GoAhead Ventures

GoAhead Ventures is a pre-seed and seed stage venture firm that has been investing since it launched its first fund in the fourth quarter of 2014, and reports more than $250M raised across three funds. Three managing partners run it: Clancey Stahr, Phil Brady and Takeshi Mori, who met through their respective Stanford networks, with Stahr and Mori having worked together on earlier investment vehicles before starting GoAhead. The firm deliberately rejects the conventional venture process and describes itself as being built like a startup rather than a traditional firm. Every company enters through a one-way video pitch that all three managing partners review, so there is no cold-email screening layer and no associate filter between a founder and the decision-makers. The published process runs about six days from a submitted pitch to a potential offer, with a final decision the day after the partner pitch, a signable SAFE instead of a term sheet, and a typical check size of $1M. The firm states a response time of under 24 hours. GoAhead invests across all technology sectors and all geographies, is willing to lead, co-lead or follow, and does 30 or more deals a year, with deep connections across the United States and Japan. It has been in operation for more than 11 years and also runs a scout program for students and recent graduates who want to break into venture. Founders who believe they sit at the edge of its stated criteria are encouraged to apply anyway. The fixed funnel, fast decision and standard instrument make GoAhead most relevant to founders who want a quick, high-certainty first check rather than a long partner-meeting cycle.