Union Square Ventures
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Union Square Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Union Square Ventures
- Legal name
- Union Square Ventures
- Website
- http://www.usv.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Union Square Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Union Square Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Union Square Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Venture capital firms typically charge 2-2.5% management fee on committed capital during the investment period, declining in later years.
- Carried Interest: USV earns carried interest (typically 20%) on profits from successful fund investments above the hurdle rate.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Union Square Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Union Square Ventures is a thesis-driven venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies (primarily seed and Series A) through its Core Fund, with follow-on and selective new investments made through its Opportunity Fund. Capital is deployed at the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures, with focus domains spanning AI, crypto, energy, and bio.
Product overview
Union Square Ventures is a New York-based venture capital firm that manages two active investment vehicles: a Core Fund for early-stage investments (primarily seed and Series A) and an Opportunity Fund for follow-on and new investments. The firm operates a small investment team augmented by an internal AI agent system built on Tasklet, with analysts participating in a structured two-year program across AI, energy, crypto, and bio domains. The portfolio spans transformative technology companies including consumer apps, AI platforms, crypto infrastructure, climate tech, and robotics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- USV Core Fund Early-stage investment vehicle (primarily seed and Series A) managed by Union Square Ventures as part of their thesis-driven investment approach across AI, crypto, energy, and bio.
- USV Opportunity Fund Investment fund where USV invests in opportunities both in and out of the existing portfolio, allowing for continued support of portfolio companies and selective new investments.
- USV Climate Fund Dedicated USV climate-themed investment vehicle deployed as part of the firm's 14-fund history, with two Climate Funds raised over its tenure. (Note: USV has raised 2 Climate Funds across its history.)
- USV Analyst Program Two-year fixed-term analyst program where analysts serve as full members of the USV investment team, supporting sourcing, diligence, thesis development, and portfolio work across AI, energy, crypto, and bio domains.
- USV Network Portfolio talent and peer network connecting USV portfolio companies with potential employees and peer founders, providing recruiting and ecosystem support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 230+ investments made across 20+ years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Union Square Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Union Square Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Union Square Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Union Square Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andreessen Horowitz: Premier US venture capital firm with multi-stage, sector-themed funds (including crypto/a16z crypto). Directly comparable to USV in deploying large early-stage funds across transformative themes (AI, crypto) and managing opportunity/follow-on vehicles. Both firms lead or co-lead marquee rounds and compete for the same founder pool.
- Sequoia Capital: Tier-1 global venture firm with seed, early, and growth funds. Directly comparable in deploying capital at the frontier of transformative technology, running thesis-driven approaches, and competing for the same top-decile founders and breakout rounds as USV.
- Accel: Long-standing US early-stage venture firm known for concentrated bets in consumer and enterprise software. Comparable to USV in fund size, stage focus (seed/Series A), thesis-led approach, and brand recognition in the NYC/SF founder ecosystem.
- Lightspeed Venture Partners: Multi-stage US/global venture firm with strong consumer and enterprise franchises. Directly comparable in stage and thesis approach; recent talent flow (Michael Mignano moved from Lightspeed to USV) underscores overlap in deals and approach.
- Greylock Partners: Premier US early-stage venture firm focused on enterprise and consumer software. Comparable in fund size, stage focus, partner-led sourcing model, and emphasis on founder support through network and platform resources.
- Index Ventures: US/European early-stage venture firm with a strong consumer and gaming franchise. Co-led Fomo's $75M Series B with USV participating, demonstrating direct deal overlap and similar stage/ticket-size approach.
- Benchmark: Highly regarded US early-stage firm known for concentrated, partner-led investing. Comparable to USV in early-stage focus and founder brand affinity, though smaller fund size; participated alongside USV in Fomo's Series B.
- Kleiner Perkins: Established US venture firm with deep consumer and climate franchises. Comparable in multi-fund structure (early + growth), sector thesis approach (now including climate and deep tech), and emphasis on transformative technology bets.
- Founders Fund: US venture firm investing across consumer, enterprise, and frontier tech. Comparable in stage range, thesis-driven approach (frontier/deep tech), and brand recognition among technical founders; overlapping deal universe with USV.
- New Enterprise Associates (NEA): Large US venture firm with multi-stage, sector-spanning funds. Comparable in thesis-driven approach across healthcare, consumer, and tech, and in operating dual fund vintages to support portfolio companies through stages.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Union Square Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceUnion Square Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Union Square Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Union Square Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Union Square Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments576 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Union Square Ventures
What does Union Square Ventures do?
Union Square Ventures is a thesis-driven venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies (primarily seed and Series A) through its Core Fund, with follow-on and selective new investments made through its Opportunity Fund. Capital is deployed at the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures, with focus domains spanning AI, crypto, energy, and bio.
Is Union Square Ventures a public or private company?
Union Square Ventures is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Union Square Ventures founded?
Union Square Ventures was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Union Square Ventures based?
Union Square Ventures is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Union Square Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Union Square Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Index Ventures, Benchmark, Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund and New Enterprise Associates (NEA).
Does Union Square Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Union Square Ventures.
What industry is Union Square Ventures in?
Union Square Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists), with a secondary code of FSANAAAC, Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6211.