Gradient Ventures Fund V

About Gradient Ventures Fund V

AI-focused seed fund spun out from Google Alphabet in 2025. First raise with outside institutional LPs. Nearly $1.2B AUM across five funds, 500+ AI companies backed. Exits include CentML (NVIDIA), Streamlit (Snowflake), and Prepared (Axon).

Investment Focus

Location / RegionUnited States

Funding StageSeed

Industry Focus

Ai Ml

Data Infrastructure

Developer Tools

Enterprise Software

Investor Signals Profile

active

Sweet Spot

Pre-seed/seed AI application or agentic layer founder building on top of models

AI applications

agentic layer

pre-seed/seed

real-world AI utility

no foundational models

Bullish Signals

Fund V closed at $220M with independent institutional LPs for first timeblog

Exits to NVIDIA ($400M+), Snowflake ($700-800M), Axon validate seed thesisblog

Inbound deal flow exploded to 1,500-2,000 submissions per year post-ChatGPTblog

Successfully transitioned from Google CVC to independent GP with talent retainedblog

Diverse portfolio: fintech, emergency AI, GPU cloud, compilersexternal

Multiple Snowflake & Lambda acquisitions confirm exit pathwayexternal

Portfolio spans 20+ named companies across verticalswebsite

Lambda raised $480M — massive portco growth signalwebsite

Streamlit, Airspace acquired — multi-exit track record at seedwebsite

20+ named portcos: Writer, Krea, Oura, Rad AI, Unit21website

Verticals: wealth mgmt, emergency response, compilers, GPU cloudwebsite

Contrarian Signals

Explicitly avoids foundational model companies — unusual among top AI fundsblog

Skeptical of mega-seed rounds above $100Mblog

AI application-layer thesis is now consensus, not contrarian — more competition aheadblog

Founder-centric brand language — hard to differentiate at scaleexternal

Heavy brand polish may signal LP-facing optics over alphawebsite

Website repeats portco names 3x — thin on new contentwebsite

Founder Do's

Build on top of models, not competing with them

Come at pre-seed or seed stage with real-world utility focus

Leverage their 500+ portfolio network for warm intros

Show AI as a core capability, not a feature

Demonstrate traction in application or agentic layer

Founder Don'ts

Do not pitch foundational model companies

Do not seek mega-seed rounds above $50-100M

Do not come post-$100M pre-launch raise

Key GPs & Partners

Darian Shirazi

General Partner

ex-founderthesis-drivenpatient-capital

Zach Bratun-Glennon

General Partner

opinionatedthesis-drivencontrarian

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Fund Overview

Fund Size$220M

Saves0

Website

Key People

Darian Shirazi, Zach Bratun-Glennon

Darian ShiraziGeneral Partner

Zach Bratun-GlennonGeneral Partner