Logo

The House Fund

One of the largest and most active US angel networks, backing early-stage startups in Houston and beyond with capital and mentorship.

Berkeley, CA, USA

Apply

Description

The House Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm exclusively dedicated to the UC Berkeley (Cal) ecosystem. Based in Berkeley, California, it is the first and most active venture fund for Berkeley startups, backing students, faculty, and alumni. 
  • Pre-Seed & Seed: This is the firm’s core focus. They aim to be the first institutional check and often lead or co-lead the round.
  • Series A & Beyond: Through their expansion funds, they provide follow-on capital for their top-performing portfolio companies as they scale. 
  • Affiliation Requirement: To be eligible, at least one member of the founding team must be a UC Berkeley alumnus, student, faculty member, or staff member.
  • Method: Founders apply through The House Fund website or engage via the AI Frontier program for technical founders.
  • Materials: A pitch deck and a clear articulation of the "Berkeley connection" are required

Eligibility

  • Sectors: Industry-agnostic, with a heavy concentration in AI/ML, Robotics, Deep Tech, Fintech, and HealthTech.
  • Geography: Primarily San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley/SF), but open to Berkeley alumni globally.
  • Stage: They invest in "day zero" companies, often before the entity is even incorporated. 

Process

  1. Direct Sourcing: The team is deeply embedded on campus, sourcing deals from Berkeley’s research labs, the SkyDeck accelerator, and alumni networks.
  2. Vetting: Due diligence focuses on technical defensibility and the founder's ability to execute a venture-scale vision.
  3. The AI Frontier: For 2026, the fund operates a specialized initiative for founders building at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence, providing dedicated resources and peer groups.
  4. Active Partnership: Post-investment, they provide "The House" support, including specialized recruiting, GTM playbooks, and introductions to Silicon Valley’s top tier-1 VCs. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  1. trategic Capital: Access to funding from a firm that has backed multiple Berkeley-born unicorns.
  2. Elite Network: Direct access to the "Cal network," including senior executives at major tech firms and successful serial entrepreneurs.
  3. Hiring Support: Assistance in recruiting early engineering talent from Berkeley’s top-ranked Computer Science and Engineering programs.
  4. University Connectivity: Facilitated introductions to university labs, professors, and technology transfer offices.