Schema Ventures Research
Investment Thesis
Schema Ventures is a solo-GP, early-stage fund run by Aarthi Ramamurthy. Its tagline is "first-check capital for outsiders building the essential software that quietly runs the world." The fund backs technical founders who lack traditional access points, often before there is a fully formed idea, and sometimes before the founder has raised a dollar or found a co-founder. Ramamurthy describes her own path (small town in India, then Microsoft, Netflix and Meta, then two startups of her own) as the blueprint for the fund.
Sector Focus
The website names three areas of interest:
- Developer Tools and Infrastructure: data infrastructure, CI/CD and deployment, observability, backend-as-a-service, AI/ML tooling. Portfolio: Better Auth, Smallest AI, Veria Labs, Unsiloed.
- Workflow Intelligence: AI-native back office, compliance automation, revenue operations, document intelligence, procurement. Portfolio: Powerhouse, Confido Health, Dodge, Aurasell, Cactus AI, First Shift.
- Industrial Software: manufacturing automation, construction tech, supply chain visibility, fleet and logistics, industrial IoT, robotics. Portfolio: Cosmic Robotics, Neuramill, Origin.
In a January 2026 post she noted voice AI is a recurring theme, with four portfolio companies building voice agents or voice infrastructure, and that she is drawn to "boring" industries such as solar installation, healthcare scheduling, supply chain planning and legal document automation.
Stage Focus
Pre-seed and seed only. The firm describes itself as "Day Zero" and often first money in. Of the first 14 investments, 10 had two co-founders, 2 were solo founders and 2 had three or more. Most are based in SF or the Bay Area.
Check Size
The site states $250K to $500K. Ramamurthy has said check sizes crept up through the first year, partly from conviction and partly from competition, so recent checks may sit at the upper end or above the stated range.
Lead Tendency
Fortune reported the fund would write collaborative checks. Better Auth's seed was led by Peak XV, and Bolna's round by General Catalyst, so Schema appears to follow or co-invest as often as it leads. Lead tendency is recorded as unknown to stay conservative.
Recent Activity
The $20M debut fund was announced on 2025-05-20 at Fortune's Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh. Ramamurthy wired the first check around April 2025. By early January 2026 she had made 14 investments (15th being finalized) and said she plans at least 24 more from this fund throughout 2026. The fund is actively deploying.
Portfolio Highlights
The site lists 13 companies: Better Auth, Smallest AI, Veria Labs, Unsiloed, Powerhouse, Confido Health, Dodge, Aurasell, Cactus AI, First Shift, Cosmic Robotics, Neuramill and Origin. Press coverage includes Cosmic Robotics (TechCrunch, April 2025), Confido Health (Forbes, September 2025) and Better Auth's $5M seed (TechCrunch, June 2025). No exits are reported.
Team
- Aarthi Ramamurthy, Founder and General Partner: former engineer at Microsoft, Netflix and Meta, two-time founder, and co-host of a tech talk show and podcast with her husband Sriram Krishnan.
The fund has no other investment partners listed.
Decision Process
Solo GP. Decisions rest with Ramamurthy alone. Founders can email [email protected] or DM on X. A warm intro is not required.
Founder Preferences
Outsider founders building from lived experience, with deep conviction and technical insight. Founders often come from the industries they are rebuilding. Portfolio founders describe her as a hands-on, operator-minded investor who helps with GTM, fundraising, hiring and introductions to customers.
Value Add
She runs a tech podcast that surfaces founders early, hosts regular portfolio dinners and working sessions, and offers founder-grade help on pilots, pricing, fundraising and hiring.
LPs and Backing
Fortune reports LPs including Marc Andreessen, Garry Tan, Elad Gil, Gokul Rajaram, Charlie Songhurst, Leo Polovets and Lachy Groom, plus the Y Combinator fund-of-funds.
Geographic Focus
Primarily SF Bay Area. Some companies relocated there after starting elsewhere, and the portfolio includes India-linked teams.