Morado Ventures

Morado Ventures is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm specializing in seed-stage technology companies, with a particular emphasis on "Data-fueled" businesses. The firm focuses on identifying and investing in high-growth potential startups, often taking a lead or co-lead position in initial funding rounds. Their investment thesis centers on leveraging data to create defensible competitive advantages across various sectors.

The firm's strength is significantly bolstered by its experienced team, which includes notable figures like Mike Kwatinetz, a co-founder of Azure Capital, and Bing Gordon, a former partner at Kleiner Perkins and a key executive at Electronic Arts. This blend of deep operational expertise and extensive venture capital experience allows Morado Ventures to provide not just capital but also strategic guidance and mentorship to its portfolio companies, helping them navigate the complexities of early-stage growth.

Morado Ventures has demonstrated consistent growth in its fund sizes, reflecting its expanding influence and investment capacity. The firm successfully closed its first fund at $40 million in 2013, followed by a $60 million second fund in 2017. Most recently, they secured an $80 million third fund in 2021, indicating a strong track record and continued commitment to the seed ecosystem. These successive fund raises underscore their ability to attract significant capital and deploy it effectively.

For initial seed investments, Morado Ventures typically writes checks ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000, though they can go higher for compelling opportunities. Their portfolio includes several successful companies that have gone on to raise significant follow-on funding or achieve successful exits, such as Amplitude, a leading digital analytics platform, and Periscope Data, which was acquired by Sisense. This track record highlights their acumen in identifying and nurturing promising early-stage ventures.