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How to Pitch Kindred Ventures

How Kindred Ventures leads pre-seed and seed rounds from its new $355M set of funds, the frontier technology and AI themes it names, the six seeds it led in 2026, and the contact form that is its only published route.

Kindred at a glance

Checked against Kindred's own pages and filings, November 2026

Firm
Kindred Ventures, San Francisco. "Kindred Ventures was born in 2014 as an angel fund originally," and is "a $600 million AUM earliest stage fund that serves as a lead investor to its portfolio companies."2 More than 130 companies backed.6
Funds
"Our new $355M set of funds, Kindred Ventures IV and Kindred Selector II" (June 2026).3 The amended SEC Form Ds of February 2026 show Kindred Ventures IV with a $230M offering and $190M sold, and Kindred Selector II with a $100M offering and $37M sold at that date.4,5
Stages
"We invest in technology startups in their earliest rounds of financing, primarily pre-seed and seed."1 "We like the very beginning of cycles -- investing at the frontier."3 It also led or co-led Series A rounds in 2026, including Hydra Host's $100M Series A alongside NVIDIA.16
First check
Not published. The seeds it led in the last year ran from $4.5M to $24M, as whole rounds.9,12 Ownership target not published.
Focus
"We believe in AGI for good, decentralized systems that are fair, personalized well-being for all," "quiet electric transportation for the planet, and technologies that have yet to be imagined."6 "Our 2022-2025 funds were our first AI-focused funds," and the new funds back "novel intelligence" in products, compute, world models, science, "outer space and inner space."3 Portfolio filters: AI, Climate Tech, Consumer, Crypto/Web3, Fintech, Health and Wellness, Mobility and Logistics, Software, Tools and Infrastructure.7
Geography
No policy is published. The firm says it uses "our deep networks globally"; its portfolio labels companies in Japan, India and Brazil, and it hosts AI Wave in Seoul.1,7,15
Partners
Steve Jang (founder and managing partner; "consumer internet, AI, decentralized systems, infrastructure/tools, and frontier technologies") and Kanyi Maqubela (managing partner; frontier technology, digital health, e-commerce, fintech, supply chain and logistics; lead investor in Adyton, Basis Theory, Faircraft, CloudTrucks, Corgi and Tala). The two are the firm's investing partners; the rest of the team is finance, research and operations.2,8,1
Recent seed leads
  • Pomo, $4.5M seed, led, April 20269
  • District, $14.7M seed, co-led with a16z, May 202610
  • Fearn, $5.5M seed, led, June 202611
  • Architect Labs, $24M seed, led alongside TQ Ventures, June 202612
  • Kotoba, $10M seed, led alongside Salesforce Ventures and Sony Ventures, June 202613
  • Dynamic Creatures, seed, co-led with Eniac, September 2026 (size not stated)14
Amounts are whole rounds, not Kindred's share.
What it looks for
"Founders who combine deep technical conviction with a willingness to work on problems" others avoid;12 "strong product taste, battle-tested engineering prowess";10 "deep domain expertise, original technical research";11 and a problem "where the 'why now' is structural rather than incremental."9
Programs
No accelerator, scout program or office hours. "We partner with entrepreneurs before they have created their companies."1 Events: AI Wave Seoul, a convening of Silicon Valley and Korean founders and investors, by invitation.15
How to reach
A Contact Us form ("Tell us what's going on") linked from the homepage and about page.6 No pitch form, submission email or statement on cold inbound is published. The fund announcement closes: "we would love to partner with you."3
Process
Not published.
  1. Kindred Ventures: About
  2. Kindred Ventures: Steve Jang
  3. Kindred Ventures: Announcing our new $355M set of funds (June 2026)
  4. SEC Form D/A: Kindred Ventures IV, L.P. (February 2026)
  5. SEC Form D/A: Kindred Selector II, L.P. (February 2026)
  6. Kindred Ventures: Home
  7. Kindred Ventures: Portfolio
  8. Kindred Ventures: Kanyi Maqubela
  9. Kindred Ventures: Our investment in Pomo (April 2026)
  10. Kindred Ventures: District (May 2026)
  11. Kindred Ventures: Fearn (June 2026)
  12. Kindred Ventures: Architect Labs (June 2026)
  13. Kindred Ventures: Kotoba (June 2026)
  14. Kindred Ventures: Dynamic Creatures (September 2026)
  15. Kindred Ventures: Announcing AI Wave Seoul 2026 (November 2026)
  16. Kindred Ventures: Hydra Host (June 2026)

Compare 27 top firms side by side

Kindred Ventures started in 2014 as Steve Jang's angel fund and is now a $600 million firm that leads pre-seed and seed rounds in frontier technology. Its portfolio page lists Coinbase, dYdX, Magic Eden, Blue Bottle Coffee, Clubhouse, Humane, Basis Theory and Aalo Atomics. In June 2026 it announced a $355 million set of funds, Kindred Ventures IV and Kindred Selector II.

What Kindred Is

Kindred's about page states the stage: "We invest in technology startups in their earliest rounds of financing, primarily pre-seed and seed." Steve Jang's profile adds the posture: the firm "serves as a lead investor to its portfolio companies." Its 2026 announcements bear that out. It led Pomo's $4.5 million seed, Fearn's $5.5 million seed, Kotoba's $10 million seed and Architect Labs' $24 million seed, and co-led District with a16z and Dynamic Creatures with Eniac. The same year it led Hydra Host's $100 million Series A alongside NVIDIA, so "earliest" is the default rather than a ceiling.

