# How to Pitch Upfront Ventures

November 13, 2026 · By [Josh May](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/team.html#josh-may)

How Upfront Ventures writes first checks at seed and pre-seed from Los Angeles, invests nationally and sometimes internationally, which general partner covers your sector, and what it does not publish, including any pitch route.

**TL;DR:** Upfront Ventures is a Los Angeles firm, founded in 1996, that says it is your first check at seed or even pre-seed and follows on from a growth fund. SEC filings show Upfront VIII with a $280M offering and Growth IV at $200M (2023) and $3.4B in regulatory assets. It publishes no check size, no pitch form and no process; in 2026 it led the seeds of CVRD Health and Kubera Health and co-led Village's.

## Upfront at a glance

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

**Firm:** Upfront Ventures, founded in 1996 by Yves Sisteron. [2] "We invest nationally (sometimes internationally) but our HQ is in LA," with investment professionals in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. [1] Its SEC Form ADV (March 2026) reports $3.38B in regulatory assets under management. [3]

**Funds:** Upfront VIII, L.P.: a $280M offering per its SEC Form D of September 2023; Upfront Growth IV, L.P.: $200M, same date. [4, 5] No fund close is announced on upfront.com and no Upfront IX filing exists as of November 2026.

**Stages:** "At Upfront, we like to come in at the earliest stages and stick with you as you grow. In today's world, that means we're your first check in at the seed (or even pre-seed) stage," with the growth fund for later rounds. [1] Led CVRD Health's and Kubera Health's seeds and co-led Village's in 2026. [9, 10, 8]

**First check:** Not published on upfront.com. In a 2022 interview Mark Suster said "for our Seed fund it tends to be around a $3 million first check" and that the early growth fund writes $10M to $15M first checks (press, dated). [14] Ownership target not published.

**Focus:** No firm-level sector statement. Each general partner's profile states a primary focus: computer vision and SaaS (Mark Suster); health tech and gaming (Kevin Zhang); hard tech and national infrastructure, "advanced manufacturing and robotics, industrial automation, energy and utilities, aerospace and defense" (Nick Kim); vertical SaaS, fintech and AI applications and infrastructure (Aditi Maliwal); climate tech and sustainability (Yves Sisteron). [6]

**Geography:** "With investment professionals in both LA and the Bay, we invest nationally and even globally for the right deal." [1]

**Partners:** General partners [Mark Suster](https://upfront.com/people/mark-suster) (computer vision, SaaS), [Kevin Zhang](https://upfront.com/people/kevin-zhang) (health tech, gaming), [Nick Kim](https://upfront.com/people/nick-kim) (hard tech, national infrastructure), [Aditi Maliwal](https://upfront.com/people/aditi-maliwal) (vertical SaaS, fintech, AI) and [Stuart Lander](https://upfront.com/people/stuart) (growth); partner [Kesar Varma](https://upfront.com/people/kesar-varma); founding partner [Yves Sisteron](https://upfront.com/people/yves-sisteron) (climate tech). [6]

**Recent seed leads:**

- Fortastra, $8M seed, December 2025 (Upfront announces the investment; it does not state a lead) [7]
- Village, $9.5M seed, co-led with Bling Capital, GTM Fund and Perceptive Ventures, May 2026 [8]
- CVRD Health, $5M seed, led, May 2026 [9]
- Kubera Health, $6.5M seed, led, May 2026 [10]

Amounts are whole rounds, not Upfront's share.

**Programs:** Founder Fellows: an eight-week fellowship for technical builders and researchers with a "$75,000+" investment when a venture-backable startup is incorporated; applications are open. [11] The Upfront Summit: "more than 1,000 top investors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders for an invitation-only event in Los Angeles." [1]

**How to reach:** Not published. The site has no contact page, pitch form or submission email; the only form is a newsletter signup. No statement on cold inbound or warm intros. Founder Fellows has its own application. [11]

**Process:** "Bottom line - we want to get to know you as early as possible and work together for a long time." [1] No decision timeline is published.

