Pillar VC

Pillar VC is a Boston-based venture capital firm founded in 2016, dedicated to supporting early-stage companies in sectors such as biotech, crypto, deep enterprise SaaS, healthcare, and university spinouts. The firm focuses on backing founders from the inception of their ideas, assisting in moving concepts to real-world applications. Pillar VC emphasizes a collaborative approach, offering capital, connections, recruitment support, and CEO coaching to foster the growth of its portfolio companies.

The firm's investment philosophy centers on building "pillar" companies that become foundational to the economy, with a strong presence in Boston and the Northeast. Notable portfolio companies include Jellyfish, VideaHealth, Kula Bio, Neural Magic, Asimov, Abridge, Refraction AI, Zapata Computing, Cake, Kite, Higharc, and JobGet.

Pillar VC's leadership team includes Sarah Hodges, Managing Partner; Jamie Goldstein, Partner; and Russ Wilcox, Partner. All three partners have entrepreneurial backgrounds and lead investments across various sectors. The firm has raised a total of $192 million across multiple funds, with its most recent fund, Pillar IV, closing in March 2025.

Pillar VC's investment approach is centered on partnering early with founders, often before incorporation, and providing active support throughout the company's growth. They offer pre-seed investments ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 and seed-round investments between $2 million and $6 million. The firm also distinguishes itself by offering to purchase common stock, aligning their interests directly with those of the founders.

Notable investments include Algorand, a cryptocurrency company; Desktop Metal, a 3D printing company; PillPack, an online pharmacy acquired by Amazon in 2018; Circle, a cryptocurrency company; PathAI, an AI-powered pathology company; and Asimov, a synthetic biology company. Notable exits include PillPack, acquired by Amazon in 2018; Desktop Metal, which went public via a SPAC merger in 2021; Circle, which announced plans to go public through a SPAC deal in 2021; Zilla, acquired by CyberArk for $175 million; and Neural Magic, acquired by Red Hat in November 2021.