A*
A* is a San Francisco-based, early-stage venture capital firm that leads and co-leads pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds for "outlier" founders across any sector, managing over $1 billion in assets across its fund vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A* does
A* is a private, early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm invests at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, leading or co-leading rounds in companies that have not yet achieved product, traction, or market consensus. A* describes its approach as "conviction-led" and "founder-centric," positioning itself as a long-term partnership capital provider rather than a transactional investor, with stated support from idea through IPO. The firm is explicitly sector-agnostic but stage-specialized, and its portfolio of more than 60 companies spans consumer, enterprise software, AI, fintech, marketplaces, aerospace, defense, biotech, and frontier tech, including both pre-formation personal investments by co-founder Kevin Hartz (Airbnb, DoorDash, Palantir, PayPal, Pinterest, SpaceX, Square, Trulia, Uber) and post-formation fund investments (Antioch, Edra, Resolve AI, Simile, Assort Health, Sekai, Decagon, Mercor, Krea, Notion, Ramp, Faire, and others).
The firm's underlying technology is its investment platform rather than a software product: deal sourcing is driven by founder networks, referrals, and a direct relationship-led motion, supported by the firm's digital presence at a-star.co and active social channels. There is no disclosed proprietary software, models, or platform infrastructure; A*'s intellectual and reputational technology is its brand, its track record, and its founder community. Distribution of capital is similarly direct — A* writes checks into portfolio companies via direct investment rather than through any intermediary or marketplace mechanism.
A* generates revenue through standard venture fund economics, principally management fees on committed/invested capital across its fund vehicles (A* I, A* II, A* III) and carried interest on realized fund profits. As of May 2026 the firm manages over $1 billion in AUM across these vehicles, with A* III a $450 million early-stage fund that closed in May 2026. The firm is co-founded by Kevin Hartz (Co-Founder & General Partner) and Gautam Gupta (Co-Founder & Venture Partner), supported by an approximately ten-person operating team including Partner, CFO, Chief of Staff, and Talent Advisor roles. Specific deal terms, equity percentages, fee schedules, and limited partner identities are not publicly disclosed.
A* firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A*
- Legal name
- A*
- Website
- https://a-star.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A* is a San Francisco-based, early-stage venture capital firm that leads and co-leads pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds for "outlier" founders across any sector, managing over $1 billion in assets across its fund vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A* industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)
Keywords
Where A* is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
A* business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Venture capital fund returns: A* generates revenue as an early-stage venture capital firm managing fund vehicles (A* I, A* II, A* III — the latter a $450M vehicle). Standard VC economics apply: management fees on committed/invested capital and carried interest (carried interest typically 20%) on fund profits; carried interest from successful exits. Specific fee/carry terms are not publicly disclosed.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
A* product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A* is an early-stage venture capital firm that deploys conviction-led equity capital into technology startups at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. The firm manages fund vehicles (A* I, A* II, and the $450M A* III) and provides hands-on founder partnership from day zero through IPO, targeting outlier founders across consumer, enterprise software, AI, fintech, marketplaces, and frontier tech.
Product overview
A* is a venture capital firm, not a software product company. It is an early-stage investment firm that backs founders from idea to IPO, following a sector-agnostic but stage-specialized approach. A* does not offer a software platform, modules, or distinct product brands; its offering consists of capital deployment, hands-on founder support, and early-conviction investing. The firm's "products" are its investment vehicles, including the A* III fund, a $450 million early-stage fund focused on backing founders before consensus, traction, or even a product exists. Across its portfolio, A* has invested in companies such as Airbnb, Decagon, DoorDash, Krea, Notion, Palantir, PayPal, Pinterest, Ramp, Simile, SpaceX, Uber, Whop, Antioch, Sekai, Simile, and others, but these are portfolio investments rather than A*'s own products or services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- A* III Early-Stage Fund A $450 million early-stage venture capital fund that deploys conviction-led equity capital into technology startups at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, with a sector-agnostic but stage-specialized mandate. Limited partners subscribe to the fund vehicle and benefit from carried interest on successful exits.
- Hands-On Founder Partnership Service A service provided to portfolio companies in which A* partners with founders beyond capital deployment, offering mentorship, network access, recruiting support, and ongoing strategic guidance from idea stage through IPO. Targeted at outlier founders who have received equity investment from A*'s fund vehicles.
Quantifiable outcome
- Manages over $1 billion in assets under management
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use A*
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
A* technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A* partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A* competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Founders Fund: Conviction-led early-stage VC founded by Peter Thiel, backing ambitious founders pursuing contrarian theses across sectors. Closest comparable to A* in philosophy (belief-led, sector-agnostic, founder-first) and stage focus.
- Khosla Ventures: High-conviction, founder-first VC backing bold ideas from very early stages across sectors. Closely comparable to A*'s conviction-led, pre-consensus approach and willingness to lead at the earliest rounds.
- Abstract Ventures: Seed-led, high-volume VC backing founders before product or traction. Co-invested alongside A* in Antioch's pre-seed and seed rounds, sharing the same conviction-led earliest-stage playbook.
- Box Group: Founder-led seed investor backing ambitious founders pre-traction across sectors. Co-invested with A* in Antioch's rounds; comparable in size, stage focus, and sector-agnostic seed posture.
Broad incumbents
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Large multi-stage tech VC with broad sector coverage and a strong brand-led, founder-support platform. Comparable to A* in founder-centric ethos and tech breadth but operates across a much wider stage range and asset base.
- Sequoia Capital: Premier technology VC investing across stages and geographies with a founder-first culture. Comparable to A* in brand strength and willingness to back outliers, but at vastly larger fund size and longer track record.
- Index Ventures: Transatlantic early-to-growth VC backing outlier founders across consumer, enterprise, and frontier categories. Led Simile's $100M Series A alongside A*, indicating overlapping deal interest in AI and frontier categories.
- Lightspeed Venture Partners: Multi-stage global tech VC leading rounds from seed through growth. Led Resolve AI's $125M Series A alongside A*, indicating shared investment themes in AI infrastructure and dev tooling.
- Greylock Partners: Long-tenured enterprise-focused VC with a strong early-stage practice and deep founder network. Co-invested with A* in Resolve AI's Series A, signaling similar conviction in AI infrastructure.
- Bain Capital Ventures: Early-to-growth stage tech VC with a thesis-driven platform. Participated in Simile's $100M Series A alongside A*, indicating shared frontier-AI conviction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A* social profiles
Digital presenceA* financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A* leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
A* subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries28 records
A* funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A* M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments83 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A*
What does A* do?
A* is an early-stage venture capital firm that deploys conviction-led equity capital into technology startups at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. The firm manages fund vehicles (A* I, A* II, and the $450M A* III) and provides hands-on founder partnership from day zero through IPO, targeting outlier founders across consumer, enterprise software, AI, fintech, marketplaces, and frontier tech.
Is A* a public or private company?
A* is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A* founded?
A* was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is A* based?
A* is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does A* make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture capital fund returns.
Who are A*'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, Abstract Ventures and Box Group. Broad incumbents are Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Greylock Partners and Bain Capital Ventures.
Does A* have an API?
No public API is recorded for A*.
What industry is A* in?
A*'s product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.