Washington DC’s Top 17 Venture Capital Firms For Startups [2023]

With Washington DC’s venture capital firms investing $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2021 alone, DC has become one of the best cities for startups in the US.

In addition to funding, DC’s venture capital firms 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 (VCs) in Washington DC and Virginia. 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 Boston.
Looking for Washington DC's top startup incubators and accelerators instead? Check out our ranking here.

DC’s Top 17 Venture Capital Firms

Here’s a summary of our top 17 picks for Washington DC’s best VCs for startups (in alphabetical order):

Name	Sector focus	Round	Investment size	Investments
1776 Ventures	Fintech, Smart Cities, Govtech, Health, Education, Energy, Transportation	Seed	Undisclosed	34
ABB Technology Ventures	Robotics, Industrial IoT, AI/ML, Electric Mobility, Cybersecurity	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	37
Accion Venture Lab	Fintech	Seed to Series A+	Up to $1M	50+
Aldrich Capital Partners	Fintech, Software, Healthcare-IT, Tech-enabled	Series A+	Undisclosed	43
Anzu Partners	Hardware, Software, Life Sciences, Manufacturing	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	33
DC Community Ventures	Technology	Series A+	$200k – $750k	9
DC Ventures	Fintech, eCommerce, Online Media, IoT	Seed	$10k to $100k	14
Dcode Capital	Technology	Series A+	Undisclosed	6
Fenway Summer	Fintech	Seed	Undisclosed	45
Kstreet Capital	Technology	Seed	Undisclosed	49
Middleland Capital	FoodTech, AgTech	Seed, Series A	$3M (in average)	25
Next Billion Ventures	Technology	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	16
Paladin Capital	Alternative Energy, Structured Finance, Life Sciences, Telecommunications, Cybersecurity	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	65+
Quona	Fintech	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	45
Rethink Impact	Education, Environmental Sustainability, Healthcare, Economic Opportunity	Seed to Series A+	$2 M to $10 M	29
Revolution	Technology-enabled	Seed, Series A	$1 M to $12 M	260+
Updata Partners	Enterprise, Software	Series A+	$10M – $50M	68

1. 1776 Ventures

1776 Ventures started out from 1776 Incubator. Though based in Washington D.C., this venture capital firm invests across the globe. This VC firm focuses on companies in Transportation, Energy, Education, Health, Govtech, Smart Cities, and Fintech.

Some of the most notable portfolio companies of 1776 Ventures include Cancer IQ, Aquicore, BabyScripts, EdSurge, AlwaysPrepped, Lingua.ly, etc.

1776 Ventures offers Seed funding to startups irrespective of whether they are affiliated to 1776 Incubator or not.

The firm does not disclose the exact investment amount, but so far, they have invested in 34 companies in 8 different countries with 4 successful exits.

2. ABB Technology Ventures

ABB Technology Ventures is yet another famous venture capital firm in Washington D.C. As the name suggests, the firm invests in startups in the technology sector with core focus areas being electric mobility, robotics, distributed energy, industrial IoT, cybersecurity, machine learning & AI, and smart building.

This venture capital firm invests in Seed to Series A+ rounds, however, they do not disclose the investment amount on their website. It is interesting to note that ABB Technology Ventures is the venture capital unit operated by ABB Group.

This venture capital unit of ABB Group has so far invested in 37 companies with FreeWire, Element Analytics, Hailo, Automata Technologies, etc., are some of the many active portfolio companies that the firm is currently working with.

3. Accion Venture Lab

Accion Venture Lab is one of Washington DC’s most prominent venture capital firms. To date, the firm has invested in 55+ companies globally. It is interesting to note that Accion Venture Lab is a unit of Accion – a global nonprofit organization.

Accion Venture Lab offers Seed to Series A+ investments and works only with Fintech startups and founders. The firm invests up to $1 million in each selected company.

Some of the most prominent portfolio companies of Accion Venture Lab include Anthem, Aye, Advance, Aire Labs, Capiter, CashInvoice, and more.