**Portfolio:** [upfront.com/portfolio](https://upfront.com/portfolio): Ring, GoodRx, Bird, thredUP, TrueCar, Qualys, Apeel Sciences, Nanit, Rula, Writer and Bland AI among them. [12] Homepage: "Earning the right to invest in startups and partner with exceptional teams is a lifelong pursuit." [13]

1. [Upfront Ventures: About](https://upfront.com/about)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Yves Sisteron](https://upfront.com/people/yves-sisteron)
1. [SEC Form ADV: Upfront Ventures Management, LLC (March 2026)](https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/175144/PDF/175144.pdf)
1. [SEC Form D: Upfront VIII, L.P. (September 2023)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1992642/000199264223000001/primary_doc.xml)
1. [SEC Form D: Upfront Growth IV, L.P. (September 2023)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1992641/000199264223000002/primary_doc.xml)
1. [Upfront Ventures: People](https://upfront.com/people)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Introducing Upfront's seed investment in Fortastra (December 2025)](https://upfront.com/thoughts/introducing-upfronts-seed-investment-in-fortastra)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Investing in Village (May 2026)](https://upfront.com/thoughts/investing-in-village)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Backing CVRD Health (May 2026)](https://upfront.com/thoughts/backing-cvrd-health-modern-benefits-infrastructure-for-an-overlooked-corner-of-the-american-workforce)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Leading the $6.5M seed in Kubera Health (May 2026)](https://upfront.com/thoughts/leading-6-5m-seed-in-kubera-health-financial-infrastructure-layer-for-american-healthcare)
1. [Upfront Founder Fellows](https://fellows.upfront.com/)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Portfolio](https://upfront.com/portfolio)
1. [Upfront Ventures: Home](https://upfront.com/)
1. [dot.la (press): Upfront Ventures raises $650 million (July 2022)](https://dot.la/upfront-ventures-raises-650-million-2657738817.html)

[Compare 27 top firms side by side](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-top-vc-firms/)

Upfront Ventures is the largest venture firm headquartered in Los Angeles and one of the oldest, founded in 1996. Its portfolio page lists Ring, GoodRx, Bird, thredUP, TrueCar, Qualys, Apeel Sciences, Nanit, Rula and Writer. Its best-known partner, Mark Suster, has written about venture for founders for more than a decade, which makes the firm unusually transparent about how it thinks and unusually quiet, on its own site, about how to reach it.

## What Upfront Is

The about page states the model in two sentences: "we like to come in at the earliest stages and stick with you as you grow," and "that means we're your first check in at the seed (or even pre-seed) stage." A growth fund follows on in later rounds. SEC filings from September 2023 show Upfront VIII with a $280 million offering and Upfront Growth IV with $200 million; the firm's March 2026 Form ADV reports $3.4 billion in regulatory assets under management.

In 2026 the firm led CVRD Health's $5 million seed and Kubera Health's $6.5 million seed, both in healthcare infrastructure, and co-led Village's $9.5 million seed with Bling Capital, GTM Fund and Perceptive Ventures. In December 2025 it announced a seed investment in Fortastra, an LA company building autonomous security satellites.

## What Upfront Looks For

**1. The first check.** "In today's world, that means we're your first check in at the seed (or even pre-seed) stage." The firm wants to be early, and its growth fund exists so it can stay.

**2. Hard work alongside you.** "We value all of those but most strongly believe in rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work alongside you in your moments of need."

**3. Sector depth, partner by partner.** Upfront publishes no firm-level thesis. Each general partner states a primary focus: Nick Kim's is hard tech and national infrastructure, from advanced manufacturing and robotics to energy, aerospace and defense; Kevin Zhang's is health tech and gaming, and he "looks for interdisciplinary entrepreneurs solving big problems in healthcare and the life sciences"; Aditi Maliwal's is vertical SaaS, fintech and AI applications and infrastructure; Mark Suster's is computer vision and SaaS.

**4. Swinging for the fences.** Yves Sisteron's profile describes "founders who truly swing for the fences, with a vision for meaningful industry disruption and equally transformative social impact, regardless of category."

**5. A long relationship.** "Bottom line - we want to get to know you as early as possible and work together for a long time."

## What Upfront Needs to See

Upfront publishes no traction thresholds and no check size on its site. Mark Suster's 2022 description of the seed fund's first check as "around a $3 million first check" is the only figure on record, and it is a press quote from the previous fund. The 2026 leads were $5 million to $9.5 million seeds in healthcare infrastructure and pediatrics, each with a partner-authored post explaining the thesis. Read those posts before you pitch: they are the clearest published account of what the firm backs and why.

