Active Capital
Active Capital is a Texas-based pre-seed venture capital firm founded in 2017 that backs technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and agents with initial checks of $100K to $1M.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Active Capital does
Active Capital (legal entity Active Venture Partners, LLC) is a Texas-based pre-seed venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Pat Matthews, an entrepreneur-turned-investor with 20+ years of experience in software, cloud infrastructure, and AI. The firm writes initial checks of $100K to $1M, with stated capacity to invest significantly more as portfolio companies grow, and explicitly aims to be a meaningful first investor on the cap table. It is a small team (1–10 employees) led by Matthews as Founder & CEO, Cat Dizon as Co-founder & CFO, and Chris Saum as Partner & Investor, with Rackspace co-founders Graham Weston and Pat Condon serving as strategic advisors and Bethany Stachenfeld (Sendspark founder) as Entrepreneur in Residence.
The firm's investment thesis is narrowly defined around "AI-native" software: pre-seed technical founders building AI-driven business software, infrastructure, agents, and apps that solve real business problems, with a stated preference for founders who remain small and scrappy until achieving product-market fit. Visible portfolio companies include Dreambase (AI-powered analytics on Supabase), Schematic (runtime monetization for SaaS/AI companies, Stripe-integrated), Slang AI (voice AI for hospitality), Ex Nunc Intelligence (AI legaltech platform Silex, based in Lausanne), and Ardent AI (autonomous agents for data engineering). Deal sourcing is relationship-driven — warm intros, cold emails to Matthews, and a newsletter — supplemented by co-investment with established managers such as Felicis, S3 Ventures, USVP, Crane Venture Partners, and Spicehaus Partners.
As a fund vehicle rather than an operating company, Active Capital generates economics through management fees and, ultimately, carried interest on exits, IPOs, or acquisitions of portfolio companies. The firm is incorporated in Texas and invests across the United States (with one visible European deal in Switzerland), and does not charge for products or services in the conventional sense. No revenue, AUM, or fund-size figures are publicly disclosed.
Active Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Capital
- Legal name
- Active Venture Partners, LLC
- Website
- http://www.activecapital.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Active Capital is a Texas-based pre-seed venture capital firm founded in 2017 that backs technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and agents with initial checks of $100K to $1M.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Active Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Pre-Seed Investing
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Active Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Active Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: Active Capital generates returns through equity stakes acquired during pre-seed investments in AI-native software, infrastructure, and product companies. Returns are realized through portfolio company exits, IPOs, or acquisitions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Active Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Capital is a pre-seed venture capital firm that invests $100K to $1M (with capacity to invest significantly more as companies grow) into technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and products that solve real business problems. The firm targets US-based, AI-native startups at the pre-seed stage and aims to be a meaningful part of the first capital raised, providing operator-led guidance alongside capital.
Product overview
Active Capital is a venture capital firm, not a product company. It does not offer software products or services. The firm focuses on pre-seed investing in technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and products that solve real business problems, typically investing $100K to $1M per company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pre-Seed Venture Capital Investment Pre-seed equity investment of $100,000 to $1,000,000 per company (with capacity to invest significantly more as companies grow), targeting technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and products. Offered to US-based startups at the pre-seed stage, with Active Capital positioning itself as a meaningful early investor on the cap table.
Companies that use Active Capital
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Active Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Active Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Active Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Active Capital social profiles
Digital presenceActive Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Active Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments92 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Active Capital
What does Active Capital do?
Active Capital is a pre-seed venture capital firm that invests $100K to $1M (with capacity to invest significantly more as companies grow) into technical founders building AI-native software, infrastructure, and products that solve real business problems. The firm targets US-based, AI-native startups at the pre-seed stage and aims to be a meaningful part of the first capital raised, providing operator-led guidance alongside capital.
Is Active Capital a public or private company?
Active Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Active Capital founded?
Active Capital was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Active Capital based?
Active Capital is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does Active Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Does Active Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Capital.
What industry is Active Capital in?
Active Capital's product category is Venture Capital / Pre-Seed Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 6799.