4. Aldrich Capital Partners

Offering Series A+ funding to companies operating in Healthcare-IT, Software, Fintech, and Tech-enabled sectors, Aldrich Capital Partners is one of the most famed venture capital firms operating in Washington D.C.

Apart from direct investment, the portfolio companies of this VC firm also receive access to Aldrich Capital Partners’ advisory network, operating resources, customer & partner relationships know-how, and industry knowledge that help them to scale quickly.

One of the minimum requirements to receive funding from Aldrich Capital Partners is that the applicant companies should have a minimum of $10 million yearly revenue. Also, they must have proprietary software or solutions.

So far, this VC firm has invested in 43 companies and some of the most prominent names include Amazon, eBay, CambridgeSoft, American Traffic Solutions, InfusionSoft, and Shop Direct among others.

5. Anzu Partners

Anzu Partners is another of Washington DC’s famed venture capital firms. The firm offers Seed and Series A funding to companies working in Life Sciences, Software, Manufacturing, and Hardware industries.

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

Apart from direct investment, the firm also offers deep expertise in business development, operations, market positioning, 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.

6. DC Community Ventures

DC Community Ventures was established back in 2011. This venture capital firm offers Series A+ funding to companies operating in education, clean energy, services, manufacturing, and consumer product sectors.

It is interesting to note that the firm usually invests anywhere between $200,000 and $750,000 in the selected companies. Also, it prioritizes businesses owned by minorities and women.

One of the most important investment criteria is that applicants must have proven profit potential, and they must be generating profits at the time of application.

The VC firm’s current portfolio includes Wellfound Foods, Neighborhood Development Company, and Whisked!

7. DC Ventures

DC Ventures is yet another prominent venture capital firm in Washington D.C. This venture capital firm invests in startups working in IoT, Social Media, Experience Economy, Online Media, e-Commerce, and Fintech sectors.

It is important to note that DC Ventures offers Seed funding, and they typically invest between $10,000 and $100,000. Apart from direct investment, the firm also offers mentorship and advisory services along with access to its vast network of industry experts.

So far, DC Ventures has invested in 14 companies such as Parra Payments, Himitsu Kichi, Peimento, Charquiqui, and Culhaminal Productions among others.

8. Dcode Capital

Dcode Capital is a venture capital firm based in Washington D.C. Interestingly, it invests alongside other prominent VC firms. They primarily work with technology companies that operate in areas that are of high priority to the U.S. Government.

One of the basic qualification criteria of the applicants is that they must have the potential to improve the way the U.S. Government works to protect the people of America.

What’s interesting is that Dcode Capital is quite new in the venture capital industry, and they have so far invested in only 6 tech companies that include Hyas, DroneSeed, Hyperscience, Trifacta, StreamSets, and Stardog.

Dcode Capital offers Series A+ funding, but unfortunately, they do not disclose the investment amount on their website.

9. Fenway Summer

Fenway Summer is a venture capital firm that works in partnership with FS Vector – a strategic advisory firm. Fenway Summer invests in Fintech companies and offers Seed funding to selected companies. Unfortunately, the exact investment amount remains undisclosed.

In addition to funds, Fenway Summer also provides assistance with industry experience, relationships, and expertise to help the Fintech startups grow into sustainable and meaningful businesses.

So far, this VC firm has invested in 45 companies working in Fintech verticals like capital markets, payments, lending, asset management, data analytics, data privacy, compliance, and cybersecurity.

Some of the most prominent portfolio companies of Fenway Summer include Applied Data Finance, DigitalPay, Circle, Future Finance, Ethos Lending, Lendable, and PayJoy among others.

10. K-Street Capital

K-Street Capital is a Washington D.C.-based venture capital firm that started operations in 2012. This VC firm offers Seed funding to tech startups. However, they do not disclose the investment amount on their website.

Apart from direct funding, K-Street Capital also offers tailored mentorship and industry expertise in addition to access to a whole network of influential contacts.

Over the years, K-Street Capital has invested in many companies including 1776, Aquicore, Arcadia Power, BookClubs, BabyScripts, and more. To be precise, this VC firm has invested in 49 companies, one of which is ID.me – a unicorn.

