At a Glance
Builders VC is a San Francisco venture capital firm backing management teams that solve complex, mission-critical problems with technology that transforms legacy systems and reshapes essential industries. The firm invests across Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A and Series B+ rounds, with sector coverage spanning Aerospace and Defense, Digital Health, Consumer and Fintech alongside adjacent industrial categories.
The posture is deliberately unfashionable. Builders argues that great returns come from the revolution of existing industries rather than from trend-chasing, and it concentrates where incumbent systems still run on paper, spreadsheets and disconnected hardware. The portfolio reflects that. Fieldwire brought construction field management online before being acquired. Performance Livestock Analytics built data systems for cattle operations. Timbereye digitizes the timber trade. NeuroFlow manages behavioral health across large provider networks. Navier is electrifying maritime transport, Upside works on consumer spending economics, and Colossal applies synthetic biology at the species level. Clay, a go-to-market platform, raised a $115 million Series D, and Atoms, an industrial robotics and AI company, has raised $1.7 billion.
Capital comes through a steady mid-sized fund program rather than one flagship. SEC filings show Fund I targeting $200 million from 2016, a Canadian parallel vehicle and an entrepreneurs fund beside it, and a Fund II pair that reported $235.9 million sold across 57 investors in 2021. Fund III filed in January 2024. The firm works from 601 California Street in San Francisco and does not disclose assets under management.
“Focuses on investing in aerospace & defense, digital health, consumer, and fintech companies across multiple stages.”
Jim Kim and Paul Lee are the executive officers named on the Builders VC Fund I offering. SEC filings for Builders VC Fund II list James Kim, Mark Blackwell, Jocelyn Doe, Mark Goldstein, Alex Kinnier and Amit Mehta as directors of the general partner, Builders VC GP II, LLC, all filing from the firm's office at 601 California Street in San Francisco.
Builders describes its investment team as seasoned operators and investors who back management teams tackling the messy, mission-critical problems inside legacy industries. The firm does not publish partner biographies or prior roles on its public site, so titles beyond the regulatory filings are unavailable. Coverage in practice spans maritime electrification, construction software, behavioral health, livestock analytics, timber markets and synthetic biology.
Builders VC registered its first vehicle, Builders VC Fund I, L.P., with the SEC in November 2016 against a $200 million target; an amended filing in June 2018 recorded $115.5 million sold from 36 investors. A parallel Builders VC Fund I (Canada), L.P. closed $22.5 million in November 2018, and Builders VC Entrepreneurs Fund I, L.P. closed $10 million that June.
The firm returned to market in October 2020 with Builders VC Fund II, L.P. and a companion Entrepreneurs Fund II, both filed against a $250 million target; amended filings in October 2021 report $235.9 million sold across 57 investors. Builders VC Fund III, L.P. filed a Form D in January 2024 with an indefinite offering amount and no capital reported sold at filing. The filings name Builders VC GP II, LLC of San Francisco as the general partner. The firm publishes no fund sizes or assets under management on its own site.
Builders VC primarily invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are at the earliest idea or prototype phase.
Builders VC is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Builders VC focuses on investments in Aerospace & Defense, Digital Health, Other, Consumer, Fintech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Builders VC's typical investment check size ranges from $. to $.. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
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