CRV
Cambridge, MA early-stage firm founded in 1970 (formerly Charles River Ventures). Refocused on seed and Series A with its $750M CRV XX fund; backed DoorDash at seed and led Series A rounds in companies like Mercury and Vercel.
Typical check size
$1M-$10M (stage-based estimate)
Founded
1970
Headquarters
Cambridge, MA
AUM
N/A
Rounds they lead
Pre-Seed
Seed
Series A
Rounds they invest
Pre-Seed
Seed
Series A
Series B+
Portfolio companies we track
Startups in our directory that list CRV as an investor (19 total).
- Aerodome Drone-as-first-responder platform for police — automated aerial response to 911 calls.
- Apex Space Productized satellite bus manufacturer (Aries, Nova, and Comet platforms).
- Capriza Enterprise mobility platform that auto-converts web apps to mobile (legacy).
- Clerk Drop-in authentication, user management, and session handling for web and mobile apps.
- CodeRabbit AI-native control layer for software change — independent code review plus agentic triage, explainability, and post-merge security.
- Concourse Enterprise AI agents connected to ERPs and finance systems for corporate teams.
- DoorDash U.S. delivery logistics platform — public on NYSE as DASH since December 2020.
- Dyno Therapeutics AI-designed AAV capsids for gene therapy — CapsidMap platform with Novartis, Sarepta, Roche.
- HumanAPI Human API aggregated consumer health records from EHRs and wearables before LexisNexis Risk Solutions acquired it in 2023.
- Jeeves Global corporate cards and expense management for startups operating across borders.
- Kong Cloud API gateway and connectivity platform built on open-source Kong.
- Lighter zk-rollup perpetual futures DEX with on-chain order matching.
- Mercury Startup banking — checking, treasury, cards, and financial workflows for tech companies.
- Protege Governed marketplace licensing real-world multimodal data for AI training.
- Recursion Techbio company using automated labs and ML for drug discovery at scale.
- Shef Marketplace connecting vetted home cooks with local buyers for homemade meal delivery.
- SignalFx Cloud-native monitoring platform using streaming analytics.
- Theker Barcelona-based full-stack generalist robots for industrial manipulation — deployed live under a Robot-as-a-Service model.
- Zenefits SMB HR, benefits, and payroll SaaS — acquired by TriNet in 2022, now TriNet HR Plus.
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Aug 4, 2025
CRV Closes $750M CRV XX, Refocuses on Early Stage
Aug 12, 2026
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Theker's $85M: Barcelona Joins the AI-Robotics Race
FAQs about CRV
Stage fit, check size, thesis, and how founders typically approach this firm — based on public sources and our directory.
Per our directory, CRV leads pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds and can follow into later stages for portfolio winners. With CRV XX ($750M, closed August 2025), the firm is explicitly early-stage focused and stepped back from late-stage Select funds.
CRV does not publish a standard check size. As an early-stage lead investor, checks are sized for seed and Series A leadership—typically multi-million-dollar commitments. Exact amounts vary by round; directory estimate based on stage focus.
CRV is headquartered in Cambridge, MA and has deep Bay Area roots spanning decades. The firm invests across the U.S. at early stages and backs founders regardless of geography when conviction is high.
Our directory tags generalist tech. CRV is stage- and founder-driven rather than sector-limited—portfolio spans developer tools (Vercel, Clerk), fintech (Mercury, Jeeves), healthcare (Recursion), and consumer (DoorDash).
CRV leads seed and Series A rounds and often holds board seats. The firm publicly highlights leading Vercel's Series A and DoorDash's seed—positioning itself as a conviction early partner, not a passive follower.
DoorDash (/startup/doordash), Mercury (/startup/mercury), Clerk (/startup/clerk), Jeeves (/startup/jeeves), Recursion (/startup/recursion), and Aerodome (/startup/aerodome) are among startups in our directory with CRV listed as an investor.
Founders at pre-seed through Series A can engage through crv.com. Warm introductions from portfolio founders, operators, or co-investors are typical. CRV looks for founders with depth, conviction, and an insight that feels differentiated.
See /2026-crv-xx-750m-fund (CRV XX $750M close and early-stage refocus) and /2026-crv-theker-robotics-73m-round (Theker Robotics growth round).