Who are the top family offices that invest directly in early-stage tech startups?

Family offices that invest directly into early-stage technology startups are a smaller subset of the family-office universe. Many family offices invest only through VC funds; the names below are notable because they have a track record of taking direct stakes in startups (often alongside institutional VCs).

Leading global family offices for early-stage tech

Particularly relevant for AI startups (2025–2026)

For founders building AI infrastructure, models, robotics, or applied AI, the highest-priority family-office targets are often:

1. Hillspire — AI, frontier science, enterprise applications.
2. Bezos Expeditions — AI infrastructure, robotics, ambitious technical companies.
3. Emerson Collective — AI plus healthcare, education, climate, societal applications.
4. Thiel Capital — technically ambitious, category-defining companies.
5. Byers Capital — a smaller but notable technology-focused family office investing directly in areas such as AI and biotech.

Other active early-stage family-office-style investors worth knowing

• Picus Capital — early-stage technology, fintech, proptech, logistics.
• Soma Capital — prolific seed-stage technology investor.
• ePlanet Capital — global technology investments.

What makes a family office a good startup target

The best matches usually have:

• Direct startup investing history (not just VC fund LP commitments)
• A willingness to write smaller early checks ($250K–$5M is common among active early-stage family investors)
• A thematic interest aligned with the company
• A reason to invest beyond financial return (strategic networks, industry expertise, mission alignment)

BackrrIf you are fundraising, the most useful next cut is usually “family offices that write $500K–$3M checks into pre-seed/seed tech” rather than the largest or wealthiest names, because many famous family offices invest only selectively.

ICONIQ Capital, Picus Capital, Raptor Group, Motier Ventures , and Soma Capital rank among the top family offices that invest directly in early-stage technology startups.

These firms provide flexible capital, often operating with longer investment horizons than traditional venture capital funds.

Top Family Offices Investing in Early-Stage Tech

• ICONIQ Capital : A massive multi-family office based in San Francisco, CA that manages wealth for Silicon Valley elites. It makes direct growth and early-stage bets on category-defining enterprise tech, having backed giants like Figma, Databricks, and Zoom early on.
• Picus Capital : A global, early-stage technology investment firm backed by the Reischmann family (founders of C&A). They invest internationally from pre-seed to Series A in sectors like fintech, proptech, logistics, and climate tech.
• Raptor Group : A Boston-based private investment firm and family office for Jim Pallotta. They focus heavily on early-stage software, consumer internet, and electronics.
• Motier Ventures : A Paris-based single-family office backed by the owners of Galeries Lafayette. They write checks from seed through Series B in European tech startups focusing on fintech, consumer tech, cybersecurity, and commerce.
• Soma Capital : A prominent family investment vehicle out of the United States known for high-volume, early-stage seeding of top-tier software and internet startups.

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• What geographic region or sector (e.g., fintech, AI, enterprise SaaS) you are targeting?
• What check size or funding stage (pre-seed vs. Series A) you need?

I can provide a more tailored list of active investors.

If you mean family offices that actually put their own capital directly onto startup cap tables—rather than simply allocating to VC funds—there are a handful that stand out.

My shortlist

A useful distinction: Hillspire, Bezos Expeditions and Thiel Capital are probably the highest-profile targets, but they're also exceptionally difficult to access. If you're a founder raising a $1–5M seed round, some of the less famous offices can actually be more actionable.

1. Hillspire

Hillspire is one of the most interesting targets for AI/deep-tech founders. Recent industry rankings put it among the most active family offices in direct startup investing, with roughly 15 direct investments reported for 2025.

Particularly attractive for: AI infrastructure, compute, scientific/technical startups, defense/deep tech.

2. Bezos Expeditions

Bezos Expeditions is arguably the premier technology-focused family office. It has backed companies including Airbnb, Uber and Perplexity and is active across AI, robotics, space and other capital-intensive frontier technologies.

It has the advantage of being able to write unusually large checks and remain patient.

3. Thiel Capital

Thiel Capital is particularly relevant if you're building something that fits the PayPal/Palantir/Founders Fund worldview: AI, defense, crypto, financial infrastructure, autonomy or other technology with potentially enormous outcomes.

