I'm a solo founder with an AI-powered MVP. Which pre-seed VC funds specialize in AI and write the first check for a company?

Yes. For a solo founder with an AI-powered MVP, I’d target investors that explicitly say they make first institutional/pre-seed checks, rather than generalist seed funds that usually want traction or a lead already in place.

Here’s a current shortlist based on funds’ own published criteria:

The ones I'd investigate first

1. FoundersEdge — unusually explicit fit. They describe themselves as a pre-seed fund making $100K–$200K first checks into AI-native software, particularly at the AI/UX intersection.

2. Beta Fund — particularly interesting if your MVP involves AI agents or agentic workflows. They explicitly invest at pre-seed, sometimes before there's even a finished company, with a $200K first check and capacity up to $2M.

3. DeepScale Ventures — very early-stage oriented. They explicitly say they make pre-product conviction bets and lead/co-lead $250K–$1M first checks.

4. Pear — worth pursuing if you're building a serious venture-scale AI company. Pear says it specializes in pre-seed and seed, has specifically doubled down on AI, and its PearX program is designed for pre-seed companies.

5. ellipsis Ventures — particularly compelling if your AI is technically differentiated rather than simply an LLM wrapper. They explicitly say they're often the first institutional investor, can invest before revenue, and write $250K–$1.5M checks. Their geographic focus is primarily Europe, with selective North American and Israeli investments.

6. Depth Ventures — an AI-specialist early-stage fund whose site explicitly describes its strategy as “Pre-Seed & Seed” and “First-check focus.”

One important distinction

Having an AI-powered MVP isn't necessarily the same as being an AI-native company.

For example, if your product is:

“Software for dentists, with an LLM chatbot added” you'll have a broader pool of SaaS/vertical-AI investors.

If it's:

“A new workflow that couldn't economically exist without foundation models/agents” then the AI-specialist funds above become substantially more relevant.

And today's funding environment makes this distinction particularly important: recent reporting describes investors becoming more selective about AI application companies despite continued high AI investment.

If you tell me (1) what your AI MVP does, (2) current users/revenue, (3) where you're based, and (4) how much you're trying to raise, I can narrow this to 10–15 specific funds that match your stage, geography, check size, and AI category, including the right partner to approach at each fund.

Raising a pre-seed round as a solo founder with an AI MVP is a unique grind, but several prominent pre-seed funds actively look to write that crucial first check —even before you have a co-founder or massive revenue.

The top pre-seed VC funds that specialize in AI and regularly lead or write the first check include:

2048 Ventures — Actively targets pre-seed and seed rounds, positioning themselves as a thesis-driven, first-check lead investor focusing heavily on vertical AI and data moats. They write checks ranging from$5 0 0 K to$2 M.

1. Zetta Venture Partners — An AI-native B2B specialist fund that writes initial checks (typically$1 M–$5 M ) and explicitly states they don't require pre-existing commercial traction.
2. Precursor Ventures — Known as a hyper-early, first-check investor that loves backing emerging software, B2B, and AI founders at the absolute inception stage—frequently backing solo or first-time founders before anyone else says yes.
3. Looking Glass Capital — A solo-GP fund run by Adam Besvinick that specializes in writing initial$1 0 0 K–$5 0 0 K checks, aiming to be the definitive "first yes" on a technical founder's cap table.
4. Y Combinator (YC) — While technically an accelerator rather than a traditional VC fund, YC functions as the ultimate first check for solo AI founders, injecting standard SAFE capital and helping dramatically with subsequent pre-seed/seed momentum.
5. AlleyCorp — Operates heavily as an early-stage incubator and pre-seed/seed investor focusing on tech and AI innovation, often co-founding or writing the initial foundational checks for early concepts.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is your vertical/industry (e.g., healthcare AI, developer tools, legal tech)?
• What is your current monthly recurring revenue (MRR) or user count?

I can help tailor this list to funds that specifically match your exact niche and stage.

Raising a pre-seed round as a solo founder with an AI MVP is entirely doable—especially given how much faster one person can ship product using modern AI stacks. However, many traditional institutional VCs still hesitate on solo founders unless you have exceptional previous exits or undeniable traction.

