Best Pre-Seed HR Tech & Future of Work + Fintech & Payments Investors 2026

We invest in companies intentionally closing gaps in wealth, health, and skills through our Inclusive Investing™ framework. Exceptional founders and transformative opportunities exist far beyond traditional VC hubs; we target overlooked founders building category-leading businesses with systemic impact.

Exceptional founders need more than capital—they need hands-on partners who can provide strategic finance expertise, go-to-market acceleration, customer introductions, and recruiting support. We focus on early-stage companies where operational leverage has the highest impact, working hand-in-hand as an extension of the founding team.

Disciplined, Africa-focused seed investing backing exceptional founding teams solving real African problems with technology-enabled solutions demonstrating strong unit economics, capital efficiency, and ability to scale across emerging markets. Emphasis on founder quality, fundamental unit economics, sufficient capital for 18-24 month runway, and reasonable entry valuations.

Backing transformative founders building exceptional companies across all sectors

Group of founders, operators, and ecosystem builders investing in the next generation of Latin American startups. Sector-agnostic, founder-first approach with an 8-day decision commitment and deep operator network across the LATAM ecosystem.

Investing in the future of commerce, AI, and labor. We believe our biggest asset is knocking down doors for our founders — leveraging our network of 50+ Fortune 500 CEOs and tech executives as LPs to open customer relationships, accelerate go-to-market, and support talent acquisition.

By entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs — backing bold founders creating societal value through AI-native vertical software, momentum-driven market shifts, and Japanese founders scaling to the US. Operates both as a direct investor and as a venture builder co-creating startups from scratch.

First institutional VC fund exclusively founded by former corporate VC leaders. Bridges traditional VC and corporate VC through Counter Club (750+ CVCs, $320B deployed). Invests in B2B SaaS solving nontrivial problems in large markets, providing founders with direct access to enterprise customers, strategic partners, and capital through the CVC network.

MS&AD Ventures partners with visionary entrepreneurs to create innovative solutions across insurance, financial services, healthcare, and sustainability. Backed by the 5th largest global insurance conglomerate, they bring capital plus global distribution across 47 countries. They move fast (2-week decisions), focus on partnerships over ownership, and help companies scale internationally.

Yellow Rocks! builds global bridges through billion-dollar talent, investing in fast-growing early-stage tech companies founded by talented entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world, aimed at global markets with potential to skyrocket in the next 5-8 years. Investing in AI since 2017.

EPIC Ventures backs early-stage technology companies building in the information economy, with a focus on enterprise SaaS, healthcare technology, cybersecurity, and future of work. The firm believes the best way to build lasting companies is through genuine partnership with founders — providing capital, strategic guidance, operational expertise, and deep network access. Founded in 1994, EPIC helped build the Utah tech ecosystem and continues to be the foundational VC of the Mountain West.

Back outlier B2B founders who see around corners and intimately understand customer pain points, investing at the pre-Series A stage to bridge the gap between seed and Series A — especially in underserved non-coastal markets like the Southeast US.

Investing in tomorrow's needs—promoting financial inclusion and social security for underserved communities through early-stage fintech, insurtech, and Islamic fintech. We enhance entrepreneurs' capacity to build sustainable, adaptable businesses and provide market access support, ESG mentoring, and operational advisory alongside capital.

We invest in mission-critical infrastructure serving women and working families. Many essential systems have been dismissed as too complex or too human to solve, but technology and AI advances make transformation possible. This is a $1 trillion opportunity and generational economic growth driver.

Back incredible founders with strong domain knowledge tackling real, durable problems with high growth potential in large and growing markets. Specialty in B2B software and automation for legacy industries — financial services, manufacturing, insurance.

Support first and second generation immigrant founders building unicorn-grade companies. Value-add investor providing capital plus deep network connections to customers, partners, strategic advisors, and founder networks.

Back focused founders solving real problems in markets they understand deeply, with clarity, discipline, and drive. Seek companies with motivated teams, strong product vision, scalable business models, and large addressable markets.

Top-performing SaaS venture fund that identifies exceptional founding talent at the earliest stages and takes an active role in their growth — particularly in scaling go-to-market and sales teams. Prioritizes founding team potential over traction or revenue metrics.

Invest in visionary founders from Latinx and diverse backgrounds building disruptive tech solutions. Capitalize on demographic trends and founder quality in systematically underestimated segments. Create alpha through early-mover advantage in overlooked founder networks.

Early-stage venture capital firm led by experienced CEO providing pre-seed and seed capital to technology-enabled startups, emphasizing leadership development, operational mentorship, and building sustainable companies from the ground up.

We identify exceptional operators with proven track records at scale (ex-Facebook, Google, Stripe) and catalyze their transition into founders. Periods of rapid societal behavior change spur dramatic innovation. We invest in the future of work and consumer utility, providing not just capital but operational expertise, network access, and proven playbooks from building at Facebook/Meta scale.