I'd consider it a high-value target for genuinely contrarian technology rather than ordinary SaaS.

4. Byers Capital

Byers Capital is especially interesting because it explicitly describes itself as a single-family office making direct technology and biotech investments. Its disclosed investments include Neuralink, xAI, Factory, Harmonic, NewLimit, Xaira, Chai Discovery and SpaceX.

For an early-stage founder, this is one of the more compelling names on the list because the office publicly demonstrates that it actually makes direct company investments.

5. Emerson Collective

Emerson Collective combines venture investing with a broader mission around technology, climate, health, education and social impact. It participates from seed through growth and is particularly relevant when the technology has a meaningful societal dimension.

6. Horizons Ventures

Horizons Ventures is another major technology family office, particularly notable for backing disruptive technologies globally. It's worth considering for AI, internet, biotech and other frontier technology.

7. Raptor Group

Raptor Group has historically been an active direct investor in technology companies. Current activity is somewhat less transparent than the offices above, but it belongs on a serious family-office target list.

More accessible early-stage targets

If your objective is actually getting a meeting, rather than assembling a list of famous names, I'd add:

• Digital Invest — Milan-based family office explicitly making first checks into early-stage tech across Europe and the U.S.; it says it has backed 40+ companies.
• AI JB Capital — single-family office focused on early-stage technology, with both direct investments and LP commitments to emerging VC funds.
• ePlanet Capital — California family office focused on high-growth technology companies globally.
• McCoy Ventures — explicitly pre-seed/seed, with interests including AI, Web3, decentralized systems, creator economy and energy.
• SherVentures — family-office-backed early-stage investor focused on Seed–Series A, with an emphasis on AI, B2B SaaS, logistics and healthcare/biotech.

One important caveat

There are far more family offices that say they invest in venture capital than family offices that directly invest in startups. Those are very different targets. Recent reporting suggests that family offices are increasingly bypassing VC funds and going directly onto startup cap tables, particularly for AI, but the pool is still much smaller than the total number of venture-active family offices.

If you're raising right now, I would therefore prioritize the list by probability of getting a direct investment, not by family wealth:

Byers Capital → Digital Invest → AI JB Capital → ePlanet → SherVentures → Hillspire/Bezos/Thiel → Emerson/Horizons.

If you tell me your startup sector, stage (pre-seed/seed/A), geography, and target round size, I can narrow this to 20–30 family offices that are genuinely good prospects, including their typical check size, relevant portfolio companies, and the best route to approach them.

Bezos Expeditions is arguably the premier technology-focused family office. It has backed companies including Airbnb, Uber and Perplexity and is active across AI, robotics, space and other capital-intensive frontier technologies.

It has the advantage of being able to write unusually large checks and remain patient.

3. Thiel Capital

Thiel Capital is particularly relevant if you're building something that fits the PayPal/Palantir/Founders Fund worldview: AI, defense, crypto, financial infrastructure, autonomy or other technology with potentially enormous outcomes.

I'd consider it a high-value target for genuinely contrarian technology rather than ordinary SaaS.

4. Byers Capital

Byers Capital is especially interesting because it explicitly describes itself as a single-family office making direct technology and biotech investments. Its disclosed investments include Neuralink, xAI, Factory, Harmonic, NewLimit, Xaira, Chai Discovery and SpaceX.

For an early-stage founder, this is one of the more compelling names on the list because the office publicly demonstrates that it actually makes direct company investments.

5. Emerson Collective

Emerson Collective combines venture investing with a broader mission around technology, climate, health, education and social impact. It participates from seed through growth and is particularly relevant when the technology has a meaningful societal dimension.

6. Horizons Ventures

Horizons Ventures is another major technology family office, particularly notable for backing disruptive technologies globally. It's worth considering for AI, internet, biotech and other frontier technology.

7. Raptor Group

Raptor Group has historically been an active direct investor in technology companies. Current activity is somewhat less transparent than the offices above, but it belongs on a serious family-office target list.

More accessible early-stage targets

Top family offices that invest directly in early-stage technology startups include Hillspire, Thiel Capital , and Picus Capital , which run active venture-style direct investment programs.

