; NVentures is NVIDIA's venture capital arm, which invests in companies.
Do corporate VCs like M12 take board seats or limit exits?
Terms vary by deal and the firms do not publish them. Ask about information rights and any commercial terms before you accept a corporate investor as lead.
Should I raise from VCs or apply for grants first?
Many AI founders do both: SBIR or IRAP grants and cloud credits extend the runway, so the VC round buys more. See our guide to grants for AI startups.
Where can I get a backlink by writing about my AI startup?
You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
