What Okapi Venture Capital does

Okapi Venture Capital LLC is a private, seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2005 and headquartered at 660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600, Newport Beach, California (the firm also lists a Laguna Beach mailing presence and operates under the OkapiVC brand). The firm is structured as a California LLC owned and operated by three general partners, including co-founders and managing directors Marc Averitt and Sharon Stevenson, each with more than 20 years of experience across venture capital, founding, and technology executive roles. Okapi closed its first fund in May 2006, originally raised from a small group of local Southern California business leaders, and currently manages six funds focused on pre-seed and seed stage technology companies along the "Tech Coast" of Southern California.

The firm targets capital-efficient technology startups at the seed phase, typically before product-market fit, with a stated focus on enterprise SaaS, artificial intelligence, and "future of work" sectors. Standard check sizes range from $750,000 to $3,000,000 invested over the life of a company, and Okapi takes board or board observer seats on every portfolio company, providing hands-on operational support. Its active portfolio of approximately 31 companies includes Figure.ai, Specright, Slingshot Aerospace, Daasity, Jurny, Nimble, KredosAI, MagicDoor, DepoDirect, Trellis, and WhiteFox, while exited positions include CrowdStrike, Connectifier, SignNow, Focal Therapeutics, Obalon Therapeutics, Network Perception, and Templarbit. Deal sourcing is relationship-driven, relying on direct entrepreneur email outreach and referrals through the partners' Southern California network, and the firm is increasingly syndicating with co-investors such as Shadow Ventures, Motley Fool Ventures, VITALIZE Venture Capital, and Early Light Ventures.

Okapi generates revenue through the standard venture capital model: management fees on capital managed across its six funds, plus carried interest (typically 20%) on profits from successful portfolio exits. The firm has no parent company, no institutional backing, and no public listing, and the underlying AUM is not disclosed. Its strategic posture is that of a disciplined, regionally concentrated seed investor that uses board engagement and follow-on reserves to drive portfolio company outcomes, with a recent and visible tilt toward AI and AI-enabled vertical software investments.

Name

Okapi Venture Capital

Legal name

Okapi Venture Capital LLC

Website

http://www.okapivc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Okapi Venture Capital is a Newport Beach-based, seed-stage venture capital firm managing six funds and investing $750K to $3M in early-stage technology startups along Southern California's "Tech Coast," with active focus on enterprise SaaS and AI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seed-stage Venture Capital

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

Keywords

• Seed stage venture capital
• Pre-seed technology investing
• Portfolio company management
• Enterprise SaaS investing
• Startup board representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Management fees and carried interest: VC firm generates returns through management fees on managed funds and carried interest (typically 20%) on successful portfolio exits. Currently managing six funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Okapi Venture Capital is a seed and pre-seed venture capital firm that invests long-term capital, typically $750K to $3M per company, into early-stage technology startups along the Southern California Tech Coast. The firm manages six funds, focuses on enterprise SaaS, AI, and future-of-work sectors, and pairs capital with active management support, board representation, and follow-on funding to help portfolio companies navigate from seed through growth.

Product overview

Okapi Venture Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm that provides long-term capital and management support to technology startups. The firm manages six funds and primarily invests in pre-seed and seed stage technology companies along the Southern California 'Tech Coast'. They focus on enterprise SaaS, AI, and future of work sectors, with typical investment sizes ranging from $750K to $3M over the life of a company. The firm takes board or board observer seats and provides active, hands-on engagement with portfolio companies. They currently manage a portfolio of active companies including Aline, ATM, Candid Wholesale, Chargezoom, Daasity, DeepCast, DepoDirect, dRISK, Exponential Intelligence, Figure.ai, Fluid Power AI, GoodHood, Influence, Jurny, KredosAI, LeadrPro, MagicDoor, MultiPlayer, Nimble, Occuspace, PlanStreet, Slingshot Aerospace, Specright, StockApp, Trackstreet, Trellis, Trnsact, Ubiq, WeGive, and WhiteFox, as well as exited companies such as CrowdStrike, SignNow, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed and Pre-Seed Venture Capital Investing Equity investments, typically $750K to $3M per company over its life, into pre-seed and seed stage technology startups, primarily along the Southern California Tech Coast, with a focus on enterprise SaaS, AI, and future-of-work sectors.
• Portfolio Company Board Representation and Active Management Support Hands-on portfolio support service in which Okapi takes a board or board observer seat at every portfolio company and actively helps founders navigate early-stage growth, prepare for follow-on funding, and address CEO/Founder challenges.
• Venture Fund Management (Six Funds) Management of six pooled venture capital funds, raising capital from limited partners and deploying it as seed and pre-seed investments into technology startups, generating returns through management fees and carried interest on exits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Early investor in CrowdStrike, DuoSecurity, Parchment, Connectifier, BabyList
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Greycroft: Early-stage venture firm with strong Los Angeles presence and seed-to-Series A focus on enterprise software and consumer — overlapping thesis and SoCal coverage.
• Wavemaker Partners: Southern California-based early-stage VC investing in enterprise SaaS, marketplaces, and deep tech — directly comparable on geography, stage, and capital-efficient thesis.
• Fika Ventures: Los Angeles-based seed-stage VC investing in enterprise SaaS, marketplaces, and frontier tech — directly comparable on Southern California focus and enterprise software tilt.
• Social Leverage: SoCal-located seed-stage investor focused on financial services, software, and digital assets — comparable on regional focus, early stage, and small partnership structure.
• Mucker Capital: Los Angeles-based seed and early-stage venture firm with a capital-efficient, hands-on operating model targeting SoCal software and consumer startups — a direct parallel to Okapi's mandate.
• Upfront Ventures: Long-standing LA-based early-stage firm investing across seed and Series A in software; comparable on SoCal origin, enterprise software focus, and long operating history.
• Bonfire Ventures: LA-based early-stage VC focused on seed and Series A software companies with concentrated SoCal coverage — direct comparable on geography, stage, and sector tilt.
• Crosscut Ventures: Los Angeles-based seed and pre-seed venture capital firm investing in enterprise software and consumer companies; comparable SoCal focus, check size, and seed-stage thesis.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator/seed investor; relevant comparable on providing seed capital and hands-on operating support to early-stage founders at scale, though broader in scope and operations.
• BITKRAFT Ventures: Santa Monica-based early-stage VC with seed and growth funds across gaming, consumer, and emerging tech — same SoCal ecosystem but broader sector mandate and larger fund sizes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments98 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Okapi Venture Capital