Unpopular Ventures
Unpopular Ventures is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2019 that invests in unconventional, "off the beaten path" founders, deploying 30-40 deals per quarter into a portfolio of nearly 600 global companies via AngelList fund and syndicate vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Unpopular Ventures does
Unpopular Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco that invests in companies "off the beaten path" — founders pursuing unconventional theses that mainstream investors may overlook. Founded in 2019 by Peter Livingston, the firm is operated as a two-principal partnership alongside Thibault Reichelt and runs a high-velocity model of 30-40 investments per quarter, having deployed capital into nearly 600 companies across global geographies spanning the USA, India, LATAM, and EMEA.
The firm distributes its capital through two AngelList-hosted vehicles: an AngelList fund accessible to accredited investors and an AngelList syndicate for deal-by-deal co-investment. Capital is sourced via the AngelList platform, supplemented by a Medium blog used for periodic LP updates and thought leadership. Notable portfolio companies include Jeeves, Zepto, Yassir, Novig, Anthropic, Blissway, and 99Minutos, spanning fintech, logistics, crypto, gaming, and AI.
Unpopular Ventures monetizes via standard VC economics — management fees on committed fund capital and potential carried interest on realized gains — though no AUM, fund size, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed. The firm's competitive posture is differentiated by its contrarian sourcing thesis, a network of co-investors including Matrix, Decasonic, Griffin Gaming Partners, and a16z Scout Fund, and the credibility derived from early bets on companies that subsequently became category leaders.
Unpopular Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Unpopular Ventures
- Legal name
- Unpopular Ventures
- Website
- https://unpopular.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Unpopular Ventures is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2019 that invests in unconventional, "off the beaten path" founders, deploying 30-40 deals per quarter into a portfolio of nearly 600 global companies via AngelList fund and syndicate vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Unpopular Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF)
Keywords
Where Unpopular Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Unpopular Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Unpopular Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Unpopular Ventures is a venture capital firm that deploys capital into early-stage startups through a primary fund (Unpopular Ventures Fund) and an AngelList syndicate. The firm makes 30–40 investments per quarter in companies pursuing unconventional or contrarian theses and has backed nearly 600 portfolio companies since 2019. Limited Partners and accredited angel investors gain exposure to a diversified, high-velocity seed-stage portfolio.
Product overview
Unpopular Ventures is a venture capital firm that operates a single unified investment platform offering fund investment opportunities, an AngelList syndicate for angel investments, and publishes periodic LP updates. The firm does not offer distinct product lines, modules, or sub-brands—it provides investment services directly to Limited Partners and angel investors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Unpopular Ventures Fund: The primary fund vehicle for venture investments
- Unpopular Ventures AngelList Syndicate
Products and services
- Unpopular Ventures Fund The primary venture capital fund vehicle through which accredited Limited Partners invest to gain exposure to Unpopular Ventures' diversified seed-stage portfolio; accessible via the AngelList platform.
- Unpopular Ventures AngelList Syndicate An AngelList-hosted syndicate offering accredited investors deal-by-deal co-investment opportunities alongside Unpopular Ventures' investments in early-stage startups.
Companies that use Unpopular Ventures
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Unpopular Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Unpopular Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AngelListcoreAngelList serves as the primary distribution platform for Unpopular Ventures' fund and syndicate offerings. The firm offers both a fund subscription vehicle on AngelList and operates an AngelList syndicate for co-investment opportunities.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Unpopular Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Y Combinator: The world's largest seed-stage accelerator/investor. Both YC and Unpopular Ventures invest very early across broad sectors and accept unconventional founders, though YC operates a structured batch program and writes far larger checks with a $300B+ portfolio valuation.
- 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): Large global seed-stage accelerator with a diversified portfolio across many geographies including emerging markets. Comparable to Unpopular Ventures in global seed-stage reach and willingness to back unconventional founders.
Direct peers
- Antler: Global early-stage VC making high-volume pre-seed and seed investments across geographies including emerging markets. Comparable to Unpopular Ventures in stage, global footprint, and high deal velocity.
- Hustle Fund: Pre-seed/seed VC known for very high investment volume (often 50+ deals per quarter) and a broad, thesis-light approach. Closely mirrors Unpopular Ventures' velocity-driven, generalist early-stage model.
- Pear VC: Stanford-affiliated seed-stage VC. Comparable to Unpopular Ventures in early-stage focus and founder-friendly approach; both invest in technically unconventional or technically deep founders.
- SV Angel: Long-running seed-stage angel/VC firm investing broadly across geographies and sectors at very early stages. Comparable in stage and broad-thesis approach.
- Afore Capital: Pre-seed-only fund writing very small checks across many companies. Comparable to Unpopular Ventures in early-stage focus and high-volume generalist approach.
- Right Side Capital Management: Seed-stage fund writing many small checks across a broad portfolio. Comparable in stage, check-size profile, and high-deal-volume approach.
- Mucker Capital: Seed and pre-seed VC making many early-stage investments with a generalist thesis. Comparable stage, check size, and approach to Unpopular Ventures.
Others
- FundersClub: Online venture fund platform enabling LPs to back emerging managers. Relevant ecosystem participant because Unpopular Ventures uses a comparable rolling-fund/syndicate distribution model on AngelList.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Unpopular Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceUnpopular Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Unpopular Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Unpopular Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Unpopular Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments658 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Unpopular Ventures
What does Unpopular Ventures do?
Unpopular Ventures is a venture capital firm that deploys capital into early-stage startups through a primary fund (Unpopular Ventures Fund) and an AngelList syndicate. The firm makes 30–40 investments per quarter in companies pursuing unconventional or contrarian theses and has backed nearly 600 portfolio companies since 2019. Limited Partners and accredited angel investors gain exposure to a diversified, high-velocity seed-stage portfolio.
Is Unpopular Ventures a public or private company?
Unpopular Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Unpopular Ventures founded?
Unpopular Ventures was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Unpopular Ventures based?
Unpopular Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Unpopular Ventures's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Y Combinator and 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups). Direct peers are Antler, Hustle Fund, Pear VC, SV Angel, Afore Capital, Right Side Capital Management and Mucker Capital. FundersClub is listed as an others.
Does Unpopular Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Unpopular Ventures.
What industry is Unpopular Ventures in?
Unpopular Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAGAF, Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.