Gradient is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that has backed AI-first startups at the seed stage since its founding in 2017. Originally launched as Google's AI-focused venture arm, the firm spun out from Alphabet in October 2025 to operate independently under a new management entity. Over nine years and five funds, Gradient has invested in more than 500 companies and built total assets under management of nearly $1.2 billion.
Gradient invests exclusively in artificial intelligence companies at the earliest stages, across AI infrastructure, applied AI, developer tools, and vertical software built on AI. The firm focuses on founders who are starting with a brand new idea and building AI-native products from the ground up, rather than AI-adjacent or AI-augmented businesses.
Gradient Fund V closed at $220 million in March 2026, bringing the firm's total AUM to nearly $1.2 billion across five funds. The fund continues the firm's seed-stage focus on AI-first companies, with a primary geographic concentration in the SF Bay Area, New York, and Seattle and selective investment in international AI startups.
Fund V marks the firm's first fully independent fundraise following the October 2025 spinout from Alphabet, which expanded the LP base beyond Google for the first time. The fund is Gradient's largest to date and reflects sustained institutional demand for early-stage AI investing despite a competitive seed market.
Leadership
Darian Shirazi is Managing Partner at Gradient. Before joining the firm, he was a founding software engineer at Facebook reporting directly to Mark Zuckerberg, and later founded Radius, a B2B customer data platform, serving as CEO for over seven years while raising more than $100 million in venture capital. Zach Bratun-Glennon is General Partner with a background leading acquisitions and strategic investments at Google Cloud, prior roles as a quant and data engineer at a hedge fund, and investment banking experience in software. He has led investments in over 35 companies and holds a CS degree from the University of Virginia, a JD, and an MBA from UCLA Anderson.
Investment Strategy
Gradient invests at the pre-seed and seed stages, partnering with founders at the earliest possible moment. The firm operates with a hands-on, founder-centric model, positioning itself as a builder, mentor, and champion. Gradient draws on its deep roots in AI and connections to the broader technology ecosystem to help founders access talent, technical resources, and go-to-market support. The firm leads and co-leads seed rounds across AI infrastructure and applications.
Notable Investments
Gradient's portfolio of 500+ companies includes several category-defining AI and software businesses:
Other
Gradient's spinout from Alphabet gives it greater independence in fund structure and LP relationships. The firm maintains a dedicated founder resources portal at gradient.com/founders and an active presence on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. Founders can apply for investment directly through the website.
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