Network-powered startups connecting people and businesses through software tools and platforms

Back electric founders with an uncontrollable passion for creating disruptive companies. Invest globally, particularly strong in US and Latin America. Combine capital with operational support through venture studio model, helping build groundbreaking companies from inception through scale.

We back entrepreneurs obsessed with solving big problems using capital-efficient technology. We focus on early-stage tech startups in North America and Western Europe building game-changing B2B software across fintech, logistics, proptech, HR tech, legal tech, and cybersecurity.

Backs 'gritty founders' solving real operating problems. Focuses on 'Global Indian' founders — Indian diaspora in the US or India-based founders building for global markets — with an 'India Supply to Global Demand' thesis. Seeks non-incremental startups with strong competitive differentiation and category leadership potential.

Fund economic resilience of underserved entrepreneurial households through early-growth capital in businesses where impact and commercial performance are structurally aligned. Invest in companies democratizing access to essential products and services across financial inclusion, education, healthcare, agri-supply chains, and MSME solutions.

Investing in human potential by backing pre-seed and seed startups building toward an inclusive economy. The fund prioritizes founders who embed inclusion into their business model fabric — seeking early signal that the company is building a future that works for all of us together. Approximately 85% of portfolio companies have diverse founders.

Founders closest to the problem—particularly those from historically overlooked communities—are best positioned to solve it. We invest at the intersection of innovation and inclusion in the building blocks of shared prosperity: economic mobility, healthcare access, and community infrastructure. Perspective and proximity are power.

Mercury backs disruptive AI and Blockchain-enabled startups outside Silicon Valley, with a focus on capital-efficient founders in the Central US reimagining core industries including fintech, enterprise software, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and logistics through their five investment themes: Work, Build, Journeys, Data, and Power.

Formation invests at the 'Formation Stage' — before formal company creation, when founders are still discovering the idea and building conviction. They prioritize long-term relationships (10+ year journeys) over transactional investments, and reject the financialization of early-stage VC. First check in, not just another check in the round.

Venture capital can achieve both financial returns and positive social impact. Founders with lived experience in underrepresented communities identify rapidly-scalable solutions others overlook. Diversity and inclusive business practices drive superior returns and competitive advantage.

Founders investing in founders. Boston Seed invests at pre-seed and seed stages in audacious founders building meaningful technology across consumer, B2B SaaS, gaming, sports, AI, and cloud infrastructure. Known for early conviction in unproven categories (e.g., daily fantasy sports via DraftKings in 2012). Emphasizes transparent, humble storytelling about venture realities. All GPs are ex-founders/CEOs with exits, bringing authentic founder empathy.

We back founders building commercially successful businesses that expand economic mobility in America. We invest where capitalism's incentives align with social benefit, embedding mobility impact in core product, not as an afterthought.

Close the funding gap for women-led ventures at early and growth stages. Investing in women is an economic opportunity, good for business, and the right thing to do. Build a portfolio of diverse founders and industries.

AI-native B2B software companies building workflow applications where defensibility comes from data access, integrations, governance, and distribution — not the underlying model. The fund treats AI as an execution layer, not a feature. Every investment enters a 100-day production phase to de-risk execution before institutional fundraising.

Back mission-driven founders addressing significant global challenges through leading-edge technology. Provide flexible and patient capital, leveraging our time, resources, and networks to support portfolio company success. Focus on founders with authentic social and environmental missions alongside commercial viability.

Invest in the future of software built on AI. We partner with technical founders to provide capital, unfair shortcuts, and operational support to accelerate their learning and help them reach their potential. We position ourselves as the first institutional investor for v0.9 stage founders.

Help founders build companies of which they can be proud. We invest in mission-driven founders solving large, urgent problems using technology to create substantive change. Capital is necessary but not sufficient—sweat, reputation, and accountability are our core commitments.

Partner with founders building generational software companies. We provide capital, operational support, and genuine partnership. Focus on technology-driven solutions addressing large and growing markets. Invest across enterprise and consumer software, with depth in AI-native software, fintech, infrastructure, security, vertical SaaS, healthcare, and future of work.

Back Latin American founders with global ambitions who use technology and AI to solve hard, inefficient markets in fintech, commerce, human capital, health, smart cities, and related large regional opportunities.

The hardest thing in seed is finding product-market fit. We help you find it. If you already have product-market fit, we will help you scale. We partner with exceptionally ambitious founders for the long run and provide capital combined with operational expertise through our 100+ member Product Council.

Capital and support for domain experts building industry-transforming businesses. Field believes the next wave of great companies will be Service-as-a-Software platforms — autonomous AI agents replacing manual workflows in vertical industries, targeting labor budgets rather than IT spend.

