Top 15 VCs for AI Startups in North America in 2025
As artificial intelligence continues to advance and permeate various sectors, the demand for funding and support from venture capitalists (VCs) is rapidly increasing. In 2025, these VCs are at the forefront of developing and nurturing AI startups in North America. Below is a detailed list of the Top 15 VCs for AI Startups in North America, outlining their focus, investment strategy, notable investments, and more.
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1. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Website: a16z.com
Investment Stage: Seed to Growth
Notable AI Investments: OpenAI, Databricks, Shield AI
Assets Under Management (AUM): Approximately $42 billion
Focus: Visionary entrepreneurs, innovative technologies, especially AI
Approach: Hands-on, long-term, optimistic investment strategy.
2. Sequoia Capital
Website: sequoiacap.com
Investment Stage: Seed to Growth
Notable AI Investments: DeepMind, Iconic.AI, Fireworks AI
Founded: 1972
Portfolio: Early investments in Apple, Atari, Google, Airbnb, Stripe, WhatsApp.
Approach: Strategic guidance, long-term investments.
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3. Greylock Partners
Website: greylock.com
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Notable AI Investments: Adept AI, Atomic AI, Seven AI
Founded: 1965
Reputation: Investing in groundbreaking tech companies from early stages.
Portfolio: Backed LinkedIn, Facebook, and Airbnb.
4. GV (formerly Google Ventures)
Website: gv.com
Investment Stage: Seed to Growth
Notable AI Investments: Multiple AI investments across various companies.
Affiliation: Venture capital arm of Alphabet Inc. (Google)
Resources: Access to Google's resources and expertise.
5. Accel
Website: accel.com
Investment Stage: Seed to Growth
Notable AI Investments: Multiple AI investments.
Focus: Partners with founders from seed to growth stages.
Approach: Global reach, deep sector expertise.
6. Insight Partners
Website: insightpartners.com
Investment Stage: Growth Stage
Notable AI Investments: Multiple AI investments, including Writer.
Focus: High-growth technology companies.
Approach: Provides operational and strategic support for scale-ups.
7. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Website: lsvp.com
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Notable AI Investments: AnyVision, FortressIQ, People.ai
Focus: Tech and consumer sectors.
Approach: Supports early-stage development and scaling.
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8. Kleiner Perkins
Website: kleinerperkins.com
Investment Stage: Seed to Growth
Notable AI Investments: Multiple AI investments across various firms.
Focus: Technology companies across all stages.
Approach: Long-term partnerships focusing on sustainability and innovation.
9. Data Collective (DCVC)
Website: dcvc.com
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Focus: AI startups solving complex problems.
Approach: Focus on deep tech and science-based innovations.
10. M12 (formerly Microsoft Ventures)
Website: m12.vc
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Notable AI Investments: TwentyBN, Contract Security, Mental Canvas
Focus: AI investments primarily in North America and Israel.
Approach: Offers extensive access to Microsoft's ecosystem for partnership.
11. Norwest Venture Partners
Website: nvp.com
Investment Stage: Seed, Post-Seed, Series A, Series B+
Investment Geography: United States, India, Israel, Canada, Australia, China, etc.
Focus: Health Care, Enterprise (AI, SaaS, Cybersecurity), Consumer Internet
Check Size: $20M - $200M.
Notable Investments: Workato, Swiggy.
12. Khosla Ventures
Website: khoslaventures.com
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Focus: High-impact, technology-driven innovations.
Approach: Challenges conventional norms with technology or innovative business models.
Notable Investments: LotiAI.
13. Salesforce Ventures
Investment Stage: Multiple Stages
Focus: AI, cloud, and other enterprise technologies.
Approach: Strategic investments with integration opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Notable AI Investments: Writer, World Labs.
14. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Website: lsvp.com
Investment Stage: Early Stage
Notable AI Investments: AnyVision, FortressIQ, People.ai
Focus: Tech and consumer sectors.
Approach: Supports early-stage development for startups.
15. Y Combinator
Website: ycombinator.com
Investment Stage: Seed
Focus: Early-stage startups across various sectors, including AI.
Approach: Provides funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to nascent startups.
Notable AI Investments: Multiple AI companies.
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FAQ
Q: What is the primary focus of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)?
A: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) focuses on visionary entrepreneurs and innovative technologies, particularly in the AI sector. More about a16z.
Q: What is Sequoia Capital known for?
A: Sequoia Capital is known for early investments in major companies like Apple and Google, with a strategic focus on long-term investments in AI startups. Learn about Sequoia Capital.
Q: What stage of investment does Greylock Partners primarily engage in?
A: Greylock Partners primarily engages in early-stage investments, particularly in breakthroughs in technology, including AI. Discover Greylock Partners.
Q: How is GV (Google Ventures) connected to its parent organization?
A: GV is the venture capital arm of Alphabet Inc. (Google) and leverages resources and expertise from Google for its investments. Find out more about GV.
Q: What approach does Accel take towards its investments?
A: Accel partners with founders from seed through growth stages, emphasizing global reach and deep sector expertise for tech investments. More on Accel.
Q: What kind of support does Insight Partners provide for startups?
A: Insight Partners provides operational and strategic support to high-growth technology companies, particularly during the growth stage. Understand Insight Partners.
Q: What sectors does Lightspeed Venture Partners focus on?
A: Lightspeed Venture Partners focuses on technology and consumer sectors, supporting early-stage development of AI-related startups. Check out Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Q: What type of innovations does Data Collective (DCVC) invest in?
A: Data Collective (DCVC) invests in AI startups working on complex problems through deep tech and science-based innovations. Learn about DCVC.
Q: How does M12 leverage its affiliation with Microsoft?
A: M12 leverages its Microsoft affiliation by offering access to the Microsoft ecosystem for its investments in AI startups in North America and Israel. Explore M12.
Q: What is the investment approach of Y Combinator for startups?
A: Y Combinator provides funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to early-stage startups, including those in the AI sector. Discover Y Combinator.
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.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
