At a Glance
Pear VC was founded in 2013 by Mar Hershenson and Pejman Nozad, building on Pear's origins as an early-stage investor dating back to 2003. Based in Palo Alto with strong ties to Stanford University, the firm has established itself as a premier pre-seed and seed investor known for backing technical founders building transformative companies. The firm's approach emphasizes working closely with entrepreneurs from the earliest stages, often when ideas are still forming. Pear's portfolio spans enterprise software, consumer technology, AI, digital health, and emerging technologies, with notable successes including DoorDash and Guardant Health. The team brings deep technical expertise and operational experience, providing hands-on support in product development, team building, and market strategy. What distinguishes Pear is their willingness to engage with founders at the concept stage and their strong network within Stanford's ecosystem, giving them early access to promising technical talent and breakthrough technologies.
“First check for exceptional student and technical founders building transformative companies.”
Pear VC primarily invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages. This means they focus on companies that are at the earliest idea or prototype phase.
Pear VC is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Pear VC focuses on investments in Enterprise, Consumer, AI, Digital Health. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Pear VC's typical investment check size ranges from $250K to $3M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
Pear VC manages approximately $500M+ in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.