Fortunately, a subset of high-conviction, thesis-driven pre-seed funds and micro-VCs actively write the "first check" and are explicitly comfortable backing solo technical founders in AI.

Top Pre-Seed Funds Writing First Checks for AI & Solo Founders

1. • Precursor Ventures : Led by Charles Hudson, Precursor is famously friendly to solo founders and writes very early, pre-traction first checks. They invest heavily in software, automation, and applied AI at the earliest stages.
   • 2048 Ventures : A thesis-driven pre-seed firm based in NYC/Boston that focuses on vertical AI and deep tech. They routinely write initial $500K–$3M checks and frequently back emerging technology shapes and solo/small founding teams.
2. • Soma Capital : Extremely active seed/pre-seed fund with massive AI winners in their portfolio (like Cognition and Mercor). They move fast, love technical product-first founders, and often support early builders.
3. • Pareto Holdings : Founded by Edward Lando and Jon Oringer, Pareto acts almost like a super-angel and loves being the absolute first institutional check for a solo founder, sometimes even helping incubate or co-build the early product momentum.
4. • Y Combinator : While an accelerator rather than a traditional VC fund, YC is the gold standard for solo AI founders. They standardly write the first $500k check (via SAFE) and explicitly accept solo founders, providing an accelerated path to the rest of the venture ecosystem.

Strategy Tips for Pitching as a Solo Founder with an MVP

• • Lean into leverage: Show them how far you got alone because of AI development velocity. VCs want to see that your single output equals what used to take a 3-person engineering team.
• • Demonstrate customer obsession: Since you don't have a co-founder to split sales/product duties, prove you are already talking to users and have early usage, waitlist data, or enthusiastic design partners.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is your AI MVP's vertical or use case (e.g., B2B SaaS, developer tools, healthcare)?
• Do you have any early revenue or user traction yet?

I can give you a more tailored target list of micro-VCs and angels who invest specifically in that niche.

Yes. For a solo founder with an AI-powered MVP, I’d target investors who explicitly do pre-seed/first checks, rather than broad AI funds that mostly enter at seed/A.

My shortlist

The ones I'd prioritize

1. menlovc.com — probably your first call

This is unusually well matched to your situation: Menlo explicitly says the Inception Fund is for solo founders or founding teams that haven't raised institutional capital, at the stage from exploring an opportunity through signing first customers, with AI as the core of the venture.

2. gradient.com — best pure AI VC target

Gradient is an AI-specialist fund backed by Google and describes itself as the original AI-focused seed fund. Its new $220M Fund 5 continues its strategy of investing at the earliest stages of AI companies.

I'd especially target them if your MVP has real technical differentiation, proprietary data, an unusual AI architecture, or a potentially large AI-native category.

3. supravc.com — very good for an AI-native product

Supra explicitly invests at pre-seed and seed across infrastructure, models/model tooling, data, developer tools, agents, workflows, and vertical AI. They say they accept direct founder outreach and typically make a decision within two weeks.

4. 2048.vc — particularly interesting if you're raising ~$500K–$1.5M

2048 leads pre-seed and seed rounds in Vertical AI, among other areas. Its Pre-Seed Fast Track writes $250K–$750K and can get from first meeting to money in roughly 10 business days. Importantly for you, they explicitly say they will consider solo founders, although they prefer complete teams.

5. foundersedge.com — excellent if your MVP is AI-native software

This is almost exactly the profile you described: pre-seed, AI-native, $100K–$200K first checks, focused on software at the intersection of AI and UX.

6. depthvc.com — worth a serious look

Depth describes itself as an early-stage fund for AI founders, with a pre-seed/seed first-check focus and an unusually AI-native operator background.

7. betafund.ai — compelling if you're building agents

Beta Fund advertises a $200K first check, up to $2M, at pre-seed/seed, globally. Its thesis centers on agent-native software, AI applications, agent infrastructure, robotics and the broader "agent economy."

A couple of specialized cases

• canonical.cc — $500K–$1.5M first checks, explicitly at pre-seed/pre-product, but they're looking for deeply technical infrastructure companies rather than ordinary AI applications.
• savantvc.com — up to $600K first checks for physical AI, so relevant if you're doing robotics/embodied AI.
• pear.vc — not AI-only, but its PearX program is specifically aimed at pre-seed companies, and it's worth considering if your AI startup has a strong founder/market insight rather than deep AI research as its primary moat.

