Our Investment Thesis

At Allied Venture Partners, we invest based on a disciplined 6-factor thesis refined through years of early-stage software investing. We back highly technical founders building infrastructure-layer software with real users, strong unit economics, and long-term differentiation.

What We Target

1. Core Infrastructure Software

We invest in software companies building the underlying core infrastructure to enable and democratize access among large and rapidly expanding markets. Our preferred domains include B2B enterprise software, Marketplaces, Platforms, Fintech, Blockchain, AI/ML, Payments, Logistics, Analytics, and Security. We also back certain B2C consumer software applications, including e-Commerce, Gaming, and Subscriptions. 

Our focus on the software infrastructure layer enables greater scalability and lower capital requirements, allowing for faster experimentation, validation, and growth.

We are generally industry agnostic; however, we do not invest in Life Sciences, Biotech, Medtech, Healthtech, Climate, Cannabis, GovTech, or pure hardware.

Our geographical focus includes companies based and registered in North America (Canada and the USA), with a maximum post-money valuation of $25MM USD.

Our typical check size is $100k to $350k USD, depending on the company’s stage.

2. Exceptional Teams with Strong Domain Expertise

We invest in exceptional founding teams with the passion, focus, and unwavering determination to execute their vision and bring their product to life.

Founding teams should include the necessary technical knowledge, experience, and complementary skill sets to achieve initial scale (founder-market fit).

Additionally, we look for founders who demonstrate self-awareness of potential skill gaps and have a clear roadmap for filling strategic positions after raising capital.

We strive to invest in the most credible, resilient, driven, and knowledgeable founders eager to surround themselves with talented people.

3. Post-Revenue with Early Traction

We invest once a startup has:

  • Built a minimum viable product (MVP)

  • Started generating revenue from real customers (not friends or family), often $3k to $5k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR)

  • 3 to 6 months of consistent revenue growth, with the ability to obtain feedback and reviews from early customers

These minimum traction thresholds provide strong initial signs of product-market fit while solving a legitimate pain point among a sizeable target market.

Note: Even if your startup is pre-revenue, we encourage you to complete the application form and get on our radar.

4. Early-Stage: Seed to Series A

We invest pre-Series A, including Pre-Seed, Seed, Seed+, or actively raising a Series A.

Additionally, we ask for pro-rata rights alongside our initial investment, so we can maintain ownership while continuing to support portfolio companies in follow-on rounds.

5. Capital Efficient with a Path to Profitability

We invest in startups with founders who have a clear focus and an appreciation for capital efficiency, with a minimum post-investment runway of 16 months.

The company should demonstrate early evidence of efficient customer acquisition (CAC), whereby additional venture capital funding will optimize and scale the company’s growth engine flywheel and subsequent competitive edge, thereby improving CAC:LTV towards sustained profitability.

As venture investors, focusing on capital efficiency and improving unit economics ensures long-term profitability and sustainability, thereby increasing the company's attractiveness for downstream funding or acquisition.

6. Meaningful and Sustainable Differentiation

We invest in startups that have discovered a unique and meaningful way to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, thereby creating a larger pie rather than a larger piece of the same pie (no me-too copycats).

Although not always required, ideal startups possess some proprietary IP, trade secret, or technological moat, providing a competitive edge toward meaningful and sustainable differentiation.

Why These Criteria Matter

  • Scalable impact: Infrastructure-layer software powers broader ecosystems — giving our portfolio leverage and strategic optionality.

  • Risk mitigation: Early revenue and capital efficiency reduce dilution risk and enhance sustainability.

  • Long-term value: Meaningful differentiation helps companies defend their value over time and supports attractive follow-on and exit pathways.

  • Founders-first ethos: We partner with low-ego teams who are deeply expert in their domain and align on mission, not just market trends.

Who Should Apply

Founders:

  • If you're building a pre-Series A software company in North America and meet our criteria, we encourage you to apply. Even pre-revenue startups are welcome — submit your pitch, and if you're a fit, we’ll engage directly.

Investors:

  • Are you an angel investor, experienced entrepreneur, or seasoned VC? Join our investor network if you align with our philosophy and want to support our founder ecosystem.

Resources & Next Steps

Ready to get started?

Founders

If you’re a startup founder looking to find investors and wish to be considered for angel funding, please click the button below and complete the startup application form.

Apply Now

Investors

Whether you’re looking to angel invest, are an experienced entrepreneur, or a seasoned venture capitalist; if you share our values, we welcome you to join our investor network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of companies does Allied Venture Partners invest in?

We invest in infrastructure-layer software startups across B2B enterprise, fintech, AI/ML, marketplaces, payments, and more. We also consider scalable consumer models with subscription, e-commerce, or gaming foundations.

What stage of companies do you back?

We typically invest at Pre-Seed, Seed, and up through Series A. We ask that founders grant us pro rata rights so we can support future rounds.

What level of traction do you require?

Our ideal companies have a working MVP, real customers (not friends or family), and usually generate $3k–5k MRR with 3–6 months of consistent growth and customer feedback.

How much do you invest?

Our typical investment ranges from $100k to $350k USD, depending on a company's stage and traction.

Where are you geographically focused?

We invest in companies registered and headquartered in North America — primarily in the United States and Canada.

What is your runway expectation?

We look for startups with at least 16 months of runway after our investment and can demonstrate early unit economics.

Do you invest in non-software sectors?

No — we generally avoid life sciences, medtech, healthtech, climate, cannabis, govtech, and pure hardware plays, focusing instead on scalable software infrastructure.

Can pre-revenue startups apply?

Yes. Even if you're pre-revenue, you're welcome to apply. We evaluate on factors like product, team, vision, and roadmap.

How can I apply?

Founders may apply through our startup application form. Investors (angels, GPs, entrepreneurs) can join our investor network via AngelList.

How do you support portfolio companies?

Beyond capital, we offer long-term operational support for founders. This primarily comes from access to our extensive global network of angel investors, fellow entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. Through this network, our founders gain access to mentorship opportunities, help with hiring and recruiting, sales, marketing, go-to-market, and follow-on funding. Our investor network includes founders and operators from some of the world’s largest technology companies and VC firms, and we encourage our founders to leverage it wherever possible.

For additional questions, try our AI-powered assistant Ask Allied, trained on Allied’s entire corpus of website content, newsletters, podcasts, investment memos, and more.

You can also visit our Guides and Articles pages for case studies, how-tos, and market insights on the macro trends behind our investment thesis.