11. Middleland Capital

Middleland Capital is a venture capital firm that offers Seed and Series A funding to companies working in the agriculture tech and food tech sectors. On average, Middleland Capital invests $3 million in each portfolio company.

One of the key criteria for receiving funding from Middleland Capital is that the applicants should be working towards innovative agriculture and food technologies that will help in building a resilient and sustainable food system.

So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 25 startups such as Agrivida, AeroFarms, Advanced Animal Diagnostics, AquaSpy, and Plant Response, among others.

12. Next Billion Ventures

Next Billion Ventures is a DC-based venture capital firm that brings together operators and investors from all over the world.

The firm invests in technology-based startups and companies and offers Seed to Series A+ funding. To be more specific, the firm invests typically invests in startups working in financial software, internet retail, productivity software, consumer finance, and similar tech-enabled sectors.

Unfortunately, the firm does not disclose the exact investment amount on its website.

So far, the company has invested in 16 companies such as Capiter, Dropezy, Jenfi, Sprout Solutions, Propzy, and so on.

13. Paladin Capital

The Paladin Capital Group is a leading venture capital firm located in Washington D.C. However, it also operates in Silicon Valley, CA, New York, London, and Luxembourg.

This venture capital firm offers Seed to Series A+ funding to companies operating in cybersecurity, telecommunications, life sciences, structured finance, and alternative energy.

Apart from direct investment, Paladin Capital also offers mentorship through a network of mentors with deep industry experience. So far, Paladin Capital has invested in over 65 companies with some notable names being Expel, Secure Code Warrior, RiskLens, WhiteOps, Anomali, Cloud Conformity, and Digital Shadows among others.

14. Quona

Quona is a global venture capital firm with a presence in Washington D.C. However, it also works in India, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia.

Quona focuses on fintech companies across the world and offers Seed to Series A+ funding. In addition to direct investment, the firm also offers mentorship through its network of seasoned industry experts, entrepreneurs, and operators.

Unfortunately, the firm does not disclose the exact investment amount. So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 45 fintech companies globally with some of the most prominent companies being Ayra, Acasa, Bureau, Coins.ph, Addi, Credit Mantri, and Creditas among others.

15. Rethink Impact

Based in Washington DC, New York, and San Francisco, Rethink Impact is one of DC’s most prominent venture capital firms. It invests in startups and companies working in economic opportunity, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability sectors.

Rethink Impact provides Seed to Series A+ funding with the investment amount ranging between $2 and $10 million. One of the core requirements for receiving funding from this venture firm is that the applicants must have yearly recurring revenue of anywhere between $500,000 and $15 million.

The firm typically focuses on companies with female CEOs or women in C-level roles such as CFO, CRO, COO, and CTO. So far, the company has invested in 29 companies with some big names like Spring Health, Wellthy, Solv., GUILD, Change.org, and more.

16. Revolution

Revolution Ventures is a famed venture capital firm in Washington D.C. However, it also operates in San Francisco, CA. This venture capital firm offers Seed and Series A funding to tech-enabled companies. They typically invest between $1 and $12 million in selected companies.

Apart from direct investment, Revolution Ventures also helps portfolio companies through active partnership in form of board membership and access to a massive network of mentors and industry experts.

The firm also helps its portfolio companies to easily deal with regulations and policies and supports them with media relationships, thought leadership, strategic counseling, and issue management.

So far, Revolution Ventures has invested in 260+ companies including big names like Groupon, Atlas Space Operations, Catalyte, PetFriendly, Arcade, Waymark, and more.

17. Updata Partners

Updata Partners is a prominent venture capital firm that invests in companies operating in B2B software and software-enabled businesses. One of the basic qualification criteria for the applicants is that they should generate anywhere between $5 and $50 million in revenue.

Updata Partners offers Series A+ funding with their investments ranging between $10 and $50 million.

So far, the venture capital firm has invested in 68 companies with some prominent names such as Adata, Boxcast, Adthena, LionGard, Practifi, Atlus Assessments, and more.

What is interesting to note is that Updata Partners invests in various other countries apart from the US. For instance, they have active investments in the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, and Canada.