First-check capital
for outsiders.
Schema Ventures is an early-stage venture fund backing technical founders at the pre-seed and seed stage — building the essential software that quietly runs the world.
- 19
- portfolio companies
- Pre-seed → seed
- stage focus
- First checks
- led and co-led
Outsiders building the essential systems.
Enterprise software. Developer infrastructure. Industrial technology. The essential systems that power how the world actually works.
We back at the earliest stages — sometimes before there’s a fully-formed idea, sometimes before there’s even a co-founder. What we look for is lived experience, deep conviction, and technical insight.
A small fund that shows up.
Conviction capital
We write the first check or join a small round. Founder-friendly terms, no theatrics.
Operator network
Warm intros to engineers, design partners, and operators across infra, dev tools, and AI — in the Bay Area and beyond.
Customers & hires
Direct lines to enterprise buyers and senior IC and exec talent when you need them.
A real partnership
Open inbox, fast replies, honest feedback. Long after the wire clears.
Operators who’ve built and shipped at scale.
Schema is led by a repeat founder and former product executive at leading global technology companies, with a track record of backing category-defining infrastructure and developer-tools companies at the earliest stage.
We’re a small, focused fund by design. The bet is judgment, not volume.
Common questions.
- Who should pitch?
- Founders building developer tools, back-end infrastructure, data systems, or AI infra. Any geography, any background. Technical founders especially welcome.
- What stage do you invest at?
- Pre-seed and seed. We write first checks, lead small rounds, and co-invest alongside funds we trust.
- Do I need traction?
- No. We weigh founders over metrics. A sharp idea with a sharp team is enough to pitch.
- How fast will I hear back?
- Days, not weeks. If we pass, we’ll say so quickly. If we want to dig in, we’ll set time.
- What if you don’t invest?
- We try to be useful regardless — a thoughtful note, an intro, or a pointer to someone better placed to help.
- What don’t you back?
- Anything outside developer tools and back-end infrastructure. There are better funds for consumer, ad-tech, and hardware.