Boston’s Top 18 VCs For Tech Startups [2023]

With Boston’s VCs investing a whopping $22 billion in 2021, no wonder that Massachusetts has recently become one of the top 5 states for startups in the US.

Boston has some of the country’s best venture capital firms. In addition to funding, Boston’s VCs often also offer founders valuable support for hiring, product development, sales and marketing.

In this article we have listed our top picks for the best venture capital firms in Boston. So, if you haven’t yet started to reach out, here is a good place to start learning about them.

This article is part of a series where we present you the top Venture Capital firms across the US. For the North East, check out our rankings for NYC, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
Looking for Boston's top startup incubators and accelerators instead? Check out our ranking here.

Boston’s Top 18 Venture Capital Firms

Here’s a summary of our top 18 picks for Boston’s best VCs for startups (in alphabetical order):

Name	Sector focus	Round	Investment size	Investments
.406 Ventures	Cybersecurity, Digital Health, Data & Cloud	Seed	Undisclosed	60+
Advanced Technology Ventures	IT, CleanTech, HealthCare	Series A+	Undisclosed	250+
Anzu Partners	Hardware, Software, Life Sciences, Manufacturing	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	33
Bain Capital	Healthcare, Commerce, Consumer Tech, Infrastructure Software, Fintech, SaaS	Seed to Series A+	$1M – $100M	220+
CRV (Charles River Ventures)	Enterprise, Bio, Consumer	Seed	Undisclosed	130+
Flybridge Capital Partners	Technology, Software	Seed	Undisclosed	N/A
G20 Ventures	Enterprise	Series A	$2M – $5M	32
General Catalyst	Consumer, Enterprise	Seed	$500k to $2M	300
Highland Capital Partners	Cybersecurity, Fintech, Consumer Tech, Enterprise Tech, Information and Communication Tech, Internet & Digital Media, Disruptive Commerce, e-Commerce, Future of Work	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	270+
Hyperlane Venture Capital	Technology	Early Stage	$250k to $3M	48
MassVentures	Deep Tech	Seed	Undisclosed	21
Matrix Partners	Technology, Consumer, Enterprise, Media, Software	Seed to Series A	Undisclosed	64
NextView Ventures	Technology, Software	Seed	$250k – $3M	127
OpenView Venture Partners	Technology, Software	Series A	Undisclosed	60
PJC	AI, Enterprise, Consumer	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	59
Spark Capital	Consumer, Crypto, Enterprise, Hardware, Fintech, Frontier Tech, Marketplaces	Stage Agnostic	Undisclosed	153
SV Health Investors	Biotech, Healthtech, Medtech	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	170+
Underscore VC	Technology	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	27

1. .406 Ventures

Offering seed-stage investment, the .406 Ventures focuses on data and cloud, cyber security, and digital health startups. However, they are careful about selecting the portfolio companies and work only with those that pioneer disruptive technologies capable of solving big world problems.

.406 Ventures doesn’t disclose the investment amount, but they do stay involved with the portfolio companies through meetups, industry events, and board roles. Apart from funds, the firm also offers operational expertise.

So far, the firm has invested in 60+ companies, and even engaged in repeat investments in 9 companies. Several of the firm’s portfolio companies have been acquired by big brands.

2. Advanced Technology Ventures

One of Boston’s most famous VCs, Advanced Technology Ventures started operations in 1979. Ever since then they have invested in over 250 startups. Unfortunately, they do not disclose the investment amount.

Advanced Technology Ventures manages $1.8 billion in capital and focuses on startups working in disruptive technologies in cleantech, healthcare, and IT.

The firm offers Series A+ funding for those companies that can move forward to become sustainable and strong businesses.

Of the 250+ portfolio companies, 72 had successful exits so far. Some of the notable investments include Tripwire (sold to Belden), Cedexis (acquired by Cisco), and Actifo (sold to Google).

3. Anzu Partners

Yet another of Boston’s famed VCs, Anzu Partners offers Seed and Series A funding to companies working in Life Sciences, Software, Manufacturing, and Hardware industries.

Apart from Boston, Anzu Partners also operates in San Diego and Washington D.C.

In addition to funds, the firm also offers deep expertise in market positioning, business development, operations, and global connectivity. So far, Anzu Partners has invested in 33 companies, some of which have been acquired by other brands, some had successful exits, and a few of them launched IPOs.

4. Bain Capital

Boston’s one of the largest VCs, Bain Capital offers Seed to Series A+ funding to founders associated with ConsumerTech, Fintech, SaaS, Infrastructure Software, Commerce, and Healthcare.

