a16z Scout Fund
a16z Scout Fund is a pre-seed and seed investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz that enables a distributed network of operator scouts to source and co-invest in early-stage startups alongside a16z's main funds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMenlo Park, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
a16z Scout Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- a16z Scout Fund
- Legal name
- a16z Capital Management, L.L.C.
- Website
- https://a16z.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- a16z Scout Fund is a pre-seed and seed investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz that enables a distributed network of operator scouts to source and co-invest in early-stage startups alongside a16z's main funds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
a16z Scout Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Early-Stage Investing
- NAICS
- Open-End Investment Funds (52591)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAC)
Keywords
Where a16z Scout Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Menlo Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
a16z Scout Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment returns (carried interest): As a venture fund vehicle, a16z Scout Fund generates returns through equity ownership in portfolio companies, with realized and unrealized gains distributed to LPs after carried interest. Returns are long-duration and outcome-driven, dependent on portfolio company exits (IPOs, M&A).
- Fund management (implied): Operates under the Andreessen Horowitz investment adviser umbrella registered with the SEC; typical VC fund economics include management fees on committed capital, though specific terms for the Scout Fund vehicle are not disclosed in the source data.
Go-to-market motion2 records
a16z Scout Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The a16z Scout Fund is a venture capital investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz that enables outside scouts (operators, founders, executives) to source and co-invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups alongside the firm's main funds. It typically participates with small checks (~$25K–$250K) in early rounds of approximately $2M, providing portfolio companies with a16z's institutional credibility, follow-on support, and access to the broader a16z platform.
Product overview
a16z Scout Fund is a single investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) that participates in early-stage startup funding rounds as a complement to a16z's main funds. It does not offer a unified software product or platform-plus-modules architecture. The "products" extracted here reflect the broader named offerings of the parent firm a16z rather than the Scout Fund itself, and are organized into three groups: (1) investment focus areas (AI, American Dynamism, Bio + Health, Consumer, Crypto, Cultural Leadership Fund, Enterprise, Fintech, Growth, Infrastructure, Perennial, Speedrun) and dedicated programs (a16z Build, College Talent, New Media/New Media Fellowship); (2) content offerings, including the a16z Podcast Network (The a16z Show, AI + a16z, web3 with a16z crypto, The Ben & Marc Show, 16 Minutes, Raising Health, In the Vault, My First 16, Zone of Genius, a16z Live, Startup Hotline) and four newsletters (a16z News, AI Policy Brief, Crypto Newsletter/Web3 Weekly, Speedrun Newsletter) distributed via Substack; and (3) published Books. The a16z Scout Fund's role in this portfolio is participation in pre-seed and seed rounds, including Principle's $2M pre-seed and EVE's $2M pre-seed.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- a16z Crypto: Andreessen Horowitz's dedicated crypto/web3 investment arm and content publication at a16zcrypto.com.
- a16z Build
- a16z Cultural Leadership Fund
- Speedrun
Products and services
- a16z Scout Fund A venture capital investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz that participates in pre-seed and seed-stage startup funding rounds, typically with checks of $25K–$250K in rounds of approximately $2M. It serves early-stage startup founders and the external scout network of operators, founders, and executives who source and refer deals.
Quantifiable outcome
- $2M raised in each of two documented pre-seed rounds co-invested with Scout Fund (Principle Feb 2026, EVE Nov 2025)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use a16z Scout Fund
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
a16z Scout Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
a16z Scout Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- Principleminora16z Scout Fund participated in Principle's $2M pre-seed round (announced Feb 2026) alongside SMRK VC, SMOK Ventures, RideHome AI Fund, Bain Capital Scout Fund, and Unpopular Ventures. Principle is a San Francisco-based AI strategic foresight platform building digital-twin simulations of companies, competitors, and regulators. Co-investment relationship with a small check typical of scout programs.
- EVEminora16z Scout Fund participated in EVE's $2M pre-seed round (announced Nov 2025), led by Firsthand.VC, alongside Acquisition.com Ventures, Geek Ventures, Founders Future, Punch Capital, Silicon Gardens, and angels including Slack/Hugging Face co-founders and the former CEO of Oura. EVE is a San Francisco-based Inbox Revenue Engine for B2B small businesses. Co-investment relationship.
