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Cambrian Ventures

Capital x community for early-stage fintech entrepreneurs.

San Francisco, CA, USA

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Description

Cambrian Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area that focuses on the intersection of Financial Services and Technology (FinTech). Founded by Casper Sorenson (former partner at QED Investors), the firm acts as a specialized bridge for founders building in the global financial ecosystem. 
  • Inception Focus: They are comfortable being the first institutional partner for founders who have a clear technical insight or a unique wedge into financial services.

As a professional venture capital firm, Cambrian does not have a cohort-based "application" or fixed deadlines. 
  • Method: Founders typically connect through professional referrals or by submitting their vision directly via the Cambrian Ventures Website.
  • Focus: They look for "outsized outcomes" in large, legacy financial markets that are being disrupted by modern software. 

Eligibility

  • Sector: Exclusively FinTech. This includes banking infrastructure, payments, lending, insurance (InsurTech), and cross-border finance.
  • Geography: Primarily United States and Latin America, though they have a global mandate for breakthrough financial technologies.
  • Traction: While revenue is not always required for Seed rounds, they require a validated "Minimum Viable Product" and evidence of market demand. 

Process

  1. Founder Evaluation: They prioritize founders with deep domain expertise in financial infrastructure or regulatory environments.
  2. Diligent Selection: The process involves a deep dive into the business's unit economics and its scalability potential.
  3. The "Cambrian Network": Post-investment, founders gain access to an elite community of over 500+ FinTech founders and operators who act as a peer-to-peer advisory board.
  4. Strategic Advisory: The firm provides hands-on help with Series A readiness, recruitment, and partnerships with established financial institutions. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  • Capital: Access to institutional funding from their dedicated FinTech funds (e.g., their $20 million debut fund).
  • Peer Community: Direct access to one of the most active FinTech-specific communities in the world.
  • Go-to-Market Support: Introductions to "design partners"—banks and insurance companies willing to pilot new software.