Two investing partners make every decision: Steve Jang and Kanyi Maqubela. There is no larger partnership to route around, and no published process, timeline or check size.

What Kindred Looks For

1. Deep technical conviction. From the Architect Labs post: "We are drawn to founders who combine deep technical conviction with a willingness to work on problems" the market has not yet rewarded.

2. Product taste and engineering prowess. From the District post: "founders who have strong product taste, battle-tested engineering prowess."

3. Domain expertise and original research. From the Fearn post: founders "who have deep domain expertise, original technical research."

4. A structural why-now. From the Pomo post: a problem "where the 'why now' is structural rather than incremental."

5. The beginning of a cycle. "We like the very beginning of cycles -- investing at the frontier." The firm's 2022 to 2025 funds were its first AI-focused funds; the new funds describe "novel intelligence" across products, compute, world models and science.

What Kindred Needs to See

Kindred publishes no traction thresholds. Its 2026 leads were a custom chip co-design company (Architect Labs), a multilingual voice AI company (Kotoba), a patent intelligence company (Fearn), an AI-native commerce company (District) and a character-robot company (Dynamic Creatures): technical founders at the start of a category, which is the pattern its own posts describe. The homepage frames the themes broadly, from AGI for good and decentralized systems to personalized well-being and electric transportation, "and technologies that have yet to be imagined."

How to Get a Kindred Meeting

  • The contact form: a Contact Us form ("Tell us what's going on") is linked from the homepage and about page. It is the only published route; there is no pitch form or investment email
  • The two partners: Steve Jang covers consumer internet, AI, decentralized systems, infrastructure and tools, and frontier technologies; Kanyi Maqubela covers frontier technology, digital health, e-commerce, fintech, and supply chain and logistics
  • Co-investors: Kindred's 2026 seeds were shared with a16z, TQ Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Sony Ventures and Eniac
  • Before the company exists: the about page says the firm partners "with entrepreneurs before they have created their companies," so an idea-stage conversation is inside its model

What Gets You Passed

  • An incremental why-now: the firm's own test is structural change, not a better version of what exists
  • A non-technical founding team in a technical category: every 2026 post describes technical conviction, engineering prowess or original research
  • A late-stage ask: its stated job is the earliest rounds; its Series A leads were companies at the start of new infrastructure categories

A second track: Pitch Protocol

Warm paths into a fund like Kindred take time. Pitch Protocol is not a route into Kindred; it is a second track you can run alongside your outreach. Applying is free, your own AI agent submits one application in about ten minutes with no web form, and the funds in our network whose thesis matches reach out to you directly. Apply to the First 100 Founders Cohort →

Founder FAQ

Which Kindred partner should I pitch for my sector?

Kindred has two investing partners. Steve Jang (founder and managing partner) invests in "consumer internet, AI, decentralized systems, infrastructure/tools, and frontier technologies." Kanyi Maqubela (managing partner) covers frontier technology, digital health, e-commerce, fintech, and supply chain and logistics, and is lead investor in Adyton, Basis Theory, Faircraft, CloudTrucks, Corgi and Tala.

Does Kindred lead seed rounds?

Yes. Steve Jang's page says the firm "serves as a lead investor to its portfolio companies," and in 2026 it led the seeds of Pomo ($4.5M), Fearn ($5.5M), Kotoba ($10M) and Architect Labs ($24M), and co-led District's $14.7M seed with a16z.

What is Kindred's typical check size?

Kindred does not publish a check size or ownership target. The seed rounds it led in the last year ran from $4.5M to $24M as whole rounds, and its new funds total $355M per its June 2026 announcement.

Does Kindred invest outside the United States?

Kindred publishes no geographic policy. Its about page says it leverages "our deep networks globally," its portfolio labels companies in Japan, India and Brazil, and it hosts an annual AI Wave event in Seoul.

How long does Kindred take to decide?

Kindred does not publish a decision process or timeline.

Does Kindred take cold inbound?

The only published route is a Contact Us form ("Tell us what's going on") linked from the homepage and about page. No pitch form, investment email or statement on cold inbound is published; events@kindredventures.com is for event invitations only.

What does Kindred invest in?

The earliest rounds in frontier technology: its homepage names "AGI for good, decentralized systems that are fair, personalized well-being for all," electric transportation "and technologies that have yet to be imagined," and its June 2026 fund post says its 2022 to 2025 funds were its first AI-focused funds. Portfolio categories run from AI and crypto to climate, consumer, fintech, health and mobility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kindred invest at Series A?

Sometimes. In 2026 it led Hydra Host's $100M Series A alongside NVIDIA and co-led Parasail's and Sandbar's Series A rounds, per its announcements, but its stated focus is "primarily pre-seed and seed."

Can I apply through Pitch Protocol instead of waiting for a warm intro?

Pitch Protocol is not a back door into Kindred, and we do not share which funds review an application before it is in. What it does: applying is free, your own AI agent (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any agent that can read a URL) submits one application in about ten minutes with no web form, and the funds in our network whose thesis matches reach out to you directly. Founders anywhere can apply. Keep working your warm path to Kindred in parallel. Apply to the First 100 Founders Cohort →