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) parent firmflagshipThe a16z Scout Fund operates as a program within the parent firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), which provides brand, platform, fund administration, podcast network, newsletters, and follow-on capital. The Scout Fund's investments are co-branded and supported by the parent entity.
- ReplitcoreReplit raised $400M Series D in March 2026 at a $9B valuation with a16z listed among investors. (This is the broader a16z fund, not specifically the Scout Fund.)
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
a16z Scout Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bain Capital Scout Fund: Bain Capital's scout program, a direct functional peer that co-invested alongside a16z Scout Fund in Principle's $2M pre-seed round. Operates a similar operator/founder-scout model at a competing institutional VC brand.
- SMRK VC: Micro-VC that co-led Principle's $2M pre-seed alongside a16z Scout Fund. Directly comparable as an early-stage micro-VC participating in the same syndicate structures and pre-seed rounds as the Scout Fund.
- SMOK Ventures: Co-leader of Principle's $2M pre-seed with SMRK VC and recurring co-investor with a16z Scout Fund. Early-stage VC with a similar focus on pre-seed and seed rounds, including scout-style deal participation.
- Firsthand.VC: Lead investor of EVE's $2M pre-seed with a16z Scout Fund as co-investor. Operates a pre-seed / seed model that overlaps directly with the Scout Fund's pre-seed deal activity.
Broad incumbents
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Parent firm of the Scout Fund and the dominant broader platform that the Scout Fund operates within. The main a16z funds participate in later-stage rounds (e.g., Replit $400M Series D) that the Scout Fund feeds into.
- Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP Scout): Large multi-stage VC with a long-running scout program (BVP Scout). Comparable as a tier-1 firm that has institutionalized a scout-network model similar to a16z Scout Fund.
- Sequoia Capital: Tier-1 venture firm that has historically run scout-style programs and seed funds (e.g., Sequoia Scout). Comparable as a brand-led, multi-stage VC whose early-stage access and follow-on capital play a similar role to a16z's broader platform.
Emerging players
- Unpopular Ventures: Early-stage VC that co-invested in Principle's $2M pre-seed with a16z Scout Fund. Operates a community-driven pre-seed model that overlaps functionally with scout-program deal sourcing.
- Hustle Fund: Pre-seed/seed micro-VC that deploys small checks into founder-led companies. Comparable as a micro-VC competing in the same pre-seed deal-flow arena where a16z Scout Fund operates.
- RideHome AI Fund: Scout-program-style fund that co-invested with a16z Scout Fund in Principle's $2M pre-seed. Operates a thematic (AI) scout model directly comparable to a16z Scout Fund's community-driven early-stage approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
a16z Scout Fund social profiles
Digital presencea16z Scout Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
a16z Scout Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
a16z Scout Fund subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
a16z Scout Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
a16z Scout Fund 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 a16z Scout Fund
What does a16z Scout Fund do?
The a16z Scout Fund is a venture capital investment vehicle operated by Andreessen Horowitz that enables outside scouts (operators, founders, executives) to source and co-invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups alongside the firm's main funds. It typically participates with small checks (~$25K–$250K) in early rounds of approximately $2M, providing portfolio companies with a16z's institutional credibility, follow-on support, and access to the broader a16z platform.
Is a16z Scout Fund a public or private company?
a16z Scout Fund is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was a16z Scout Fund founded?
a16z Scout Fund was founded in 2009. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is a16z Scout Fund based?
a16z Scout Fund is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does a16z Scout Fund make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment returns (carried interest) is the primary driver. The others are fund management (implied).
Who are a16z Scout Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bain Capital Scout Fund, SMRK VC, SMOK Ventures and Firsthand.VC. Broad incumbents are Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP Scout) and Sequoia Capital. Emerging players are Unpopular Ventures, Hustle Fund and RideHome AI Fund.
Does a16z Scout Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for a16z Scout Fund.
What industry is a16z Scout Fund in?
a16z Scout Fund's product category is Venture Capital / Early-Stage Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAGAC, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds. Its NAICS code is 52591 and its SIC code is 6282.