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Foothill Ventures

Foothill Ventures is a technology-focused venture capital fund based in Los Altos, California, making early-stage investments in frontier tech, infrastructure, and AI applications. The firm backs technical founders building breakthrough deep tech companies, with a portfolio spanning AI inference hardware, optical interconnect technology, and legal AI.
Los Altos, USA

Description

Foothill Ventures is a venture capital fund based in Los Altos, California, run by a team of investors with deep experience as founders and operators. The firm's latest fund focuses on frontier technology, targeting early-stage companies in Deep Tech, Software Infrastructure, and AI Applications that demonstrate strong technical or product-level differentiation. Foothill looks for strong technical founders with a track record of leadership success, values diverse founding teams (including immigrant, female, and PhD founders), and favors cross-disciplinary opportunities where multiple technical disciplines intersect. The firm's portfolio includes companies such as D-Matrix (ultra-low latency AI inference), Hyperlight (thin-film lithium niobate optical modulators), Quintessent (quantum dot DWDM laser sources for optical interconnect), and Supio (AI for personal injury law firms). Beyond capital, Foothill Ventures emphasizes hands-on support for portfolio companies in strategy, financing, and hiring, and has built a community among its largely technical-founder portfolio.