8 VC firms investing in marketing & adtech and semiconductors & hardware at the Pre-Seed stage.
F4 Fund tracks 8 VC firms that actively invest in marketing & adtech + semiconductors & hardware at the Pre-Seed stage, with check sizes ranging from $50K – $30M (median: $1.6M – $1.6M). As of August 2026, and 88% lead or co-lead rounds. Rankings are based on F4's proprietary analysis of 1,672+ researched VC firms, scored by data completeness, portfolio depth, investment recency, and stage alignment.
| # | Firm | Check Size | Portfolio | Leads? | Activity | Decision | Intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▶ Story Ventures Story invests in the building blocks of automated systems across three interconnected layers: sensory systems (data capture), data processing (organization and structure), and machine intelligence (applications and decision-making). We believe the most impactful problems require the most innovative solutions, and we partner with founders pursuing audacious, challenging businesses because that's what it takes to create lasting impact. New York | $500K – $5M | 44 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 2 | ▶ Tramlines Domain experts with 10-20 years of industry experience are uniquely positioned to build AI-native services businesses that transform their sectors. Tramlines backs grounded founders combining human judgment, deep domain expertise, and AI-powered execution to build sustainable, revenue-first businesses. London | $315K – $315K | 9 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 3 | ▶ ZhenFund Believe in innovation, risk-taking, and young talent. Best entrepreneurs are rare and precious. Provide quick capital, friendly terms, genuine commitment. Help but don't complicate. Monthly founder support. Beijing | $250K – $3M | 27 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 4 | ▶ SpeedInvest Backs globally ambitious technology companies from pre-seed and seed through selected growth rounds using specialist EMEA sector teams and a platform model for capital, customers, talent, follow-on investors, and operational support. Vienna | $250K – $30M | 55 | Leads | Active | N/A | Open |
| 5 | ▶ node.vc We back visionary technology founders in the Nordic region driven by disruptive forces. Our thesis centers on three areas: New Experiences (gaming, new media, health tech), Platform Technologies (developer tools, infrastructure, fintech, IoT, machine intelligence), and Smarter Workplaces (productivity, developer tools, digital workplaces). As founders and operators ourselves, we bring hands-on operational mentorship to help mitigate risks and navigate building at scale. | $750K – $2.7M | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 6 | ▶ Not Yet Ventures Partners with US university students building startups at the earliest stage. Uses a behavioral engagement metric to identify high-potential founders before they have a fundable idea. Believes the best ideas look initially like bad ideas, and that talent is equally distributed but opportunity is not. Focuses on non-traditional university hubs. Charlottesville, VA | $50K – $50K | 28 | N/A | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 7 | ▶ TheFounderVC Backs U.S. pre-seed and seed founders building vertical AI applications where domain expertise, workflow-native products, differentiated data, and personalized UX can create category leaders. Seattle | $100K – $250K | 10 | Both | Active | N/A | N/A |
| 8 | ▶ TheoryForge 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. | $200K – $500K | 38 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
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Firms that frequently co-invest with investors on this page
F4 Fund tracks 8 VC firms that actively invest in marketing & adtech + semiconductors & hardware at the Pre-Seed stage. These firms are ranked using a composite score that weighs data completeness (30%), portfolio depth (30%), investment recency (25%), and stage alignment (15%).
Based on F4's analysis, the median check size for pre-seed marketing & adtech + semiconductors & hardware investors is $1.6M – $1.6M, with a full range from $50K – $30M. The distribution breaks down as: 4 firms in the <$500K range, 2 firms in the $1M-$2M range, 1 firms in the $2M-$5M range, 1 firms in the $10M+ range.
Among the 8 firms tracked, 88% lead or co-lead rounds. Founders seeking a lead investor should filter for firms marked "Leads" or "Both" in the rankings table above. Lead investors typically set deal terms and anchor the round.
The best pre-seed marketing & adtech + semiconductors & hardware investors combine domain expertise with an active portfolio in the space. Among these firms, 43% prefer warm introductions, and the average firm has 29 portfolio companies. Look for firms whose check size matches your raise, whose stage preference aligns with yours, and who have a track record of supporting companies in your sector through multiple growth phases.
Firm profiles are continuously updated through F4's research pipeline, which combines LLM-powered web research, portfolio analysis, and transcript extraction. The ranking data refreshes every 12 hours. Editorial analysis is reviewed weekly. Individual firm profiles are re-researched on a 30-day cycle or when new information surfaces.