Active Early-Stage Tech Family Offices

• Hillspire - The family office of Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO), based in Palo Alto, CA, known for a high volume of early-stage tech and AI investments.
• Thiel Capital - Peter Thiel’s San Francisco-based firm focusing on contrarian early-stage bets across artificial intelligence, crypto, biotech, and defense.
• Picus Capital - A global venture capital and private investment firm backed by the Bruch family (founders of Tengelmann), focusing on early-stage tech (fintech, proptech, logistics).
• Motier Ventures - The Paris-based single-family office of the Houzé family (Galeries Lafayette heirs) investing in European seed-to-Series B tech startups.
• Raptor Group - Jim Pallotta's Boston-based family office investing in early-stage software, consumer tech, and electronics.
• Soma Capital - The family investment firm tied to Frayer Enterprises, globally ranked as one of the most prolific direct seed-stage investors.

If you want, I can provide:

• Typical check sizes and preferred stages for these offices
• How to pitch or approach a family office directly
• A breakdown by geographic focus (US vs. Europe)

Let me know how you would like to proceed.

If by “top” you mean family offices that actually write direct checks into early-stage technology companies—rather than merely allocating to VC funds—there’s a fairly short list I’d put at the top of the outreach universe.

Recent 2025–26 activity points particularly strongly to Hillspire, Bezos Expeditions, Emerson Collective, Raptor Group, Horizons Ventures, Aglaé Ventures, Motier Ventures, and Thiel Capital.

My shortlist

1. Hillspire

Probably one of the highest-priority targets for an AI/deep-tech founder. Hillspire has been among the most active family offices by direct-deal volume, with 15 direct investments reported for 2025, and its portfolio has a strong AI/frontier-science orientation.

2. Bezos Expeditions

One of the most prolific technology-oriented family investment vehicles. It has backed companies including Airbnb, Uber, Perplexity, Figure and Physical Intelligence, with interests spanning AI, robotics, aerospace and other capital-intensive technologies.

This is particularly attractive if you're building something ambitious, technically difficult, and potentially enormous.

3. Emerson Collective

A major direct investor with a somewhat different thesis: technology + societal impact. Areas include AI, climate, health and education. It reportedly made 12 direct deals in 2025.

4. Thiel Capital

A particularly interesting target for AI, defense, biotech, crypto and hard technology. It's less useful to think of it as a conventional family office and more as a principal-investment ecosystem around Peter Thiel.

5. Horizons Ventures

One of the better-established family-backed technology investors globally. Its historical portfolio includes Zoom, Siri and DeepMind, giving it an unusually strong record of identifying technology companies early.

6. Aglaé Ventures

The Arnault family's technology investment platform. Particularly relevant for consumer/internet companies, marketplaces and technology intersecting with luxury/consumer ecosystems.

7. Motier Ventures

The Houzé family's venture arm is worth knowing if you're targeting European technology, particularly AI, fintech and consumer businesses. It has participated in genuinely early-stage deals rather than operating solely as a late-stage family-office allocator.

8. Raptor Group

Another very active family investment organization; recent rankings put it at 12 direct deals in 2025. Its mandate is broader than pure technology, but tech/media/consumer opportunities can fit.

9. Mousse Partners

Worth adding to a serious consumer-tech target list. Its portfolio spans pre-seed through later-stage companies, and it's classified as a family investment office with a substantial technology/startup portfolio.

10. KIRKBI

The LEGO family's investment organization. It's more strategic and diversified than the pure-play tech family offices above, but its technology/consumer/gaming exposure makes it relevant for the right startup.

A few less-famous ones I'd actually target

If your goal is raising a seed/Series A round, rather than simply compiling prestigious names, some smaller offices may be considerably more actionable.

• AI JB Capital — explicitly describes itself as a single-family office investing in early-stage technology ventures, including direct company investments.
• SherVentures — family-office VC investing at Seed–Series A, with a stated focus on AI, B2B SaaS, logistics and healthcare/biotech.
• JLC Ventures / JLC Family Office — unusually early-stage oriented; it says it invests from the idea/garage stage rather than waiting for mature metrics.
• Accathon Capital — reported as investing roughly $250K–$2M from pre-seed through seed, particularly in tech/digital opportunities.
• Kactus Capital — another smaller office reported as targeting pre-seed/seed technology.