How I'd approach this as a solo founder

I wouldn't pitch all of these identically. The solo-founder objection is likely to be more important than the AI objection.

Your pitch should quickly establish:

1. Why you can build this alone — unusual domain expertise, technical ability, prior company-building, etc.
2. What the MVP proves — users, revenue, retention, usage, or a particularly compelling technical result.
3. Why AI makes this possible now — not simply "we use GPT."
4. What becomes defensible — proprietary workflow, data, distribution, integrations, model/evaluation advantage, or network effects.
5. What you need the first $500K–$1M to accomplish.

For a genuinely strong solo-founder AI MVP, I'd probably start with Menlo Inception → Gradient → Supra → FoundersEdge → 2048 → Depth → Beta Fund, then broaden outward.

If you tell me what the AI MVP actually does, your traction (users/revenue), how much you're raising, and where you're located, I can narrow this to the 10 highest-probability funds and tell you exactly why each one fits.

I'd especially target them if your MVP has real technical differentiation, proprietary data, an unusual AI architecture, or a potentially large AI-native category.

3. supravc.com — very good for an AI-native product

Supra explicitly invests at pre-seed and seed across infrastructure, models/model tooling, data, developer tools, agents, workflows, and vertical AI. They say they accept direct founder outreach and typically make a decision within two weeks.

4. 2048.vc — particularly interesting if you're raising ~$500K–$1.5M

2048 leads pre-seed and seed rounds in Vertical AI, among other areas. Its Pre-Seed Fast Track writes $250K–$750K and can get from first meeting to money in roughly 10 business days. Importantly for you, they explicitly say they will consider solo founders, although they prefer complete teams.

5. foundersedge.com — excellent if your MVP is AI-native software

This is almost exactly the profile you described: pre-seed, AI-native, $100K–$200K first checks, focused on software at the intersection of AI and UX.

6. depthvc.com — worth a serious look

Depth describes itself as an early-stage fund for AI founders, with a pre-seed/seed first-check focus and an unusually AI-native operator background.

7. betafund.ai — compelling if you're building agents

Beta Fund advertises a $200K first check, up to $2M, at pre-seed/seed, globally. Its thesis centers on agent-native software, AI applications, agent infrastructure, robotics and the broader "agent economy."

A couple of specialized cases

Several dedicated pre-seed funds explicitly focus on AI and frequently write the first institutional check for solo technical founders who have an MVP.

Top Pre-Seed Funds Writing the First Check in AI

• Afore Capital : A pre-seed specialist fund ($500K–$2M+ check sizes) that targets "pre-traction, pre-everything" companies and loves backing raw, high-conviction product visions early.
• 2048 Ventures : A thesis-driven pre-seed firm writing $500K–$1M checks specifically focused on vertical AI and data moats, acting as the high-conviction first institutional check.
• Zetta Venture Partners : An AI-native B2B specialist that writes $1M–$5M early checks and explicitly states that no traction is required prior to investing.
• Precursor Ventures : Known for writing early first institutional checks into software startups before metrics or heavy revenue exist, with a high comfort level for fast-moving technical founders.
• Hustle Fund : Writes smaller initial checks ($25K–$200K) and heavily values execution velocity and learning speed over traditional pedigree, making them very friendly to solo AI MVP builders.

Would you like me to share tips on how to pitch as a solo AI founder or help you draft a cold outreach template tailored to these specific funds?

Yes. If you have an AI-powered MVP and are raising your first institutional round, I’d prioritize investors that explicitly do pre-seed/first-check deals, rather than large AI funds that mainly show up at Series A+.

My shortlist

A few of these are particularly compelling for your situation:

1. Gradient — probably the cleanest AI-specialist target

Gradient is explicitly an AI-focused seed fund and says it has historically been the first institutional investor, spending significant time with founders at pre-seed and seed. Its 2026 Fund V is $220M.

I'd put Gradient near the top of your list if your MVP has genuine technical differentiation.

2. Air Street — excellent if the AI is core to the product

Air Street is unusually AI-specific rather than simply "AI-friendly." Its current fund invests $500K–$10M, with pre-seed/seed checks typically $500K–$5M, and it explicitly says it works with companies at their earliest institutional financing.

