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Wonder Ventures

North America, California, United States, Santa Monica

Description

Wonder Ventures is a prominent early-stage venture capital firm based in Santa Monica, California, specializing in Pre-Seed and Seed investments. Founded by Robert Lambert, the firm is dedicated to identifying and backing exceptional entrepreneurs who are building disruptive technology companies. Their investment thesis centers on supporting founders at the earliest stages, providing crucial capital and strategic guidance to help nascent companies scale and achieve significant market impact.

The firm's investment strategy is characterized by a hands-on approach, focusing on a select number of high-potential startups. Wonder Ventures typically writes initial checks ranging from $750,000 to $1.5 million, aiming to be a lead or co-lead investor in early funding rounds. They primarily target companies in the consumer and enterprise technology sectors, demonstrating a keen eye for innovation across various industries. Their portfolio reflects a commitment to backing ventures with strong product-market fit potential and scalable business models.

Wonder Ventures has a track record of successful exits and notable investments. For instance, their portfolio includes companies like Honey, which was acquired by PayPal for approximately $4 billion, and Pluto TV, acquired by Viacom for $340 million, showcasing their ability to identify future industry leaders. The firm recently closed its third fund, Wonder Ventures III, with $45 million in committed capital, following their $35 million Fund II. This consistent growth in fund size underscores their increasing influence and capacity to support a new generation of innovative startups in the competitive venture landscape.

Investor Profile

Wonder Ventures has backed more than 75 startups, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 15 rounds, about 20% of its total and boasts 11 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Pre Seed, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Internet, Information Technology.
  • Typical check size: $750K – $1.5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (60%)
  • Pre Seed (17%)
  • Series A (12%)
  • Series Unknown (4%)
  • Series B (4%)
  • Angel (3%)

Country Focus

  • United States (99%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Internet
  • Information Technology
  • Saas
  • E-commerce
  • Health Care
  • Consumer
  • Clean Energy
  • Transportation
  • Marketplace
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Wonder Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Notation Capital
North America, New York, United States, Brooklyn
Co-Investments: 7
Amplify.LA
North America, California, United States, Venice
Co-Investments: 7
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 6
Upfront Ventures
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Co-Investments: 5
Struck Capital
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Co-Investments: 5
Craft Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
TenOneTen Ventures
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Co-Investments: 6
BoxGroup
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 7
Alumni Ventures
North America, New Hampshire, United States, Manchester
Co-Investments: 4
Slow Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5

Which angels does Wonder Ventures often collaborate with?

KB
North America, District of Columbia, United States, Washington
Shared Deals: 2
BW
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Shared Deals: 3
EL
North America, Florida, United States, Miami Beach
Shared Deals: 3
MS
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Shared Deals: 2
BZ
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Shared Deals: 2
TM
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Shared Deals: 4
SB
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 3
CS
North America, Washington, United States, Kirkland
Shared Deals: 2
AS
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
SP
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Wonder Ventures?

The Nuclear Company

Lexington, Kentucky, United States

The Nuclear Company is a fleet-scale nuclear deployment firm that offers for nuclear sectors.

Clean EnergyElectrical DistributionNuclear
Series AMay 15, 2025
Amount Raised: $46,299,833
Topanga.io

Los Angeles, California, United States

Topanga.io develops a reuse platform for sustainably-minded brands, restaurants, and consumers.

Green Consumer GoodsGreenTechPackaging ServicesRecyclingSustainability
Series AMar 25, 2025
Amount Raised: $8,000,000
Karman Industries

Los Angeles, California, United States

Karman Industries is on a mission to help global organizations dramatically reduce expenses and eliminate onsite scope 1 emissions.

Industrial ManufacturingManufacturing
Series UnknownJan 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $7,500,000
Taloflow

Santa Monica, California, United States

Find the best cloud and dev tools for your use case

Cloud InfrastructureCloud ManagementComputerInternetProductivity ToolsSaaSSoftware
SeedJun 5, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,300,000
LOCKER

Los Angeles, California, United States

Browse, save, share and recommend favorites across hundreds of brands in fashion, beauty & home.

E-CommerceFashionInternetShoppingSocial Network
SeedFeb 23, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,500,000
Mogul

West Hollywood, California, United States

Mogul streamlines the music industry so artists are paid exactly what they're owed by connecting royalty accounts and providing alerts.

MusicMusic StreamingSoftware
SeedFeb 6, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,900,000
Gigs

Los Angeles, California, United States

Gigs connects companies to job seekers looking for full-time or part-time hourly roles in their neighborhood.

AppsEmploymentInformation TechnologyMarketplace
SeedDec 18, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,000,000

Build software with words

Pre SeedDec 1, 2023
Amount Raised: $1,000,000
Morty

Los Angeles, California, United States

building the biggest theme park in the universe.

AppsConsumerConsumer ApplicationsConsumer SoftwareEventsLocalSoftware
SeedOct 13, 2023
Amount Raised: $2,200,000
Sensible Weather

Santa Monica, California, United States

Sensible Weather is a climate risk technology company that is de-risking weather for travelers and travel partners.

AnalyticsInsurTechPredictive AnalyticsSoftware
Series UnknownSep 25, 2023