That's important because the most famous family offices aren't necessarily the best prospects for a seed founder. Some write enormous checks but participate primarily in later rounds.

If I were building a founder outreach list

I'd segment it roughly like this:

AI / frontier tech: Hillspire → Bezos Expeditions → Thiel Capital → Horizons Ventures

Consumer / internet: Aglaé → Mousse Partners → Bezos Expeditions → Motier Ventures

Climate / impact: Emerson Collective → Hillspire → Horizons Ventures

European tech: Motier Ventures → Aglaé → Horizons Ventures

True pre-seed/seed: AI JB Capital → SherVentures → JLC Ventures → selected smaller SFOs

One caveat: family-office investment data is inherently incomplete because many direct investments aren't publicly announced. One 2026 database identifies 581 family offices active in venture, of which 476 reportedly make direct private-company investments, illustrating how much larger the universe is than the famous names above.

If you're asking because you're fundraising, I can also build you a much more useful top 50 list of family offices that specifically write $250K–$5M checks into pre-seed/seed tech, including check size, geography, sectors, notable portfolio companies, and how to approach each one.

5. Horizons Ventures

One of the better-established family-backed technology investors globally. Its historical portfolio includes Zoom, Siri and DeepMind, giving it an unusually strong record of identifying technology companies early.

6. Aglaé Ventures

The Arnault family's technology investment platform. Particularly relevant for consumer/internet companies, marketplaces and technology intersecting with luxury/consumer ecosystems.

7. Motier Ventures

The Houzé family's venture arm is worth knowing if you're targeting European technology, particularly AI, fintech and consumer businesses. It has participated in genuinely early-stage deals rather than operating solely as a late-stage family-office allocator.

8. Raptor Group

Another very active family investment organization; recent rankings put it at 12 direct deals in 2025. Its mandate is broader than pure technology, but tech/media/consumer opportunities can fit.

9. Mousse Partners

Worth adding to a serious consumer-tech target list. Its portfolio spans pre-seed through later-stage companies, and it's classified as a family investment office with a substantial technology/startup portfolio.

10. KIRKBI

The LEGO family's investment organization. It's more strategic and diversified than the pure-play tech family offices above, but its technology/consumer/gaming exposure makes it relevant for the right startup.

A few less-famous ones I'd actually target

If your goal is raising a seed/Series A round, rather than simply compiling prestigious names, some smaller offices may be considerably more actionable.

Family offices have increasingly shifted from passive limited partners in venture funds to active direct investors, writing massive checks into early-stage and growth-stage tech startups . The most prominent family offices known for direct tech investments span AI, deep tech, enterprise software, and fintech:

• Bezos Expeditions — Jeff Bezos’s single-family office frequently backs breakthrough tech and AI-centric startups at early stages, often co-leading heavy seed and foundational rounds alongside elite research labs.
• Hillspire — Eric Schmidt’s (former Google CEO) family office heavily targets early-stage artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and deep-tech startups.
• ICONIQ Capital — Operating as a massive multi-family office for Silicon Valley's elite, ICONIQ invests heavily in high-growth enterprise software, internet, and AI infrastructure, frequently participating in major private funding rounds.
• Emerson Collective — Laurene Powell Jobs’s hybrid investment and philanthropic vehicle actively deploys capital into transformative tech platforms, with deep allocations across generative AI and mission-driven tech.
• Thiel Capital — Peter Thiel's family office maintains a contrarian, high-conviction direct investing thesis, targeting early-to-growth stages across AI, crypto, defense tech, and biotech.
• Motier Ventures — The single-family office of the Houzé family (heirs to Galeries Lafayette), based in Paris, actively writes direct checks into European early-stage startups spanning AI, fintech, and creative tech.
• Yamauchi No. 10 Family Office — The investment vehicle of the founding family behind Nintendo, which targets bleeding-edge software, interactive tech, and deep-tech enterprise platforms.
• Winklevoss Capital — Founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, this office operates much like a high-conviction VC firm, targeting early-stage software, infrastructure, and blockchain/crypto ecosystems.