Coach and invest in entrepreneurial leaders building world-class, purpose-driven organizations. Combines financial investment with active leadership coaching and organizational development using LinkedIn's proven playbook. Believes great companies are built by great leaders who manage compassionately and combine doing well with doing good.

We back the relentless - founders with exceptional drive, clear vision, and proven execution ability building ambitious category-defining companies.

Yonder invests in early-stage marketplaces that build new economies. We provide first institutional checks to marketplace founders with deep problem intimacy and operational experience. We combine capital with strategic introductions, operational coaching, and access to a network of 50+ marketplace operators and marketplace leaders.

Belgium-first network-driven VC backing the most ambitious Belgian-founded tech startups at Pre-Seed and Seed. Pools capital, expertise, and network from 120+ founders, operators, and investors to help early-stage Belgian companies scale globally.

We back the companies of tomorrow before it's obvious. We combine early-stage European investing with a permanent San Francisco presence to help founders build category-defining global companies. We invest in ambitious technical founders who deeply understand industry transformation.

We invest financial and social capital into exceptional ventures led by visionary, values-aligned teams. Technology is the 'new West' - we seek to broaden opportunities by partnering with pioneering founders to bring entire communities along on their journey of reimagining the world.

The best investment opportunities emerge at the intersection of innovation and scale. We invest across the full lifecycle from seed to public markets, focusing on technology companies that will transform sectors globally with particular conviction in AI-enabled platforms and infrastructure.

Sidecut Ventures backs 'coachable superheroes' — founders tackling systemic challenges in economic mobility, digital health, climate, and education. The firm's 'coach first, capital second' philosophy involves a 30-day co-operating consulting engagement before writing a check, providing operational, marketing, and storytelling support alongside capital.

Early-stage venture capital for IT and Biotech companies in Colorado Front Range and Mid-Atlantic. Focus on experienced founding teams solving important problems with potential for significant financial returns. Patient capital approach with operational support and deep regional networks.

Latino founders represent an underserved but exceptionally talented segment of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We invest in visionary founders who combine bold ideas with execution excellence to build scalable, high-impact businesses that create both economic and social value. We believe institutional capital paired with strategic partnership from Fortune 100 executives and operating experts can unlock the full potential of Latino-led innovation.

Invest in and scale technology businesses where artificial intelligence and data capabilities drive impact and market growth across Latin America. Latin Leap aims to help Spanish-speaking Latin America 'leapfrog' through technology investments tailored to emerging market needs, while also bridging international tech companies into the region.

Underestimated founders are systematically mispriced assets that create alpha rather than requiring concessionary returns. We invest in the very best founders who identify as women, people of color, or LGBTQ, treating capital allocation as activism.

We build category-defining companies through a combination of design, product, operations, and capital. We identify market gaps, pair brilliant founders with Expa's studio resources, and help them build companies that reshape entire industries.

Consumer technology has the power to measurably improve billions of lives across the globe. We invest in exceptional entrepreneurs building digital utilities that provide better access to housing, healthcare, food, financial services, transportation, education, and entertainment globally.

Backing the best founders, not just the best-connected. We assess founders on their qualities, not CV or past experience. We focus on founders building solutions for climate equity, economic empowerment, and healthy ageing.

Empowering entrepreneurs to reimagine the way we live and work by investing in daring technology companies challenging the status quo with permanent capital, lifelong sparring partnership from pre-seed through IPO and beyond.

Venture capital should be accessible to exceptional entrepreneurs anywhere. Great companies can be built outside Silicon Valley with the right capital, operational expertise, and network support.

Serious founders building must-have technology for mission-critical industries. We focus on B2B software companies digitizing legacy industries and transforming established workflows. Specializing in seed-stage, where hands-on operational support, sales acceleration, and capital strategy matter most.

Product-obsessed investing in consumer tech, prosumer software, and SMB applications. We back founders based on product quality and user value, not credentials or background.

Category creating companies with few to no competitors, defensible business models, and unit economics that are starting to work. Invest across all technology sectors except healthcare. Require 50x return potential. Primary value-add is helping raise Series A from the best possible investor.

Innovation requires more than capital—it demands insight, dedication, and pioneering visionaries. We partner with execution-capable founders building differentiated solutions to large industry problems. We provide hands-on operational support, strategic guidance, and deep founder networks to accelerate success.

Great startups can be built anywhere. We believe in founder-centric investing with operational support from a team of successful founders. We serve undernetworked geographic regions.

We invest in preseed founders with unique insight into untapped markets across three pillars: Wealth, Health, and Resilience. We prioritize BIPOC, women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ founders solving problems for overlooked end users, bringing accelerator-style guidance and critical network access alongside capital.

Operator-led fund investing in ambitious founders building transformative AI applications. We partner with technical founders who understand AI/ML deeply and are solving real customer problems with capital efficiency. Great product is always the best marketing.