Zalarma
Investors · Micro-VCs

Micro-VCs: who they are and how to approach them

Data as of 2026-11-01 · Source: Zalarma investor database

The short answer

Our database lists 195 US startup investors in the micro-vcs category, and 79 of those with a known state are based outside California, New York and Massachusetts. The most represented states are California (74), New York (35), Ohio (10). (Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01.)

195startup investors
102angels & syndicates
64list pre-seed
177list seed

What Micro-VCs investors look for

Micro-VCs are small venture funds, typically writing pre-seed and seed checks. Many are run by one or two partners with a specific thesis, so the fit with their focus matters more than your pitch polish.

Where they are

US states with the most micro-vcs investors in our database.

StateInvestors
California74
New York35
Ohio10

What stages they back

Of the 195 records in this group that list a stage, here is how many invest at each one (investors often list several).

Investors by stage

Pre-seed64
Seed177
Series A87
Series B+73
Source: Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01. Counts under 10 are not shown.

Who they are

The mix of investor types tells you where your first checks are most likely to come from.

Investors by type

Angels & syndicates102
Venture capital firms & partners195
Micro-VCs195
Source: Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01. Counts under 10 are not shown.

Sectors they focus on

Sector focus as listed on each record. Generalists who list many sectors are counted in each.

Investors by sector focus

B2B SaaS & enterprise software109
Healthcare & digital health85
Consumer & retail78
Biotech & life sciences68
Fintech67
Machine learning & data43
Deep tech & hardware41
Education technology40
Source: Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01. Counts under 10 are not shown.

Typical check sizes

Based on the 195 records that list a check size (we use the low end of a stated range).

Investors by typical check size

$50K–$250K24
$250K–$1M97
$1M+74
Source: Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01. Counts under 10 are not shown.

Active firms outside California, New York and Massachusetts

Firms ranked by how many of their investors in this group appear in our database, counting only investors based outside the three biggest hubs. A starting map, not a ranking of quality.

FirmMain stagesListed
MCM Capital PartnersSeedunder 10
Impact EnginePre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+under 10
Boulder VenturesSeedunder 10
Noro-Moseley PartnersSeed, Series A, Series B+under 10
Brighton Partners, LLCPre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+under 10

About this data

Counts are records in the Zalarma investor database, as of 2026-11-01: angels, venture firms and their partners, micro-VCs, family offices, corporate VCs and accelerators that list startup investing. One investor can appear in several stage or sector rows. Stage, sector and check size come from what each record lists, so not every record has every field. Counts under 10 are not shown. Firm names are listed; we do not publish personal contact details on this site. Read how we build and check the data.

Frequently asked questions

How many micro-vcs investors are there in the US?

The Zalarma investor database lists 195 US startup investors in this group as of 2026-11-01. It is a count of records in our database, not of the whole market.

Are most of them in Silicon Valley?

No. 79 of those with a known state are based outside California, New York and Massachusetts.

How should I approach them?

Shortlist the investors whose stage, sector and check size match your round, find a warm path for the top 25, and send a short, specific note to the rest. Our guides cover both.

Can Zalarma introduce me?

Tell us about your round and within 2 business days we will send 5 hand-picked investors, each with a one-line why-they-fit. We never share your details with investors without your OK.

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