Would you like to explore tactics for pitching a family office , or are you looking for direct investors within a specific tech vertical (like AI or climate tech)?

Family offices have evolved into some of the most active and agile direct investors in early-stage tech, frequently co-leading or participating in Seed and Series A rounds . Private wealth intelligence tracking (such as data via FINTRX and industry rankings like CNBC's Inside Wealth ) highlights several prominent family offices leading direct early-stage tech and venture investments:

• Hillspire (Eric and Wendy Schmidt's family office) – Consistently ranks among the most active U.S. single-family offices by deal volume, deploying significant capital directly into early-stage artificial intelligence, clean energy, and deep tech.
• Bezos Expeditions (Jeff Bezos) – Highly active in early-stage frontier tech, robotics, and advanced compute, frequently co-leading substantial seed and early rounds for high-profile technical founders.
• Thiel Capital (Peter Thiel) – Focuses on contrarian, high-risk/high-reward bets across AI, defense tech, crypto, and biotech, often leading early Seed-to-Series A phases.
• ICONIQ Capital – Operating as a prominent multi-family office bridging Silicon Valley wealth and high-growth startups, ICONIQ regularly co-leads early-to-growth tech rounds (e.g., enterprise software and AI safety pioneers).
• Motier Ventures (Guillaume Houzé / Galeries Lafayette family) – A Paris-based single-family office exceptionally active in early-stage European tech, targeting AI, fintech, and the future of commerce from pre-seed through Series B.
• Aglaé Ventures (Bernard Arnault / Groupe Arnault) – The family holding/investment arm that targets tech-forward startups, software, and next-generation European AI disruptors.
• Maelstrom (Arthur Hayes) – A high-activity single-family office focusing heavily on early-stage blockchain, cryptographic infrastructure, and decentralized tech ecosystems.
• Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs) – Invests dynamically across early-stage technology, climate solutions, and impact-driven innovations.
• Yamauchi No. 10 Family Office (The founding family of Nintendo) – Increasingly active in direct tech and software co-investments, branching into cutting-edge digital infrastructure and generative platforms.
• 75 & Sunny (Spencer Rascoff) – Founded by the Zillow co-founder, this single-family office and startup studio actively backs early-stage proptech, SaaS, and consumer tech.

Would you like to explore how to pitch these specific family offices , or are you looking for details on a particular tech sector (like AI or biotech) to narrow down your target list?

There is no definitive “top 10” ranking because many family offices invest privately and disclose only a portion of their startup activity. The strongest direct early-stage tech investors tend to be entrepreneur-founded family offices or investment platforms that operate much like venture firms.

Here are some of the most notable ones for direct investments in early-stage technology startups:

Especially relevant for pre-seed / seed founders

If the goal is a first institutional check ($250k–$5M), the most founder-relevant targets are often:

1. Bezos Expeditions — frontier tech, AI, ambitious founders
2. Thiel Capital — unusual technical bets, deep tech
3. Emerson Collective — AI, science, climate, education
4. Hillspire — AI and enterprise technology
5. Horizons Ventures — global technology breakout companies
6. Kapor Capital — seed-stage technology with strong social impact lens
7. Picus Capital — very early software companies
8. Global Founders Capital — high-volume early-stage investing

If you are building an investor target list

Family offices are usually harder to access than VC firms. The best conversion paths are typically:

• warm introductions from portfolio founders,
• co-investment alongside a lead VC,
• referrals from angel investors,
• sector-specific networks.

If you tell me the startup sector (AI, SaaS, biotech, fintech, climate, defense, etc.), stage (pre-seed/seed/Series A), and geography, I can narrow this to the family offices most likely to write a check.

Yes. If by “family offices” you mean single-family investment vehicles that write checks directly into startups, rather than family offices that merely allocate to VC funds, there is a fairly strong group to focus on.

A useful current benchmark is CNBC/FINTRX’s 2025 Family Office 15, which ranked large U.S. family offices by disclosed direct investments. The top 15 made 120+ direct investments in 2025, with AI/tech/software accounting for more than a third of the disclosed deals.