Bain Capital invests anywhere between $1 million and $100 million. Apart from funds, Bain Capital also offers deep domain expertise and operating experience. Plus, the selected companies get access to Bain Capital’s network of partners and customers which helps companies to scale quickly.

This VC firm has funded and helped many prominent businesses to scale including names like LinkedIn, DocuSign, Redis Labs, Rapid7, SendGrid, Rubrik, etc. Bain Capital manages $5.2 billion in assets.

5. CRV (Charles River Ventures)

Operating since 1970, CRV or Charles River Ventures is one of the oldest venture capital firms not only in Boston but also in the entire world. This firm has invested in hundreds of companies since its inception, and it focuses on early-stage tech startups.

CRV offers Seed funding to selected startups and stays with them through their entrepreneurial journey through long-term committed partnerships. Interestingly, the firm doesn’t disclose the exact funding amount.

Some of the notable companies that CRV invested in include Twitter, DoorDash, Airtable, Zendesk, Datadog, etc.

6. Flybridge Capital Partners

Flybridge Capital Partners is yet another of Boston’s popular VCs, but they also operate in New York City.

This firm particularly focuses on companies that utilize the power of the community to make a difference. Yet, they restrict their investments to only software and technology verticals.

They offer seed and early-stage capital to startups working on disruptive technology that have massive market opportunities and are capital efficient.

The venture capital firm doesn’t disclose the exact investment amount, but they do have $700 million in assets under management (AUM). Some of their most prominent portfolio companies include Chief, Codecademy, BitSight, MongoDB, MadeiraMadeira, etc.

7. G20 Ventures

G20 Ventures offers Series A funding to tech startups located on the East Coast. They specifically look for startups working with enterprise software. Unfortunately, they do not invest in startups that are 100% consumer-facing.

This venture firm typically invests anywhere between $2 million and $5 million. One of the most stringent criteria for selecting a startup is that one of the team members must be a technologist with relevant experience.

Yet another important requirement is that the startups must have a product and they must be looking forward to scaling their go-to-business model.

G20 Ventures has so far invested in 32 companies with some of the notable ones being Frame AI, Ripple Match, Mulberry, CloudZero, etc.

8. General Catalyst

General Catalyst is one of the most prominent venture capital firms in Boston. They primarily invest in startups looking for Seed funding, but they also work with early-stage and later-stage companies.

As far as Seed funding is concerned, they offer an investment of anywhere between $500,000 and $2 million. Apart from just funding, General Catalyst works with their portfolio companies through every stage and helps them in building a successful company.

General Catalyst typically targets consumer and enterprise businesses, and so far, they have invested in over 300 companies, with some of the most popular ones being Airbnb, Stripe, Snap, Anaconda, BigCommerce, Boxee, Canva, Cred, etc.

9. Highland Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Highland Capital Partners is one of the most famed venture capital firms in Boston. The firm has over $7 billion in assets under management. To date, this venture firm has invested in 270+ companies with 200 successful exits, 40 unicorns, and 50+ IPOs.

Highland usually offers Seed and Series A funding, but they do not disclose the amount on their website. They typically invest in startups working in Cybersecurity, ConsumerTech, and Fintech sectors.

Highland Capital Partners’ some of the prominent portfolio companies include Malwarebytes, VistaPrint, Clearbanc, Catalant, Harry’s, nuTonomy, Turbonomic, ThredUP, etc.

10. Hyperlane Venture Capital

Hyperlane Venture Capital is another Boston-based venture capital firm that focuses on technology-based startups working towards solving the most pressing problems industrial and enterprise problems using the entire AI stack.

Undoubtedly, they work with tech companies working in cloud computing, sensor technology, and machine learning verticals.

Hyperlane looks for investing in early-stage tech companies and offers Seed investment of anywhere between $250,000 and $3 million.

So far, they have invested in 48 companies and some of the most prominent names include Mudstack, Flume Internet, Private AI, Haystacks AI, Trade Hounds, Tranquil Data, Alpha Sheets, etc.

11. Mass Ventures

Mass Ventures is a strategic venture capital firm in Boston that focuses on early-stage companies that can fuel economic growth in the Commonwealth. They deal only with deep tech companies.

This venture firm offers Seed funding, but they do not disclose the amount they invest.

Apart from providing funds, Mass Ventures also offers mentoring, technical expertise and support, and access to non-dilutive grants.