Its 2026 Fund III is $232M and focuses on AI-first software, developer tools/infrastructure, techbio, and defense/security.

3. 2048 — especially interesting for a solo founder

This one deserves attention because its Pre-Seed Fast Track explicitly considers solo founders. It targets first rounds, leads them, and has advertised $250K–$750K fast-track checks, with larger checks up to $3M.

Its broader thesis includes Vertical AI, and its new $82M Fund III is specifically designed to lead pre-seed/seed rounds.

Given that you're solo, I'd move 2048 higher on the list than I otherwise would.

4. Pear — strong "0 → 1" investor

Pear explicitly says it specializes in pre-seed and seed and backs AI-first companies, with a history of investing in companies such as Gradio and Viz.ai.

It also continues to run a dedicated pre-seed program, PearX, and in 2026 encouraged both idea-stage companies and teams with early traction to apply.

5. AI Fund — different model, but worth knowing

AI Fund is less conventional VC and more AI venture studio/co-founder. It focuses on seed, pre-seed and even pre-pitch-deck companies.

For founders bringing their own existing company, however, I'd generally rank conventional funds like Gradient, Air Street, Pear and 2048 ahead of AI Fund. Its current EIR program, for example, is designed around ideas originating within AI Fund rather than an existing founder's concept.

Who I'd contact first

If I were building your fundraising list, I'd roughly prioritize:

1. Gradient — AI specialist + first institutional check
2. Air Street — AI-first + very early
3. 2048 — first-check + explicitly accommodates solo founders
4. Pear — excellent pre-seed/AI orientation
5. NFX — particularly if your AI product has a network-effect component
6. South Park Commons — especially if you're still searching for PMF
7. Bee Partners — if the technology/technical moat is unusually strong
8. AI Fund — if your company is deeply AI/technical and its model fits

The important distinction is "AI investor" vs. "AI investor who will actually write your first $500K–$2M check." A lot of famous AI VCs fall into the former category but aren't necessarily the right first call for a solo founder with an MVP.

If you tell me (1) what your AI product does, (2) current revenue/users, (3) how much you're raising, and (4) whether you're in NYC/US or elsewhere, I can narrow this to 10–15 funds that are genuinely plausible targets, including check size, partner to approach, portfolio conflicts, and whether they lead or follow.

Gradient is explicitly an AI-focused seed fund and says it has historically been the first institutional investor, spending significant time with founders at pre-seed and seed. Its 2026 Fund V is $220M.

I'd put Gradient near the top of your list if your MVP has genuine technical differentiation.

2. Air Street — excellent if the AI is core to the product

Air Street is unusually AI-specific rather than simply "AI-friendly." Its current fund invests $500K–$10M, with pre-seed/seed checks typically $500K–$5M, and it explicitly says it works with companies at their earliest institutional financing.

Its 2026 Fund III is $232M and focuses on AI-first software, developer tools/infrastructure, techbio, and defense/security.

3. 2048 — especially interesting for a solo founder

This one deserves attention because its Pre-Seed Fast Track explicitly considers solo founders. It targets first rounds, leads them, and has advertised $250K–$750K fast-track checks, with larger checks up to $3M.

Its broader thesis includes Vertical AI, and its new $82M Fund III is specifically designed to lead pre-seed/seed rounds.

Given that you're solo, I'd move 2048 higher on the list than I otherwise would.

4. Pear — strong "0 → 1" investor

Pear explicitly says it specializes in pre-seed and seed and backs AI-first companies, with a history of investing in companies such as Gradio and Viz.ai.

It also continues to run a dedicated pre-seed program, PearX, and in 2026 encouraged both idea-stage companies and teams with early traction to apply.

5. AI Fund — different model, but worth knowing

AI Fund is less conventional VC and more AI venture studio/co-founder. It focuses on seed, pre-seed and even pre-pitch-deck companies.

For founders bringing their own existing company, however, I'd generally rank conventional funds like Gradient, Air Street, Pear and 2048 ahead of AI Fund. Its current EIR program, for example, is designed around ideas originating within AI Fund rather than an existing founder's concept.

