Seed-stage VC, US

Uncork Capital

Venture capital firm · San Francisco · Founded 2004

Quick read

Uncork Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2004, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It has backed more than 260 companies over 20 years, with portfolio companies raising $8B+ in follow-on capital. In May 2025, the firm closed its eighth seed fund at $225M and a $75M opportunity fund, doubling down on AI-native companies at the earliest stage.

Key facts

Founded
2004
Founders
Jeff Clavier
Employees
10-50
Sectors
generalist, saas, ai, fintech, marketplace, consumer, enterprise
Website
uncorkcapital.com

Investment thesis

Uncork invests at seed stage, writing $1.5M–$4M checks into outlier founders building technology-driven companies — with a current focus on AI-native businesses across SaaS, fintech, marketplaces, and enterprise software. The firm commits before traction is obvious and follows on through breakout portfolio companies via its dedicated opportunity fund.

Recent activity

  • May 2026investment
    Uncork Capital led Knit Health's $11.6M seed round alongside Frist Cressey Ventures, Moxxie Ventures, and Coalition Operators. Knit has built a Large Clinical Behavior Model (LCBM) designed to learn from how care is delivered in practice. linkedin.com
  • Apr 2026investment
    Uncork backed Amperos Health's $16M raise for an agentic AI denial management and revenue recovery platform, co-investing with Neo and Bessemer Venture Partners. tracxn.com
  • Apr 2026investment
    Uncork participated in Soma Energy's $7M pre-seed and seed round alongside TO VC, Haystack, and Panache Ventures. tracxn.com
  • Feb 2026investment
    Uncork backed Mirai's $10M seed round for an on-device AI capability layer. tracxn.com
  • Feb 2026investment
    Uncork participated in Duckbill's $7.75M raise for its new Skyway platform, expanding the cloud and AWS cost consultancy into software. tracxn.com
  • Feb 2026press
    TechCrunch published a piece on Uncork Capital's 21-year venture history, featuring Jeff Clavier and Andy McLoughlin discussing the firm's positioning, including a recent investment in AI chipmaker Groq and bets on AI-native companies in material sciences and robotics. techcrunch.com
  • May 2025fundraise
    Uncork closed $300M across two funds: Uncork VIII, a $225M seed fund targeting ~35 early-stage startups over three years, and Uncork Plus IV, a $75M growth fund for existing portfolio breakouts. The close marked the firm's 21st anniversary. prnewswire.com
  • May 2025fundraise
    Uncork Capital closed $300M across two new funds on its 21st anniversary: Uncork VIII, a $225M seed fund targeting ~35 seed rounds with larger initial checks, and Uncork Plus IV, a $75M opportunity fund for follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies at Series B and beyond. uncorkcapital.com
  • May 2025product
    Uncork adopted Carta for fund administration and fund forecasting across all its funds, including the newly raised Uncork VIII and Plus IV vehicles. linkedin.com
  • 2025investment
    Uncork invested in Inertia, a company led by Jeff Lawson, announcing the news via LinkedIn. linkedin.com
  • 2025press
    Jeff Clavier and Andy McLoughlin appeared on TechCrunch's StrictlyVC Download podcast, discussing Uncork's investment in AI chipmaker Groq, its focus on AI-native companies in material sciences and robotics, and its strategy of finding companies with unique datasets before they become obvious to the market. techcrunch.com
  • 2025investment
    Uncork led Unkey's $4.5M seed round alongside Essence VC and Sunflower Capital. Unkey builds a modern API platform for developers. uncorkcapital.com

Notable investments

Key people

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Frequently asked

What is Uncork Capital?+

Uncork Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2004, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It has backed more than 260 companies over 20 years, with portfolio companies raising $8B+ in follow-on capital.

Where is Uncork Capital headquartered?+

Uncork Capital is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.

When was Uncork Capital founded?+

Uncork Capital was founded in 2004 by Jeff Clavier.

What sectors does Uncork Capital invest in?+

Uncork Capital focuses on generalist, saas, ai, fintech, marketplace, consumer, enterprise. They primarily invest in these sectors.

How do I prepare for a meeting with Uncork Capital?+

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Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources. Last updated July 23, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.

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