So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 21 companies with some notable names like inkbit, KYTOPEN, fairmarkit, Adden Energy, etc.

12. Matrix Partners

Matrix Partners is a venture capital firm that was started by successful entrepreneurs with years of experience in company building.

This venture firm goes in for a long-term partnership with portfolio companies not only through investments, but also through board membership, mentorship, and critical guidance through every step of company building.

The venture firm offers Seed to Series A funding, but they do not disclose the exact amount of investment on their website. They work with startups in Software, Media, Enterprise, Consumer, and Technology sectors.

So far, they have invested in 64 companies with some of the most prominent names being Acacia, Canva, Cloud Bees, GOAT, HubSpot, Namely, Quora, and Zendesk.

13. NextView Ventures

Boston-based NextView Ventures is a popular venture capital firm that focuses on startups in the technology and software sectors. However, it is important to note that the VC firm actually focuses on those companies that use technology to positively impact the everyday lives of people.

In the Seed stage, NextView Ventures typically invests anywhere between $250,000 and $3 million. The firm usually helps its portfolio companies with things like team building, customer acquisition, product launch, and capital raising through hands-on mentorship.

So far, the venture firm has invested in 127 companies with some notable names being ThredUp, Skillz, Grove Collaborative, Shareaholic, TaskRabbit, Whoop, TripleLift, Dia & Co, etc.

14. OpenView Venture Partners

Boston-based OpenView Venture Partners offers Series A funding to companies operating in technology and software verticals.

The exact amount they invest in startups remains undisclosed, but they have so far, invested in 59 companies with some notable names like Datadog, Exact Target, Instantly, Next Docs, etc.

Apart from providing funds, OpenView offers access to operational resources, OpenView network and expertise, and more through deep and meaningful partnerships.

OpenView helps portfolio companies to organize, prioritize, and extend the reach of team members in the most important areas like customer acquisition & conversion, retention & expansion, and more.

15. PJC

PJC is one of the most prominent venture capital firms in Boston. Though it primarily focuses on companies operating in AI, Consumer, and Enterprise sectors, this venture firm is open for investments in other sectors, too.

The firm does not disclose the exact investment amount, apart from proving Seed and Series A funding, they also offer hands-on mentorship through domain expertise, and unlimited access to industry experts.

Some of the most prominent portfolio companies of PJC include Openly, Lively, Appcast, Evergage, Eden Health, Health E-Commerce, etc. So far, PJC has invested in 59 companies across 14 US states.

16. Spark Capital

One of the most prominent venture capital firms in Boston, Spark Capital offers funding to startups working in various sectors including Marketplaces, Fintech, Frontier Tech, Hardware, Enterprise, Consumer, and Crypto.

What is interesting about Spark Capital is that they are stage agnostic, which means, they are open to funding irrespective of the stage of the company provided they like the idea or the product.

They not only provide funding but also offer mentorship and access to industry experts who can help the companies scale into sustainable businesses.

So far, Spark Capital has made 153 investments with some of the most notable names being Twitter, Oculus, Coinbase, Wayfair, Slack, Tumblr, eToro, Snap, Grammarly, Rover.com, etc.

17. SV Health Investors

SV Health Investors, as the name suggests, works with companies in the healthcare sector. To be more precise, they work with companies in Healthcare Growth, Biotech, Medtech, and Dementia verticals.

Operational for 27 years, the firm has invested in over 170 companies to date, some of which are based in the UK and the rest are in America. This venture capital firm offers Seed to Series A+ funding. However, they do not disclose the exact amount on their website.

Some of their most prominent portfolio companies include Adapt Health, Avitide, Caraway Therapeutics, CardioFocus, Healthify, Imbria Pharmaceuticals, etc.

18. Underscore VC

Underscore VC is one of the most prominent venture capital firms in Boston that offers Seed and Series A funding to companies working in the tech sector. Marketplace, MarTech, InsurTech, Fintech, AI & Machine Learning, etc., are some of the many verticals that they support.

Underscore VC’s some of the most notable portfolio companies include Apploi, Coda, Marley, Pagos, Messari, etc.

Apart from direct investments, Underscore VC also offers an extensive and curated community of experts to all its portfolio companies. The selected companies receive expert advice and mentorship based on their unique needs. Unfortunately, Underscore VC does not disclose the exact amount of investment it makes.

Interestingly, Underscore VC has some powerful co-investors including Matrix Partners, OpenView Venture Partners, Madorna Venture Group, and Venrock.