My shortlist for early-stage tech

The first five are particularly compelling if you're looking for actual current deal activity, rather than simply famous wealthy families that occasionally invest. Hillspire and Bezos Expeditions are especially notable: Hillspire made 15 direct investments in 2025 and Bezos Expeditions 14. Raptor and Emerson Collective each made 12.

Byers Capital is an especially interesting one for a founder. Its own site explicitly says it is a single-family office making direct investments in technology and biotechnology, and its disclosed portfolio includes Factory at Seed, plus Series A investments in xAI, Harmonic, Vial, Xaira and Chai Discovery.

If you're raising a pre-seed/Seed round

I'd prioritize them somewhat differently:

Tier 1 — strongest targets

1. Hillspire — AI/deep tech
2. Bezos Expeditions — AI/robotics/frontier tech
3. Byers Capital — AI/biotech/deep tech
4. Raptor Group — software/electronics
5. Thiel Capital — frontier technology/network-driven businesses

Tier 2 — highly relevant depending on thesis 6. Emerson Collective 7. Horizons Ventures 8. Mousse Partners 9. Builders Vision 10. Jaws Estates Capital

One important caveat: “most active” isn't necessarily “most accessible.” Family offices are deliberately opaque, and the public rankings are based on disclosed deals, so they undercount actual activity. The 2025 ranking itself notes that family offices aren't required to disclose their investments.

If your goal is fundraising, I can also build you a more useful top 25 list of family offices that actually invest at Pre-Seed/Seed, including typical check size, sectors, geography, recent startup investments, lead-vs-follow behavior, and the best way to get an introduction.

Family offices have increasingly bypassed traditional venture capital middlemen to place direct bets on early-stage technology startups , particularly in high-growth sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), enterprise software, fintech, and frontier tech.

Ranked by deal volume, direct investment activity, and prominence in early-to-growth tech stages, the top family offices investing directly in early-stage tech startups include:

• Hillspire (Eric Schmidt's family office) — Consistently ranks as one of the most active U.S. family offices for direct startup deals, with a heavy concentration of early-stage investments in artificial intelligence, deep tech, and compute infrastructure.
• Thiel Capital (Peter Thiel's family office) — Highly active in early-stage (Seed through Series A/B) frontier tech, defense tech, AI, crypto, and autonomous systems, frequently co-leading rounds in disruptive tech.
• Bezos Expeditions (Jeff Bezos' family office) — Frequently participates in massive early and strategic rounds, targeting robotics, energy-efficient compute, and cutting-edge AI labs.
• ICONIQ Capital — Operating as a prominent multi-family office for Silicon Valley elites, ICONIQ executes massive direct and co-investments in early-to-growth tech infrastructure and enterprise software.
• Motier Ventures (Guillaume Houzé / Galeries Lafayette family office) — A Paris-based single-family office exceptionally active in early-stage European tech, with dozens of seed and Series A bets spanning AI, blockchain, and future-of-commerce software.
• Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs' family office/philanthropic vehicle) — Highly active in impact-driven technology, software, and systemic innovation platforms.
• Aglaé Ventures (Bernard Arnault / Groupe Arnault family office) — The tech-forward investment arm backing early-stage startups globally, with a strong footprint in software, consumer tech, and digital platforms.
• Winklevoss Capital Management (Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss' family office) — Well-known for direct, early-stage allocations into software, blockchain, digital assets, and emerging tech infrastructure.
• Maelstrom — A prominent family-backed vehicle heavily focused on direct early-stage deployment into blockchain, cryptographic protocols, and decentralized tech.
• 75 & Sunny (Spencer Rascoff's family office) — Founded by the Zillow co-founder, this single-family office and startup studio actively incubates and funds early-stage internet and PropTech/FinTech software startups.

If you are looking to pitch or analyze these groups, would you like to share:

• Your startup's vertical/sector (e.g., AI, Fintech, DeepTech)?
• The funding stage you are currently raising for (Pre-seed, Seed, Series A)?

I can provide tailored advice on how to approach family offices versus traditional VCs.