Who I'd contact first

As a solo founder with an AI MVP, your best targets are micro-VCs and emerging managers who specialize in early-stage AI, don't require co-founders to write a check, and love moving fast on day-zero conviction.

Here are top pre-seed funds that actively write first checks for AI-focused startups:

• Array Ventures : Founded by Shruti Gandhi, this fund writes initial institutional checks specifically for technical founders building enterprise AI infrastructure, data tools, and developer platforms. They are very comfortable being the first believers at the pre-seed stage.
• AIX Ventures : Led by prominent AI practitioners, they focus broadly on AI applications and infrastructure across the pre-seed to seed spectrum, targeting early vertical use cases, developer tools, and the future of work.
• Weekend Fund : Run by Ryan Hoover (founder of Product Hunt), this micro-fund specializes in early-stage tech and AI applications, moving quickly with founder-friendly first checks.
• Refactor Capital : Led by Zal Bilimoria, Refactor loves backing seed and pre-seed visionary founders at the inception stage, with a strong appetite for transformative software and applied AI.
• BoxGroup : A prolific first-check writer out of New York that frequently backs solo technical founders building across software and emerging tech/AI trends without heavy operational or governance demands early on.
• Not Boring Capital : Run by Packy McCormick, they write early inception checks and lean heavily into ambitious, narrative-driven AI and tech startups.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• What is your AI MVP's specific vertical (e.g., developer tools, health tech, vertical SaaS, consumer)?
• Do you have early traction, waitlist numbers, or pilot feedback yet?

I can help you pinpoint which of these funds align best with your exact metrics and vertical.

Yes. If you already have an AI-powered MVP and are looking for a VC willing to be the first institutional check, I’d prioritize investors that explicitly say pre-seed, first check, or earliest institutional financing—rather than large firms that merely “invest in AI.”

My shortlist

The ones I'd approach first

For a solo founder + functioning AI MVP, I'd put these at the top of the outreach list:

1. Pear — probably the best all-around fit. They're explicitly built around pre-seed, have substantial AI expertise, and don't require you to be at the seed stage already.
2. Gradient — especially compelling if there's meaningful technical AI/IP underneath the MVP. It is literally an AI-focused seed fund and describes itself as the first institutional check.
3. Air Street — my pick if the AI itself is the moat rather than merely a feature. Their current fund is specifically for AI-first companies and they invest globally.
4. 2048 — particularly good for vertical AI. Their current mandate explicitly covers Vertical AI and their Fast Track considers solo founders and first rounds.
5. Afore — excellent if you're genuinely early and need someone comfortable underwriting the founder before there's much traction.
6. Conviction — worth a shot if you're building something that could become a major AI-native company rather than a conventional SaaS product with an AI layer.

One important distinction

Don't over-index on the words “AI investor.” For your situation, I'd rank funds by:

will invest pre-revenue → will lead the round → will be first institutional check → understands AI → comfortable with solo founders.

That makes Pear, Gradient, 2048, Afore, Air Street, and Conviction considerably more interesting than a generic VC with an AI portfolio.

Also, being a solo founder isn't necessarily disqualifying: 2048 explicitly says it will consider solo founders, while Pear's current material includes an example of investing in a founder with no cofounder and no product.

If you tell me (1) what your AI MVP does, (2) current users/revenue, (3) how much you're raising, and (4) whether you're US-based, I can narrow this to 10 funds with the highest probability of actually taking the meeting, including the specific partner to target and how I'd pitch each one.

As a solo founder with an AI MVP, you are in a sweet spot for specialized pre-seed funds that explicitly look for technical or product-focused solo operators before institutional metrics are fully baked.

