Seed-stage VC, US

Floodgate

Venture capital firm · Menlo Park · Founded 2006

Quick read

Floodgate is a seed-stage VC firm founded in 2006, headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It's one of the earliest micro-VC firms in the US, best known for writing first checks into Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, Okta, and Applied Intuition. The firm backs what it calls 'Prime Movers'—founders who defy conventional wisdom at the very start of their company-building journey.

Key facts

Founded
2006
Founders
Mike Maples Jr., Ann Miura-Ko
Employees
20
Sectors
generalist
Website
floodgate.com

Investment thesis

Floodgate invests at the pre-seed and seed stage in founders it calls 'Prime Movers'—contrarian builders who see an inevitable future that others dismiss. The firm writes first checks before market consensus forms, aiming to be the earliest institutional believer in companies that go on to define entirely new categories.

Recent activity

  • May 2026fundraise
    Floodgate filed to raise its eighth fund at $130 million. Mike Maples Jr. and Ann Miura-Ko are leading the raise as the firm maintains a smaller vehicle while much of the industry shifts toward larger funds. bizjournals.com
  • Mar 2026investment
    Floodgate portfolio company Lume AI was acquired by Harvey. Deal terms were not disclosed. tracxn.com
  • Feb 2026investment
    Floodgate participated in the seed round of Efex, a global treasury platform operating in Mexico and the US. tracxn.com
  • Early 2026leadership
    Floodgate posted an open search for a new chief of staff to Mike Maples Jr., based in the SF Bay Area, as the previous holder of the role departed. The position spans investing, company building, and fund operations. linkedin.com
  • Dec 2025investment
    Floodgate's Mike Maples Jr. led a $4.3 million seed investment in Wavedash, a gaming-focused ticketing platform. tracxn.com
  • 2025leadership
    Iris Choi joined Floodgate as a partner to invest at seed and pre-seed stage. She had previously worked in consulting with several VC partnerships before joining the firm. linkedin.com
  • Spring 2026leadership
    Mike Maples Jr. joined Y Combinator as a Visiting Partner for the Spring 2026 batch. linkedin.com
  • Mar 2026investment
    Floodgate portfolio company Lume AI was acquired by Harvey in March 2026. tracxn.com
  • Dec 2025investment
    Floodgate's Mike Maples Jr. led a $4.3M seed investment in Wavedash. tracxn.com
  • Mar 2026investment
    Lume AI, a Floodgate portfolio company, was acquired by Harvey. tracxn.com
  • Mar 2026investment
    Merlin Labs exited the Floodgate portfolio on March 16, 2026. cbinsights.com
  • Feb 2026investment
    Floodgate participated in EFEX's $8M seed round. EFEX is building a global treasury platform operating in Mexico and the US. tracxn.com

Notable investments

Key people

Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.

  • Mike Maples Jr. · Co-Founder and Managing Partner
    LinkedIn
  • Ann Miura-Ko · Co-Founding Partner
    LinkedIn
  • Iris Choi · Partner
    LinkedIn

Sources

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Frequently asked

What is Floodgate?+

Floodgate is a seed-stage VC firm founded in 2006, headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It's one of the earliest micro-VC firms in the US, best known for writing first checks into Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, Okta, and Applied Intuition.

Where is Floodgate headquartered?+

Floodgate is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States.

When was Floodgate founded?+

Floodgate was founded in 2006 by Mike Maples Jr., Ann Miura-Ko.

What sectors does Floodgate invest in?+

Floodgate focuses on generalist. They primarily invest in these sectors.

How do I prepare for a meeting with Floodgate?+

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Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources. Last updated August 20, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.

Automatically generated by AI from public sources. May be inaccurate or out of date. Remove or correct this profile →