Unlock Venture Partners

Unlock Venture Partners is a Seattle-based venture capital firm primarily focused on investing in seed-stage technology entrepreneurs across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Established with a mission to support promising early-stage companies, the firm targets innovative startups in sectors such as SaaS, AI/ML, FinTech, and marketplaces. Their investment philosophy centers on identifying high-potential founders and providing not only capital but also strategic guidance and access to a robust network, aiming to accelerate growth and facilitate successful scaling.

The firm has demonstrated a clear commitment to the early-stage ecosystem through its successful fundraises. Unlock Venture Partners closed its second fund, Unlock Venture Partners Fund II, at $60 million in 2022, building on its initial $25 million Fund I from 2019. This capital enables them to make meaningful investments in nascent companies. Typically, Unlock Venture Partners writes initial checks ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million, providing crucial early funding for startups to develop their products and gain initial market traction.

Beyond the initial capital injection, Unlock Venture Partners is known for its hands-on approach. The partners, including Andy Liu, Vijay Vashee, and Sarah Imbach, bring extensive operational experience from their backgrounds as founders and executives at successful tech companies. This collective expertise allows them to offer valuable mentorship, operational support, and strategic advice to their portfolio companies. They are also prepared to provide follow-on funding, with the capacity to invest up to $5 million over the lifetime of a company, demonstrating a long-term commitment to their portfolio's success. This comprehensive support system, combined with their strategic capital deployment, positions Unlock Venture Partners as a significant player in the Pacific Northwest's venture landscape.