Upfront Ventures

Los Angeles' largest early-stage venture firm, founded in 1996, backing founders across sectors nationwide from seed through Series B with a West Coast-rooted, operator-friendly partnership model.

Typical check size

$1M-$10M (stage-based estimate)

Founded

1996

Headquarters

Los Angeles, CA

AUM

N/A

Rounds they lead

Seed Series A

Rounds they invest

Seed Series A Series B+

Portfolio companies we track

Startups in our directory that list Upfront Ventures as an investor (7 total).

Apeel Sciences Plant-derived edible coatings that extend fresh-produce shelf life and reduce food waste.
Apex Space Productized satellite bus manufacturer (Aries, Nova, and Comet platforms).
Believer Game studio building a next-gen open-world multiplayer IP from former Riot executives.
CX2 AI-driven electronic warfare systems for U.S. defense spectral dominance.
Factual Neutral location-data platform for POI, audiences, and measurement—merged into Foursquare in 2020.
General Translation Developer-focused localization and internationalization (i18n) platform for software products.
Knowable Audio-first expert courses for commute learning—acquired by Medium in 2021.

FAQs about Upfront Ventures

Stage fit, check size, thesis, and how founders typically approach this firm — based on public sources and our directory.

Upfront leads seed and Series A rounds and participates through Series B+. Our directory lists Seed, Series A, and Series B+ coverage; the firm is among the most active early-stage investors in the Los Angeles ecosystem.

Upfront does not publicly disclose a standard check-size range. Directory estimate based on stage: seed and Series A checks typical of a multi-decade early-stage generalist — exact amounts are not stated on upfront.com.

Upfront is headquartered in Los Angeles and describes itself as LA's largest early-stage VC firm, but invests nationwide across the U.S. Portfolio companies are not limited to Southern California.

Upfront is a generalist early-stage investor spanning consumer, enterprise SaaS, healthcare, and frontier tech. Our directory tags generalist-tech. Historic bets include companies like Apeel Sciences and Walker & Company.

Upfront routinely leads seed and Series A rounds in companies it backs. The firm has been investing since 1996 and is known for hands-on partnership with founders from first institutional check.

Directory startups listing Upfront include Apeel Sciences, Walker and Company Brands, Factual, and Apex Space — see /startup/apeel-sciences, /startup/walker-and-company-brands, /startup/factual, and /startup/apex-space.

Review upfront.com for partner focus areas and portfolio context. Warm introductions from portfolio founders, angels, or LA ecosystem operators are standard. Upfront does not promote a public cold-pitch email.

See 2026-la-8-85b-aerospace-defense-2025-recap for Upfront's positioning among the most active LA VCs alongside Greycroft, March Capital, and Crosscut Ventures.

Website

Venture Capital Tracker