ff Venture Capital
ff Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2008, investing in AI, robotics, drones, security, and manufacturing across the US, Central Europe, and Japan. It serves technology founders with $300K–$700K initial checks and Limited Partners through multiple fund vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ff Venture Capital does
ff Venture Capital (ffVC) is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2008 in New York City by John Frankel. The firm invests across AI, Manufacturing, Energy, Robotics, and Security, with an active portfolio of 65+ companies and 160+ cumulative investments since inception. ffVC differentiates through an unusually engaged platform model: 100+ annual roundtables across 18 functional areas, a 35,000+ founder/investor community, a biweekly newsletter reaching 30,000+ subscribers, and relationships with 700+ VC firms for follow-on capital. Portfolio companies graduate to Series B at roughly a 5x rate versus the ~10% industry baseline, and the firm has produced 26 exits and 6+ unicorns (including Socure, Burro, Manna) representing over $15 billion in cumulative enterprise value.
ffVC operates a triangulated US–Central Europe–Japan fund structure. US activities run from its Empire State Building headquarters in New York. European operations are anchored by a Warsaw, Poland office (the firm's first European presence, opened in 2020) and a €60M Central European fund (ff Red & White, launched June 2023 with JBIC IG Partners and Japanese corporate LPs). A dedicated Polish ff Tech & Gaming fund targets Polish and Central European tech and gaming with co-investment from Totalizator Sportowy, PFR Ventures, and NCBR. ffVC opened a third US office in Syracuse (Upstate NY) in September 2023 as the in-residence investor at the GENIUS NY drone accelerator, adding a dedicated robotics/UAS deal-sourcing channel.
Revenue is generated through two standard VC streams: management fees on committed capital across its multiple fund vehicles, and carried interest on successful exits. Initial check sizes of $300K–$700K for 8–10% equity in seed/Series A rounds; follow-on participation through pre-money valuations of approximately $50M. ffVC leads rounds with active board participation, reviews roughly 3,000 deals annually, and invests in approximately 5%. The partner bench is internationally distributed across the US (Frankel, Katz, Weiss, Woods), Poland (Skarul, Adamski), and Japan (Ohta, Hizume), with senior backgrounds spanning Goldman Sachs, Rothschild, JBIC, and Santander Bank Polska.
ff Venture Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ff Venture Capital
- Legal name
- ff Venture Capital, LLC
- Website
- https://ffvc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ff Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2008, investing in AI, robotics, drones, security, and manufacturing across the US, Central Europe, and Japan. It serves technology founders with $300K–$700K initial checks and Limited Partners through multiple fund vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ff Venture Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where ff Venture Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
ff Venture Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Standard VC fund management fees charged to Limited Partners on committed capital.
- Carried Interest: Performance fees earned on successful portfolio exits, typically 20% of profits above the hurdle rate.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Seed to Series A investments in early-stage technology companies |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
ff Venture Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ff Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm that invests $300,000–$700,000 for 8–10% equity in technology startups at pre-money valuations under $10M, with follow-on at pre-money valuations of ~$50M. The firm manages US, Central European (ff Red & White, €60M), and Polish (ff Tech & Gaming) funds, and supplements capital with an active platform of roundtables, hiring support, and access to 700+ follow-on VC firms.
Product overview
ff Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2008, with offices in New York and Warsaw. The firm invests across emerging industries with a strong focus on AI, Manufacturing, Energy, Robotics, and Security. The firm manages multiple funds including its main US fund, ff Tech & Gaming (Poland), and ff Red & White (€60M Central European fund). ffVC offers a platform providing founders with access to a 35,000+ founder and investor ecosystem, over 700 VC firm connections, and support including fundraise assistance, hiring resources, and operational workshops. The firm does not offer a standalone software product but rather investment services and platform support for portfolio companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ffVC US Seed and Early-Stage Fund
- ff Red & White Fund
- ff Tech & Gaming Fund (Poland)
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio companies 5x more likely to raise Series B than industry average (50% vs ~10%)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ff Venture Capital
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ff Venture Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ff Venture Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GENIUS NY AcceleratorcoreWorld's largest business accelerator for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). ffVC is in-resident investor with office at The Tech Garden in Syracuse. Partnership provides deal flow access to drone and robotics startups. ffVC has invested in two GENIUS NY companies (CivRobotics and CarScanner).
- CenterState CEOminorOperates The Tech Garden where ffVC opened its Upstate NY office. Home to GENIUS NY accelerator program.
- European Startups (Portfolio)coreNearly 20 European companies in ffVC portfolio, particularly focused on Central European startups (Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary) seeking to commercialize globally and in US markets.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ff Venture Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Initialized Capital: Early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies from seed to Series A, with a comparable founder-led platform approach and similar stage focus.
- Lerer Hippeau: NYC-based seed and early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies with similar check sizes and stage focus as ffVC, sharing the same NYC seed ecosystem and competing for the same founder pool.
- Betaworks: New York-based startup studio and seed-stage venture fund that incubates and invests in early-stage technology companies, comparable in stage focus, geography, and portfolio construction approach.
- SV Angel: Seed-stage venture capital firm making early investments in technology companies with similar check sizes and high-volume sourcing approach, comparable in stage and portfolio breadth.
- Costanoa Ventures: Early-stage venture capital firm focused on seed investments in enterprise and infrastructure software, comparable in stage focus and portfolio construction methodology.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator and early-stage venture investor operating a much larger network of programs; comparable as a seed-stage investor with broader portfolio and platform resources than ffVC.
- 500 Global: Global venture firm and accelerator investing in early-stage technology companies worldwide, comparable as a multi-region early-stage investor with similar geographic diversification strategy.
- Bain Capital Ventures: Multi-stage venture capital firm with broader stage range and significantly larger fund sizes; comparable as a tech-focused investor with potential overlap at Series A and follow-on rounds.
Regional players
- Seedcamp: Leading European seed-stage venture capital firm with similar early-stage focus and pan-European coverage; comparable to ffVC's Central European franchise but with deeper European roots.
- Hoxton Ventures: London-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in European technology companies, comparable as a transatlantic-oriented seed investor competing for similar Central European deal flow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ff Venture Capital social profiles
Digital presenceff Venture Capital compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ff Venture Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ff Venture Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ff Venture Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ff Venture Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments378 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ff Venture Capital
What does ff Venture Capital do?
ff Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm that invests $300,000–$700,000 for 8–10% equity in technology startups at pre-money valuations under $10M, with follow-on at pre-money valuations of ~$50M. The firm manages US, Central European (ff Red & White, €60M), and Polish (ff Tech & Gaming) funds, and supplements capital with an active platform of roundtables, hiring support, and access to 700+ follow-on VC firms.
Is ff Venture Capital a public or private company?
ff Venture Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ff Venture Capital founded?
ff Venture Capital was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ff Venture Capital based?
ff Venture Capital is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does ff Venture Capital make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are ff Venture Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Initialized Capital, Lerer Hippeau, Betaworks, SV Angel and Costanoa Ventures. Broad incumbents are Techstars, 500 Global and Bain Capital Ventures. Regional players are Seedcamp and Hoxton Ventures.
Does ff Venture Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for ff Venture Capital.
What industry is ff Venture Capital in?
ff Venture Capital's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6211.