Founders Fund
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $500K – $150M
- Stage
- Seed, Series A, Series B+
- AUM
- $12B
- Sectors
- AI, Biotech, Aerospace & Defense
- Founded
- 2005
- HQ
- San Francisco, CA
About Founders Fund
Founders Fund is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, CA founded in 2005. Founders Fund is a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies. The firm focuses on Seed, Series A, Series B+ investments across sectors including AI, Biotech, Aerospace & Defense. The firm manages $12B in assets under management.
Notable portfolio companies include SpaceX, Facebook, Palantir, Stripe, Airbnb, Spotify, Anduril and Ramp. Contrarian venture fund backing founders building transformative companies in aerospace, AI, biotech, and other frontier technologies.
Investment Thesis
“Contrarian venture fund backing founders building transformative companies in aerospace, AI, biotech, and other frontier technologies.”
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
View full portfolio →
Key Team (11)
Fund History (6 funds)
| Fund | Vintage | Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | $3.15B | — | |
| — | $1.8B | — | |
| — | $1.3B | — | |
| — | $1B | — | |
| — | $625M | — | |
| — | $220M | — |
Fund History
- Founders Fund's vehicles appear in SEC filings from 2010, when Founders Fund III, LP reported $188.2 million across amended filings alongside a $58.8 million principals fund and a $3.0 million entrepreneurs fund.
- Fund IV closed $500 million in December 2011 with a $125 million principals fund beside it.
- From there the flagship roughly doubled each cycle: Fund V closed $1.02 billion in March 2014, Fund VI $1.27 billion in March 2016, Fund VII $1.50 billion in November 2019 and Fund VIII $1.93 billion in March 2022.
- Fund IX filed in April 2023 at $675 million and reported $971.6 million sold from 235 investors by October 2025.
- The growth line is now the larger half of the platform: Founders Fund Growth II closed $3.43 billion in March 2022, Growth III $4.60 billion in April 2025 and Growth IV $6.02 billion in March 2026.
- Each flagship and growth fund carries parallel principals and entrepreneurs vehicles, and EDGAR also shows a dedicated Founders Fund SpaceX Fund, LP.
SEC Fund Filings
- Vehicles filed, last 24 months
- 2
- Latest filing
Founders Fund filed a Form D for 2 fund vehicles between Sep 30, 2024 and Sep 29, 2026.
| Fund vehicle | Source |
|---|---|
| Founders Fund Growth IV, LP | SEC Form D, filed |
| Founders Fund Growth III, LP | SEC Form D, filed |
A Form D is the notice a fund files with the SEC when it raises money in a private offering. Feeder funds, parallel funds and SPVs each file their own, so the count measures filing activity, not the number of flagship funds.
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D filings for pooled investment funds, original filings only (amendments excluded). Our filing data starts Jul 1, 2024. Vehicles are matched to Founders Fund by fund name and checked against the sponsor address and named principals on each filing; offering amounts are not shown. Each “SEC Form D” link opens an EDGAR full-text search for that vehicle’s exact name, where the filing itself is listed. See every new fund filing on the Form D Radar.
Investment Timeline (13 deals)
2023
Varda Space Industries
Series B$90M2022
Anduril
$450M2021
Hadrian
Series A$90M2020
Applied Intuition
Series B$125M2019
Relativity Space
Series D+$500M2018
Varda Space Industries
Seed$9M2017
Anduril
Series A$41M2016
Oscar Health
Series C$400M2015
Flexport
Series A$20M2014
Wish
Series C$50M2013
RelateIQ
Series B$40M2012
Airbnb
Series C$112M2011
Spotify
Growth$100MTeam (6)
Related Articles (6)
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Founders Fund invest at?
Founders Fund primarily invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are building their initial product and finding product-market fit.
Where is Founders Fund located?
Founders Fund is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Founders Fund focus on?
Founders Fund focuses on investments in AI, Biotech, Aerospace & Defense. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Founders Fund's typical check size?
Founders Fund's typical investment check size ranges from $500K to $150M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
How much does Founders Fund have under management?
Founders Fund manages approximately $12B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.
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