Founders' Co-op

Founders' Co-op is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to supporting early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest. Established in 2008, the firm has built a robust network to assist founders from inception to scaling. They have led 128 first-check investments, and their portfolio companies have collectively raised over $2.5 billion in funding. Notable investments include Remitly, Ganaz, and Outreach. The firm has also been instrumental in regional initiatives, leading the Techstars Seattle program from 2010 to 2019 and co-leading the Amazon-backed Alexa Accelerator in 2017. Additionally, they established Startup Hall in partnership with the University of Washington to foster collaboration between academic and commercial innovation.

The firm's investment strategy focuses on backing exceptional technical founding teams within the Pacific Northwest. They prefer to be the first institutional check into a company, typically investing between $1 million and $1.5 million in a company's first fundraise of $1 million to $3 million. Founders' Co-op has a strong preference for companies located from Portland, Oregon, up to Vancouver, British Columbia, and they believe that world-class companies can be built anywhere, but most successful companies will ultimately raise from money centers like the Bay Area or New York City. Helping their portfolio companies succeed with high-quality follow-on investors is core to their work.

Founders' Co-op is led by founding managing partner Chris DeVore and general partner Aviel Ginzburg. Their approach is highly personal, reflecting their passion for supporting exceptional entrepreneurs. They aim to help founders navigate the winding road from founding to Series A, ensuring that their investments are not just financial but also strategic, providing the necessary support to build companies that go on to dominate their markets and raise capital from the best investors in the world.