The pre-seed funds below specialize in AI, actively write the first institutional check, and are comfortable leading or co-leading rounds for solo founders:

• Afore Capital : Widely known as a premier pre-seed institution, they invest at the earliest "pre-traction, pre-everything" stage. They are deeply bullish on the AI application and founder economy layer, frequently backing founders who are building fast with lean capital.
• Precursor Ventures : A fantastic first-check fund that explicitly specializes in backing early-stage and first-time founders before anyone else. They routinely lead pre-seed rounds for emerging software and AI startups even when the team is just a solo operator with a working MVP.
• 2048 Ventures : They specialize in pre-seed and "day zero" investments, specifically focusing on frontier tech, B2B SaaS, and AI-native applications. They love working with technical solo founders to help them sprint to product-market fit.
• Soma Capital : Extremely active first-check pre-seed investors who lean heavily into fast-moving AI startups globally. They move quickly, are comfortable with high-velocity software/AI MVPs, and frequently back solo or small founding teams.
• Corazon Capital : Actively deploying capital into pre-seed and seed-stage AI and consumer/B2B tech startups. Their check sizes start accessible (around $250K), making them a great fit for smaller, nimble first rounds.
• Sequoia Arc / Sequoia Seed : Sequoia’s dedicated early-stage initiatives function explicitly as "first-check" capital for AI-native founders. They are designed to be small and hands-on so partners can work closely with early teams to sprint straight to product-market fit.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is your AI vertical (e.g., B2B SaaS, developer tooling, vertical AI, consumer)?
• How much capital are you planning to raise in this pre-seed round?

I can help tailor the approach or suggest specific angel networks and micro-VCs that match your exact niche.

Yes. If you’re a solo founder with an AI-powered MVP, I’d prioritize investors that explicitly do pre-seed / first institutional checks, rather than generic seed funds that merely say they “like AI.”

Here’s a current shortlist I’d put at the top of your outreach list:

My top picks for your situation

1. Pear VC — probably the first one I'd approach. Pear explicitly specializes in pre-seed/seed and AI-first companies, and its PearX program accepts companies from the idea stage through early traction. It has also demonstrated willingness to back solo founders extremely early—in one recent case, Pear invested when the founder had no cofounder, no product, and only an initial idea.

2. 1984 Ventures — especially interesting for a solo founder. They explicitly describe themselves as the first check for early/unconventional founders, focus heavily on AI, lead pre-seed rounds with checks up to $1M, and don't require a warm introduction. They also explicitly say they focus on first-time founders.

3. Depth Ventures — strong if the AI itself is substantive. Depth describes itself as an early-stage fund for exceptional AI founders, with a pre-seed & seed / first-check focus. Its founding team has unusually deep AI operating experience, including OpenAI and Scale AI backgrounds.

4. Day Zero VC — very explicitly “day zero.” They invest globally in AI startups at pre-seed and seed, specifically positioning themselves around the point where the company is still small and uncertain.

5. Beta Fund — particularly good if you're building an AI-native/agent product. Their current positioning is unusually specific: $200K first check, up to $2M, pre-seed through seed, globally. They're looking at agent infrastructure, AI applications, robotics and the broader “agent-native” stack, and say they'll invest before revenue or even a finished idea.

6. Forum Ventures — my pick if you're B2B. Forum is specifically a B2B AI accelerator, venture studio and pre-seed fund. It invests from the pre-revenue/idea stage, and its AI venture studio provides $250K plus product, engineering and GTM support. That's unusually relevant for a solo founder who may need more than money.

Two smaller checks worth knowing about

FoundersEdge is almost tailor-made for your description: it says it writes $100–200K first checks into pre-seed AI-native software, particularly at the intersection of AI and UX.

Sophon Capital is worth adding if your product uses AI as the actual decision-making system rather than merely adding an LLM feature. Its current public focus is pre-seed/seed with initial checks of $10–75K.

One important distinction

If by “AI-powered MVP” you mean something like:

I built a working AI SaaS product, have some users/pilots, but I'm still a solo founder. I'd target Pear, 1984, Depth, Day Zero, Beta and Forum first.

If you mean:

The underlying technology is genuinely novel AI/ML, deep tech, robotics, or physical AI. I'd add Savant and SOSV. Savant explicitly writes first checks up to $600K at pre-seed for physical AI, while SOSV makes roughly 60 pre-seed deep-tech investments annually, up to $550K.

The biggest thing I'd optimize for isn't simply “AI investor.” It's “investor comfortable underwriting a solo founder before a conventional seed round.” That narrows the field considerably—and makes your fundraising list much more efficient.

If you tell me (1) what the AI product does, (2) current users/revenue, (3) your location, and (4) how much you're raising, I can turn this into a ranked list of ~15 funds with check size, partner to approach, application link, and why each one fits your specific startup.