## How to Get an Upfront Meeting

- **There is no published route**: no contact page, pitch form or submission email; the site's only form is a newsletter signup
- **The right general partner**: the people page states each investor's primary focus. Match it before you reach out through their public profiles
- **Founder Fellows**: an eight-week fellowship for technical builders and researchers, with a $75,000-plus investment when a venture-backable startup is incorporated and direct exposure to the partners. Applications are open
- **The Upfront Summit and the LA network**: the firm's invitation-only summit draws more than 1,000 investors and founders to Los Angeles each year, and its partners publish an LA Hard Tech 50 list; the LA ecosystem is its home turf

## What Gets You Passed

- **Not a first check**: the firm's stated place is the first check at seed or pre-seed, with growth reserved for its own companies and later rounds
- **Outside the partners' stated focus**: with no firm-level thesis, the published map is the partners' primary-focus lines
- **A short-term relationship**: the firm says it wants to work together "for a long time"

## A second track: Pitch Protocol

Warm paths into a fund like Upfront take time. Pitch Protocol is not a route into Upfront; 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 →](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc)

## Founder FAQ

### Which Upfront partner should I pitch for my sector?

Upfront's [people page](https://upfront.com/people) states each general partner's primary focus. Computer vision and SaaS: [Mark Suster](https://upfront.com/people/mark-suster). Health tech and gaming: [Kevin Zhang](https://upfront.com/people/kevin-zhang). Hard tech and national infrastructure (advanced manufacturing, robotics, industrial automation, energy, aerospace and defense): [Nick Kim](https://upfront.com/people/nick-kim). Vertical SaaS, fintech and AI applications and infrastructure: [Aditi Maliwal](https://upfront.com/people/aditi-maliwal). Climate tech and sustainability: [Yves Sisteron](https://upfront.com/people/yves-sisteron). Growth rounds: [Stuart Lander](https://upfront.com/people/stuart).

### Does Upfront lead seed rounds?

Yes. Its [about page](https://upfront.com/about) says "we're your first check in at the seed (or even pre-seed) stage," and in 2026 it led [CVRD Health's $5M seed](https://upfront.com/thoughts/backing-cvrd-health-modern-benefits-infrastructure-for-an-overlooked-corner-of-the-american-workforce) and [Kubera Health's $6.5M seed](https://upfront.com/thoughts/leading-6-5m-seed-in-kubera-health-financial-infrastructure-layer-for-american-healthcare), and co-led Village's $9.5M seed.

### What is Upfront's typical check size?

Upfront does not publish a check size or ownership target on its site. The only figure on record is Mark Suster's 2022 interview (press, dated): "for our Seed fund it tends to be around a $3 million first check," with $10M to $15M first checks from the early growth fund.

### Does Upfront invest outside Los Angeles and the United States?

Yes to both, by its own words: "We invest nationally (sometimes internationally) but our HQ is in LA," and "With investment professionals in both LA and the Bay, we invest nationally and even globally for the right deal" ([about page](https://upfront.com/about)).

### How long does Upfront take to decide?

Upfront does not publish a decision process or timeline. Its about page says only: "we want to get to know you as early as possible and work together for a long time."

### Does Upfront take cold inbound?

Upfront publishes no contact page, pitch form, submission email or statement about cold inbound; the only form on upfront.com is a newsletter signup. The [Founder Fellows](https://fellows.upfront.com/) program has its own open application.

### What is Upfront Founder Fellows?

An eight-week fellowship for technical builders and researchers run by Upfront, with "$75,000+" invested when a venture-backable startup is incorporated, direct exposure to Upfront's partners, one-to-one mentorship and events in LA, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia, per [fellows.upfront.com](https://fellows.upfront.com/).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the Upfront Summit?

An invitation-only event in Los Angeles that "hosts more than 1,000 top investors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders" each year, per Upfront's [about page](https://upfront.com/about).

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

Pitch Protocol is not a back door into Upfront, 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 Upfront in parallel. [Apply to the First 100 Founders Cohort →](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc)

## Related guides

- [How to Pitch Craft Ventures](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-craft-ventures/): Craft Ventures' operator-led model, its focus on B2B software in the AI era, and the Burn Multiple it uses to judge efficiency.
- [How to Pitch Forerunner Ventures](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-forerunner-ventures/): What Forerunner backs now that consumer means products built for people, its $500 million Fund VII, and the email address it reads every pitch from.
- [How to Pitch Greylock](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-greylock/): How Greylock backs founders from before the idea through Series A, what its $1.5 billion Greylock 18 means, and the published routes in, including Edge.
- [How to Pitch First Round Capital](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-first-round/): How First Round invests at angel, pre-seed and seed, what it says it looks for, and how to reach it, cold outreach included.
- [How to Pitch Bonfire Ventures](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc/blog/how-to-pitch-bonfire-ventures/): How Bonfire Ventures leads seed rounds for AI-native B2B companies, its $2M to $6M first checks, the six investment areas it names, and the pitch form it reads.

Published by [Pitch Protocol](https://www.pitchprotocol.vc) · A [Growth Factory Ventures](https://growthfactory.vc) studio project · Published November 13, 2026

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